Ford Engineers Leave No Detail in the Shade

Even engineers look cool wearing sunglasses.

DEARBORN, Mich., June 28, 2012 – Can you look cool without sunglasses? Maybe not, so they are consistently among the top 10 items drivers carry in their cars, and accommodating this accessory is a priority for these Ford engineers.

Ford engineers evaluated – and modeled – more than 100 pairs of sunglasses from designer frames to drug store knockoffs to achieve accurate dimensions of a wide range of shades. The goal was to ensure 95 percent of all sunglasses fit well into the 2013 Ford Fusion overhead stowage bin. Talk about dedication to making it possible for every driver to look their best on sunny days.

Using the coordinate measuring machine – a laser scanning device that produces accurate, to-scale 3D models on the computer – the engineers scanned real sunglasses to simulate how different types would rest in the overhead container.

Sejal Shreffler – core accommodation and usage engineer – explains, “Older sunglasses holders were designed for thin, wire-framed pairs, but fashions have evolved toward thicker, plastic shades. So we changed the bins to keep up with the trends.”

For this team of Ford engineers, it’s all about style and size, whether it’s throwback wayfarers – that may actually have been purchased the first time they were in style – or the ever-convenient clip-on sunglasses. No matter what look drivers are going for, the 2013 Ford Fusion will have a spot for almost any pair of shades.