3 ms·

Thank you for this I was trying to figure out what was being pressed exactly. What is special about the GigaPress die casting?

Robotbeat 6y ago
Being able to make large, complex parts in seconds to high tolerances. A way cheaper way to make a car if you figure it out.
- gibolt 6y ago
  Injection apparently happens in milliseconds, which is crazy at the scale of half a car.
  - baybal2 6y ago
    But you get weaker parts
    - Robotbeat 6y ago
      Not really any more. X-rays and other process improvements have allowed modern die casting to approach hot forged properties. You don’t get grain flow as good as cold forging, but it’s pretty dang good now.
- baybal2 6y ago
  > Being able to make large, complex parts in seconds to high tolerances. You don't get that high tolerances with casting the bigger you go. Thermal warpage needs correction, and there is only so much you can correct. But the machine in question is used for a process much closer to injection molding than casting. MIM is somewhat better with warpage
  - HPsquared 6y ago
    It's all relative, the basis for comparison is a standard automotive structure: stamped steel parts welded together.
    - baybal2 6y ago
      Stamped steel is excellent on manufacturability, warpage, and speed of manufacturing included. The industry after all spent a century working with it. Aluminium alloys bring along own problems, but otherwise unbeatable on weight even if very weight inefficient methods are used, like casting. It's a very complicated compromise even if economics is not involved.
  - Robotbeat 6y ago
    Correct, this isn’t mere casting. It is die casting, with really good surface finish (which matters for strength) and good tolerances once you iteratively take warpage into account. And a big reason they didn’t use this in the past is you’d get bubbles which reduce strength dramatically. But improvements in process tech and ability to use X-rays to do fast, non-destructive evaluation allows near-forged material properties. Better than castings of years past.
- bathtub365 6y ago
  Is this intended to fix the misaligned body panels I constantly see on other Tesla models?

Robotbeat 6y ago

Being able to make large, complex parts in seconds to high tolerances. A way cheaper way to make a car if you figure it out.

gibolt 6y ago
Injection apparently happens in milliseconds, which is crazy at the scale of half a car.
- baybal2 6y ago
  But you get weaker parts
  - Robotbeat 6y ago
    Not really any more. X-rays and other process improvements have allowed modern die casting to approach hot forged properties. You don’t get grain flow as good as cold forging, but it’s pretty dang good now.
baybal2 6y ago
> Being able to make large, complex parts in seconds to high tolerances. You don't get that high tolerances with casting the bigger you go. Thermal warpage needs correction, and there is only so much you can correct. But the machine in question is used for a process much closer to injection molding than casting. MIM is somewhat better with warpage
- HPsquared 6y ago
  It's all relative, the basis for comparison is a standard automotive structure: stamped steel parts welded together.
  - baybal2 6y ago
    Stamped steel is excellent on manufacturability, warpage, and speed of manufacturing included. The industry after all spent a century working with it. Aluminium alloys bring along own problems, but otherwise unbeatable on weight even if very weight inefficient methods are used, like casting. It's a very complicated compromise even if economics is not involved.
- Robotbeat 6y ago
  Correct, this isn’t mere casting. It is die casting, with really good surface finish (which matters for strength) and good tolerances once you iteratively take warpage into account. And a big reason they didn’t use this in the past is you’d get bubbles which reduce strength dramatically. But improvements in process tech and ability to use X-rays to do fast, non-destructive evaluation allows near-forged material properties. Better than castings of years past.
bathtub365 6y ago
Is this intended to fix the misaligned body panels I constantly see on other Tesla models?