First CXO300s expected to come off Cox Powertrain’s state-of-the-art Shoreham production line in Q4 2019.
Innovative diesel outboard manufacturer Cox Powertrain has announced at Seawork that production of its much-anticipated CXO300 will commence in October, with the first round of delivery to take place by the end of the year. The firm has received a “remarkable” number of enquiries since its order books opened in November last year. When fully operational, the production line will run two shifts per day to meet this exceptional level of demand.
Cox Powertrain’s smart technology driven assembly line is the result of a collaboration between the Cox Manufacturing Engineering team and QM Systems, one of the industry’s foremost providers of automation engineering services and solutions. Cox has invested an impressive £6.7m in creating its new production facilities, which includes an integrated state-of-the-art Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that will ensure exceptionally high-quality standards are consistently met with a ‘No Fault Forward’ philosophy.
This level of investment is in line with the firm’s ethos of making use of the very best research and development procedures, taking its lead from the type of systems used by premium brands in the automotive industry. Many of the firm’s key staff have backgrounds in the automotive industry, hailing from prestigious firms including Jaguar Land Rover, Cosworth and Lotus.
Smart technology will be used throughout the process. The assembly line will include numerous features to guarantee the flawless quality of each Cox Powertrain outboard such as a camera system to verify the continuity and exact size of each bead of sealant laid down by the bespoke plotter to ensure the perfect seal; WIFI enabled DC tooling that will communicate directly with the MES system to record all assembly torque data; an automated ‘Spin rig’ to test every gearbox and a comprehensive end of line ‘Hot test’ facility to ensure each powerhead achieves the exacting standards that our customers require and deserve.
Cox Powertrain’s Operations Director Jerry Attridge said: “This is a very exciting time for everyone at Cox Powertrain. Not only is the CXO300 a superb, innovative product, we are also creating a complex, high precision manufacturing facility using cutting edge technology to deliver what can only be described as a game changing product into the marine outboard market. Thankfully, we have built a fantastic team of people that I am certain will deliver a transformational product.” Cox’s 4.4-litre 4-stroke V8 CXO300 has been shown to offer excellent performance with maximum torque delivered right through from 1,300 to 3,000rpm, reaching 479ft lbs ̶ almost double the twisting power of its 300hp petrol rivals. Predicted cost-of-life savings are as high as £150,000 due to reduced fuel costs, fewer maintenance requirements and an expected three-times-longer life span.
