Giga Casting Revolutionizes Manufacturing: Tesla's Game-Changing Technique Adopted by Dozens of Carmakers

Giga casting, a manufacturing process pioneered by Tesla, is being adopted by several other carmakers, including Geely, General Motors, Volvo, and Hyundai. It involves using high-pressure die-casting machines to create large castings from a few main components, simplifying production and reducing costs.

Tesla's giga press machines, which have a clamping force of 55,000 to 61,000 kilonewtons (5,600 to 6,200 tons of force), are used to produce castings for vehicles like the Model Y. The technology has allowed Tesla to replace assemblies consisting of multiple parts with just a few large castings.

Giga casting offers several benefits, including cost reduction, simplification of production processes, and potential weight savings. It has helped Tesla reduce manufacturing costs for the Model Y's rear underbody by 40% and remove hundreds of robots from the assembly of the Model 3.

Tesla appears to be diversifying its giga press suppliers, and not rely solely on Italy’s IDRA. Switzerland’s Bühler and China’s LK Group are other big players in the space.

The wider adoption of giga casting is driven by its potential to reduce carbon emissions by eliminating numerous individual parts. However, there are some challenges associated with the technology, such as higher replacement costs for large parts in case of accidents and potential impact on businesses supplying smaller components.

Source: InsideEVs