3 ms·

The single-cast is only the aluminum. Several common vehicle glues are stronger than aluminum (e.g. Steel Reinforced Epoxy), and aluminum itself is not very str

The single-cast is only the aluminum. Several common vehicle glues are stronger than aluminum (e.g. Steel Reinforced Epoxy), and aluminum itself is not very strong. The safety critical structural elements of their cars are a mixture of mild and high strength steel[0]. [0] https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-3-body-structure-steel-aluminium-composition/ https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-3-body-structure-steel...

hwillis 6y ago
A 2017 article is very out of date. The Model 3 rear subframe is cast aluminum: https://insideevs.com/news/408645/tesla-model-y-mega-casting-teardown-video/ https://insideevs.com/news/408645/tesla-model-y-mega-casting... Which is certainly a safety critical structural element. Additionally, glues are not stronger than aluminum. I don't know if you're thinking of a composite resin (eg glass fiber), but normal adhesives are weaker even than pure aluminum, which is ~5x weaker than all the commonly used (copper age-hardening) alloys of aluminum.
- Someone1234 6y ago
  I have no interest in a pointless debate about the semantic difference between the passenger compartment Vs rear crumble zone and what "safety critical" means, no do I over the word "common" in "common vehicle glues." If you're going to read my post with the worst possible interpretation then try to correct that uncharitable reading, I just have no interest in a discussion.
  - hwillis 6y ago
    So basically you didn't look at the link, because the castings -which, again, are new- are part of the safety cell. They are not the rear extruded rails. If you had specified an adhesive when you first wrote the comment, sorry- I managed to not see it. I don't know of any "steel reinforced epoxy" besides JB weld (which generally should not be used on anything bigger than a lawnmower), but it and actual 3M vehicle adhesives[1] are a full 10x weaker in shear and 15-20x weaker in tension that plain boring 6061. [1]: https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1467016O/07333-irsa-technical-data-sheet.pdf https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1467016O/07333-irsa-tech...
- davidgould 6y ago
  The Model 3 rear subframe is not the same as the Model Y which you link too.

hwillis 6y ago

A 2017 article is very out of date. The Model 3 rear subframe is cast aluminum: https://insideevs.com/news/408645/tesla-model-y-mega-casting-teardown-video/ https://insideevs.com/news/408645/tesla-model-y-mega-casting... Which is certainly a safety critical structural element. Additionally, glues are not stronger than aluminum. I don't know if you're thinking of a composite resin (eg glass fiber), but normal adhesives are weaker even than pure aluminum, which is ~5x weaker than all the commonly used (copper age-hardening) alloys of aluminum.

Someone1234 6y ago
I have no interest in a pointless debate about the semantic difference between the passenger compartment Vs rear crumble zone and what "safety critical" means, no do I over the word "common" in "common vehicle glues." If you're going to read my post with the worst possible interpretation then try to correct that uncharitable reading, I just have no interest in a discussion.
- hwillis 6y ago
  So basically you didn't look at the link, because the castings -which, again, are new- are part of the safety cell. They are not the rear extruded rails. If you had specified an adhesive when you first wrote the comment, sorry- I managed to not see it. I don't know of any "steel reinforced epoxy" besides JB weld (which generally should not be used on anything bigger than a lawnmower), but it and actual 3M vehicle adhesives[1] are a full 10x weaker in shear and 15-20x weaker in tension that plain boring 6061. [1]: https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1467016O/07333-irsa-technical-data-sheet.pdf https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1467016O/07333-irsa-tech...
davidgould 6y ago
The Model 3 rear subframe is not the same as the Model Y which you link too.