Tesla has released a new video of one of its new Giga Press casting machines in action producing a giant single-piece rear body casting for Model Y.
Tesla is literally going big on casting
In recent years, Tesla has been focusing on casting technology to produce larger parts of its vehicles in bigger pieces.
We previously reported that Tesla is now producing the Model Y with one giant rear underbody that used to be made of 70 parts.
That’s possible due to Tesla’s first Giga Press, which was installed at the Fremont factory and put in operation last year. The machine, nicknamed Giga Press, is the first of its kind and is produced by Idra Group in Italy. It has a clamping force of 55,000 to 61,000 kilonewtons (5,600 to 6,200 tf).
Tesla has introduced another of those massive machines at the Fremont factory in September.
Tesla has since reportedly ordered many of those machines to deploy at new factories.
More recently, we reported on Tesla taking delivery of a “Giga Press” at Gigafactory Texas.
They are described as the biggest casting press machines in the world, and Tesla is trying to deploy as many as they can.
Tesla’s new video of Giga Press in action
Tesla has also some of these Giga Press casting machines in operation at Gigafactory Shanghai for the production of Model Y, which recently started at the factory.
The automaker has now released a new video of these machines in action:
Going from 70 parts to just one giant part has greatly simplified Tesla’s body production line – removing the need for around 300 robots, according to CEO Elon Musk.
It is also improving quality by making the body more consistent without all the variables of lining up many different parts.
The automaker has to develop a new alloy in order to produce such a large part in one piece.
Tesla’s next step is going to produce the front underbody of the chassis using the same process and link it to the back with a new structural battery pack.
This new body is expected to first be produced for Model Y at Gigafactory Berlin later this year.
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Author: Fred Lambert
Source: Electrek
