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Is there any reason they wouldn't just make those independant panels and weld those joints? It's a little slower than stamping, but cutting and welding panels l
by bonestamp2 7y ago
Is there any reason they wouldn't just make those independant panels and weld those joints? It's a little slower than stamping, but cutting and welding panels like this is well within the capabilities of their existing robots.
- Someone 7y agoFrom what I understand, the outside of this car is bare stainless steel. Can humans or robots make welds that don’t show Up as ugly warts on the outside? If so, can it be done cheaply enough?
- bonestamp2 7y agoFair enough. I supposed the structural weld could be on the inside to hide the bulge. But you'd need some tight tolerances for that to look good from the outside.
- double0jimb0 7y agoOrder of magnitude cheaper to start with flat sheet, lasercut/waterjet/stamp out final shape, and bend. They are starting the cut and bend operations with the fully hardened steel, so there is no post stress relieving / aging / finishing. It's about as simple as it can get for metal fabrication. Welding also fundamentally changes the underlying steel properties. I'm not up to speed on full hard 301 SS, but most likely any thermal operation will degrade it's mechanical and chemical grain structure.