Tesla Giga Press, World's Largest Casting Machine, About to Start Next Level Model Y Production

Giga Press is a series of aluminum die casting machines manufactured by Idra Group in Italy. They are notable for being the largest high-pressure die casting machines in the world, with a clamping force of 5,600 to 6,200 tonnes-force. The initial usage of a customized OL 6100 CS Giga Press is planned by Tesla for the production of the Model Y at the Fremont Factory, California.

OL 6100 CS had been purchased to enable casting the Tesla Model Y rear chassis and crash rails as a single component.

Will be amazing to see it in operation! Biggest casting machine ever made. Will make rear body in a single piece, including crash rails.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 13, 2020

In May 2020, Tesla requested building permits from the City of Fremont for demolishing a car wash at the Tesla Factory and installing an arch-shaped metal building for casting machinery. During July 2020, relocation of electrical equipment and raising of a compressed air pipeline by 6 ft was required; these steps enabled installation of the drilling and tapping ("Drill & Tap") area for the "DCM1" (Die-Casting Machine) Giga Press-based casting line at the Fremont factory.

 

At the end of July 2020, Tesla filed permit applications for construction work in preparation for Die-Casting Machine #2 (DCM2) at Fremont. In early August, Tesmanian exclusively reported that the Tesla Model Y Giant Casting Machine had been spotted at a factory in Fremont.

Tesla Model Y Giant Casting Machine with Paint Shop Already in Fremont Factory https://t.co/Zpf70cayG9 pic.twitter.com/TgN6nhOSsN

— Tesmanian.com (@Tesmanian_com) August 5, 2020

A Tesmanian reader has shared exclusive photos with us. The casting cell and first Giga Press having been assembled in the open air at the north end of the General Assembly building.



It is unclear at this point if the installation process has been completed, but the photos did not capture the high activity near the Giga Press. Apparently, at the moment, the installation of the cover is in progress, as it looks incomplete.

The Giga Press' purpose is to “reduce build time, operation costs, costs of manufacturing, factory footprint, factory operating costs, tooling costs, and / or quantity of equipment.” The automaker notes that it will reduce the number of casting machines required to build a vehicle frame and that it could even build “a complete or substantially complete” frame itself.

This production method has a number of advantages, ranging from saving resources and time for production to improving vehicle performance. The unibody design will significantly reduce weight, resulting in better battery economy and improved handling and driving comfort. Safety, importantly, will also be further enhanced, as the entire body can better absorb energy forces in an accident.

The same single piece casting machine for Model Y will be installed in every Tesla factory, which will significantly improve the quality of Model Y, increase production speed, and reduce cost. This will enable Tesla to reduce the price of its vehicles and accelerate expansion to all automotive markets in the world.

© 2020, Eva Fox. All rights reserved.

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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter

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