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Yes, mentioned in live stream was that other co’s only spend 1/5 the time actually boring and the rest on logistics of putting up retaining walls and the like.
by npunt 8y ago
Yes, mentioned in live stream was that other co’s only spend 1/5 the time actually boring and the rest on logistics of putting up retaining walls and the like. Part of Boring Co innovation is to automate that and keep the borer working all the time. Also they 3x’d the energy output of the boring machine vs competitors. Should add up.
- hobofan 8y agoThat's all still speculation, isn't it? IIRC this tunnel was built with a boring machine from a competitor.
- npunt 8y agoIt’s mostly speculation for sure. I forgot what parts were real from the live stream (the 3x power output was real) but it seemed like this is mostly the rapid learning and planning stage. Buying a competitors device is a really smart move as a first step, since much of the low hanging fruit gains are in the activities around the machine to save that 4/5s of time when it’s idle. As a startup it’s almost always best to bootstrap with the competition’s product if you can, makes rate of learning so much faster.
- youngtaff 8y agoDon't most TBMs already work non-stop in a continuous process - with tunnel lining being fitted as the cutting head moves forward, and trains bringing lining segments and moving dirt away. Was certainly how the CrossRail and Channel tunnel machines worked See diagram on https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17365934 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17365934 Musk keeps showing this comparatively tiny machine, whereas in reality they're 150m long