Ford shares video of 1,000 bouncy balls to show the brutal reality of shipping parts around the world
Published on Dec 04, 2025 at 3:58 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Dec 04, 2025 at 3:58 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
If you ever wanted a visual representation of what it’s like shipping car parts around the world, then Ford has got you covered.
The car company has shared a video of 1,000 bouncy balls bouncing around, to try to show what it’s like for car parts as they are moved around the globe.
The balls were placed inside a test machine, and the experiment was designed to show how this machine protects parts.
Various shipments are tested in the Shipping Equipment Design and Test Center, ensuring parts are delivered to their destination in perfect condition.
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How Ford tested the bouncy balls
Components for Ford vehicles sometimes have to travel great distances to reach assembly plants and facilities.
The Shipping Equipment Design and Test Center is a 19,000-square-foot facility.
This is located on the east side of the company’s hometown of Dearborn, Michigan.
Here, there is a large, five-axis, large-platen vibration table and a 40ft horizontal impact sled.
Both devices can simulate road, rail, air, and sea travel.
Various items are tested at the facility, such as bodywork components and even full engine blocks.
The bouncing balls, however, are the best visual representation of the forces acting on the items.
The bouncy balls represent the car parts
As we can see from the video, the balls are really thrown about in quite an aggressive way.
The forces they are subjected to cause them to bounce high in the machine and all around each other.
It is eye-opening to see just how much the balls bounce around and how quickly they do, too.
The testing is vital to making sure parts do not suffer damage in transit.
Not doing so could lead to quality control issues or potentially to defective cars when they are assembled.
This is perhaps most important if parts need to be shipped overseas and across the globe.
The Blue Oval has also worked on making sure components are shipped in a cost-effective and safe manner.
Without the work like this, components for various cars could reach their destination a bit worse for wear.
Iconic Ford models that defined decades
1965 Ford Mustang: The car that created the pony car segment
1985 Escort RS Cosworth: Turbocharged rally icon with a huge wing
1990 Taurus SHO: A sleeper sedan with Yamaha-tuned V6
1999 SVT Lightning: Performance pickup before it was cool
2004 Ford GT: Modern recreation of the GT40 legend
2017 GT (2nd Gen): Track-focused halo car with Le Mans pedigree
2021 Mustang Mach-E: Ford’s leap into electric SUVs
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
