In a current technical briefing session, Toyota introduced a raft of latest applied sciences because it catches as much as different carmakers in electrical automobile enlargement plans. Considered one of them is giga casting, whereby a automobile physique is constructed from two or three essential elements, simplifying the manufacturing course of and lowering prices.
Tesla was the primary to extensively use the giga press, and a number of carmakers have tried to emulate the strategy. Geely makes use of the megacasting method for the Zeekr 009 MPV and Normal Motors is reportedly utilizing it for its upcoming flagship EV, the Cadillac Celestiq. Volvo and Hyundai have comparable plans as effectively.
The giga press is a die-casting machine used to stamp aluminum sheets into massive elements of a automobile’s physique. Tesla is believed to have first used it on the Mannequin Y, reportedly changing assemblies consisting of 70 elements, with simply two to 3 enormous castings.
The home-sized machines have a clamping pressure of 55,000 to 61,000 kilonewtons (5,600 to six,200 tons of pressure), though it could differ relying on configuration and make, as Tesla seems to be diversifying its giga press suppliers, and never rely solely on Italy’s IDRA. Switzerland’s Bühler and China’s LK Group are different huge gamers within the area.
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Giga casting advantages are multifold. The know-how allowed Tesla to scale back Mannequin Y manufacturing prices by 40 p.c, as per Autoblog. For the Mannequin 3, Tesla eliminated 600 robots from the meeting, because the giga press simplified manufacturing considerably. In the meantime, Toyota has stated the know-how will cut back processes and plant funding by half.
Another excuse for the broader adoption of know-how is the potential weight financial savings. EV batteries are heavy, and producers look to compensate for the extra weight elsewhere. Giga press presumably reduces carbon emissions as effectively by eliminating dozens of particular person elements.
Though there are a couple of pitfalls to the know-how. In case of accidents, changing enormous elements might value much more than changing smaller elements. Furthermore, it may very well be a painstaking job for legacy automakers with established manufacturing processes to include giga casting.
Though physique manufacturing is extremely automated these days, the follow can even affect companies supplying smaller elements, in response to Automotive Information Europe.