Tesla's Innovative Design and Manufacturing Processes Set Them Apart in the Automotive Industry

Sandy Munro, Scott Walter, Tesla -

Tesla's Innovative Design and Manufacturing Processes Set Them Apart in the Automotive Industry

Tesla's innovative design and manufacturing processes, as well as their focus on safety features, set them apart from traditional automakers and position them as a formidable competitor in the industry 

Questions to inspire discussion 

  • How does Tesla's design and manufacturing processes set them apart from traditional automakers?

    Tesla's innovative design and manufacturing processes, such as Giga casting and in-house die designers, allow for more efficient production and higher quality vehicles compared to traditional automakers.

  • What is the size difference between Tesla's rear and front Giga casting machines?

    Tesla's rear casting machine is 9,000 tons, while the front Giga casting machine for the Cybertruck is 6,000 tons, showcasing their efficiency and ability to use smaller, more efficient equipment.

  • How does Tesla optimize the metal flow and reduce tonnage of presses for different models?

    Tesla's in-house die designers work closely with casting designers to optimize metal flow and reduce tonnage of presses, allowing them to use the same equipment for different models, saving time and resources.

  • What safety features does the Tesla Cybertruck have in the event of a collision?

    The Tesla Cybertruck has small crushable areas in the front and rear, with thicker crossmembers closer to the cab to protect occupants, and the motor and batteries are designed to drop out of the vehicle in a crash, making it one of the safest trucks ever tested by NITSA.

  • How many Cybertrucks does Tesla aim to produce per year?

    Tesla is aiming to produce 250,000 Cybertrucks per year, with the potential for two production lines and increased press capacity, allowing for the potential to produce well over a quarter million vehicles per year.

Key Insights

  • 🚗 Tesla's ability to loop and iterate quickly due to physical proximity of design engineers and line workers sets them apart from the standard Legacy auto way of building things.
  • 🔧 Tesla's in-house die designers work closely with casting designers, using simulations to integrate part design into tool design, reducing the need for high tonnage presses.
  • 🏗️ The Giga casting machine for the Cybertruck is 6,000 tons, not 8,000, making it more efficient and taking up less room.
  • 🤖 The ability to integrate the design of the part into the actual machine that makes the machine is the most important part of the process.
  • 🛡️ The crossmembers of the Cybertruck get thicker as they get closer to the cab of the vehicle, providing additional protection for the occupants in the event of a collision.
  • 🚗 The motor dropping underneath the batteries during a collision is a revolutionary safety feature that sets Tesla apart in the automotive industry.
  • 🔩 The steer by wire system in Tesla vehicles eliminates the need for a physical connection between the steering wheel and the rack and pinion steering system, presenting a significant technological advancement.
  • 🚗 Tesla's potential to produce more Cyber trucks in 2024 than Ford's F-150 Lightning is a terrifying prospect for Ford, as their F-series trucks are their bread and butter.

 

#Tesla

 

Clips 

  • 00:00 🚗 Tesla's front Giga casting showcases the remarkable work of their design engineers and line workers, setting them apart from Legacy auto companies, with the rear casting at 9,000 tons and the front at 6,500 tons.
    • Tesla's ability to do the front Giga casting with the same size press as the model y Giga castings showcases the remarkable work of their design engineers and line workers, setting them apart from Legacy auto companies.
    • Tesla's rear casting is 9,000 tons, while the front is 6,500 tons.
  • 01:49 🚗 Tesla's in-house die and casting designers optimize metal flow and reduce tonnage of presses, while also discussing the cooling process and recycling of aluminum for Model Y production.
    • Tesla's in-house die designers work closely with casting designers to optimize metal flow and reduce tonnage of presses, allowing them to use the same equipment for different models.
    • The cooling process and cycle time for Tesla's Model Y production is optimized with multiple presses and backup tooling.
    • Tesla's chief engineer discusses the recycling and maintenance of aluminum, expressing uncertainty about its properties.
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  • 06:02 🤯 Tesla's front Giga casting machine for the Cybertruck is 6,000 tons, not 8,000 tons, making it smaller, more efficient, and allowing for more machines to be used, with multiple Model Y machines for part swaps when dies go bad.
    • Sandy Munro is surprised to learn that Tesla's front Giga casting machine for the Cybertruck is 6,000 tons, not 8,000 tons, making it smaller, more efficient, and allowing for more machines to be used.
    • Tesla has multiple Model Y machines for front Giga casting, allowing for part swaps when dies go bad, which is crucial for keeping the production line running, and the size of the Giga casting blew the engineer's mind.
  • 07:39 🚀 Tesla has revolutionized metal casting in the Giga press, allowing for smooth and rapid flow of liquid metal without blockages, resulting in a homogenized and improved final product.
    • Tesla has simplified and improved the methodology of metal casting in the Giga press, allowing the metal to flow more effortlessly and fill the cavity in just fractions of a second.
    • Metal in Tesla's design is allowed to flow like liquid to create a structure without blockages, unlike traditional manufacturing methods that use blockages in the form of triangles and meshes.
    • The new design of the metal casting process in Tesla's manufacturing allows for smooth and rapid flow of liquid metal, resulting in a homogenized and blockage-free final product.
    • Tesla's Material Science team has developed an exotic version of aluminum with the right properties, which is considered the best on the planet and is able to flow smoothly and laminarly when hot and cool.
  • 10:42 🚗 Tesla's Giga casting process allows for efficient and high-quality production of vehicles, saving time and money compared to traditional methods, with added safety features in the Cybertruck.
    • Tesla's Giga casting process allows for efficient and high-quality production of vehicles without the need for extensive post-production fixes.
    • Giga casting in Tesla cars saves time, money, and improves quality compared to traditional stamped parts and welding.
    • The Giga castings in the Cybertruck have small crushable areas in the front and rear, with thicker crossmembers closer to the cab to protect occupants, and the motor and batteries are designed to drop out of the vehicle in a crash.
    • The motor drops underneath the batteries during a collision, and the crush elements of the vehicle are designed into the Giga casting, allowing for flexibility in design and controlled crushing.
  • 13:50 💡 Tesla's steer by wire system eliminates traditional steering column, Cybertruck aims to be safest truck ever tested, with potential to produce over a quarter million vehicles per year.
    • The Tesla vehicle has a steer by wire system with no traditional steering column, eliminating the risk of impalement in an accident.
    • The Tesla Cybertruck is expected to be the safest truck ever tested by Nitsa, with a production goal of 5,000 per week.
    • Tesla is aiming to produce 250,000 Cybertrucks per year, but with the potential for two production lines and increased press capacity, they could potentially produce well over a quarter million vehicles per year.
  • 16:08 🚗 Tesla is delivering vehicles earlier than expected, potentially producing more Cyber Trucks than Ford's F-150 Lightning, causing concern for Ford.
    • Tesla is delivering vehicles earlier than expected, with some customers already receiving their orders, despite the stated delivery date being in 2024.
    • Tesla's ability to potentially produce more Cyber Trucks than Ford's F-150 Lightning is a cause for concern for Ford.
    • The speaker discusses insights into material science and die casting, and thanks patrons and sponsors. 

------------------------------------- 0:19:3 2023-12-19T15:54:51Z


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