Company News

BARBERTON, OH – September 2023 – Compass Systems and Sales, LLC. along with the Ford Motor stamping engineering team, was awarded a Technical Excellence Award from Ford Motor Company for its ELS-170 Electrostatic Lubrication System earlier this year.

Each year, Ford Motor Company recognizes advancements in technology that support improvements in manufacturing with this prestigious award to honor companies that have demonstrated superior quality, delivery, and performance.

Installed at Ford Motor Company’s Kansas City, Missouri, stamping plant in April 2022, Compass System’s Electrostatic Lubrication System (ELS) increases uptime, improves part yield and stamping-die life and provides substantial savings by optimizing the amount of lubrication needed. The ELS system is used at the front-of-line to lubricate the blanks during the stamping process for metal body enclosures, such as hoods, trunks, quarter panels and roofs for the Ford Transit van lines.

Designed specifically at the request of Ford Motor Company, Compass’ ELS technology mitigates overspray, creating a cleaner environment and reduces the amount of lubrication needed by more than 25 percent. Compass’ electrostatic lubrication system works in tandem with its optional blank brush cleaner that efficiently cleans the blank prior to the lubrication process at the front end of the stamping line.

“We are very honored to be selected for this prestigious award,” said Roger Speece, chief technology officer, Compass Systems and Sales. “Since our system was installed, it has lubricated more than 5 million parts. We are very pleased that Ford is benefiting from our innovative technology and has not only realized cost savings and equipment uptime benefits, but also the sustainability aspects of this technology.”

Compass Systems and Sales has partnered with Ford since 2003, providing a variety of front-of-line, end-of-line and scrap handling and segregation systems. Ford Motor Company has ordered three additional electrostatic lubrication systems for its stamping facilities in Stanton, Tennessee and Buffalo, New York.

“Compass recognizes that manufacturing has one of the largest impacts on sustainability in the world,” stated William Trautmann, executive vice president of sales & marketing, Compass Systems and Sales. “Currently, Compass supports our customers’ sustainability goals through engineered solutions that divert over 30,000,000 pounds daily from landfills to reuse/recycling processes. We look forward to strengthening this support as we continue to partner with the worlds’ largest manufacturers to help maximize their sustainability goals.”

Compass Systems and Sales, along with the Ford Motor stamping engineering team, were nominated for the TEA award by Shay Fox, Manager, North American learning and development/launch planning workforce readiness, Ford Motor Company. The TEA awards, which have been awarded annually since 2000, recognize individuals or teams who have made significant contributions to engineering or organizational excellence within global manufacturing that promote utility, flexibility, and efficiency. Compass Systems and Sales and the Ford Motor stamping engineering team were among the top 14 out of 347 global projects that were submitted in 2023.

Ford Motor Company honored all of the award recipients in a live ceremony on May 4 at the Ford Experience Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The ceremony was also live streamed.

About Compass Systems and Sales

Compass Systems and Sales has recently celebrated 25 years, lead by Bob Sherrod, founder and CEO. Headquartered in Barberton, Ohio, Compass has over 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space and rapidly expanding offices for engineering, project management and service operations. The foundation of Compass’ success remains a commitment to innovation and providing full turnkey support from engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation to training and service & parts support.