Tesla is once again at the forefront of innovation – when it comes to electric vehicles. Poised to redefine the manufacturing process, the company has its eyes set on a groundbreaking move that promises to significantly reduce costs and enhance production capacity: a new strategy that involves die-casting the entire underbody of a vehicle in a single piece – and a stark contrast to the conventional methods requiring nearly 400 parts.
In this article, you will read more about “The Gigacasting Technique”!
Tesla's New Method
Tesla is pushing the boundaries even further. The company is working on a manufacturing procedure for the Model Y SUV that incorporates massive, ultra-high-pressure presses. This unique method, known as “gigacasting”, molds the front and rear parts of the vehicle simultaneously.
And there is more! At the heart of this new method is an ingenious mold-making process facilitated by 3D printing and industrial sand.
Traditional automakers have been reluctant to embrace similar techniques due to the high costs associated with minor changes to molten metal molds. Tesla, however, is spearheading a shift with its sand technique that builds the mold layer by layer, simplifying post-production modifications. The advanced casting technique is nearing completion, but not without challenges.
The Gigacasting Challenges
Rumors have it that a larger and more powerful gigapress is necessary, along with substantial space to accommodate it. There's also the risk of the 3D-printed sand core technique failing under high pressure. A possible solution involves slow molten alloy injection, but this could slow down the manufacturing process. Anyway…
The successful implementation of the technique could propel Tesla light years ahead of its competitors, as a part of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's “unboxed” production process, conceived to streamline car building by requiring painting only for necessary parts and assembling the rest in one go.
What Is Next?
In the grand scheme of things, Tesla's manufacturing strides echo Apple's transition to a unibody design for its laptops, where one single aluminum slab helps save on assembly costs. There are also plans in the pipeline to apply these cutting-edge processes to Tesla's long-awaited $25,000 electric car, which might bear a resemblance to the Cybertruck.
With Musk's plan to reduce the manufacturing costs of its EVs by half, as stated in March's Investor Day event, the future looks promising for Tesla. And, through this relentless pursuit of innovation, the company is for sure redefining the car-building process. What do you think?
