Recent observations at Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai suggest the company’s groundbreaking integrated die casting manufacturing technology has expanded to the Model Y rear Giga Castings underbody production there.
Toyota Looks to Blend New Tech Like “Gigacasting” With Lean to Close EV Gap
According to a Shanghai Securities news report, Tesla Shanghai has successfully implemented integrated die casting for rapid rear underbody molding on the locally produced Model Y.
Per Tesla Structures and Thermal Systems manager Cui Hailun, parts previously consisting of multiple components are now integrated into a single rear underbody piece. This consolidation significantly boosts production efficiency compared to traditional methods.
The rear Giga Castings underbody also reduces body system weight by over 10% versus the prior multi-part design. Material cost savings are notable as well, with the optimized die cast component lowering expenses by 40% thanks to design and recycling efficiencies.
Tesla’s integrated die casting approach, known as gigacasting, is considered revolutionary in the auto industry. Massive presses apply up to 9,000 tons of force to mold large critical vehicle sections in one piece.
This technique recently enabled Tesla to replace 70 components with just 1 giant cast front end on the Model Y produced at Gigafactory Berlin.
However, Tesla observer Sawyer Merritt Sawyer Merritt contested claims made in a Reuters report that Shanghai has also adopted front gigacasting. He stated that the original Shanghai Securities story only referenced existing rear underbody casting.
Nonetheless, rear integrated die casting represents a major advancement for Gigafactory Shanghai’s manufacturing, with huge potential cost and speed benefits at scale.
Industry analysts believe the technology could let Tesla consolidate hundreds of traditional complex car parts into a single body module. This would provide Tesla a definitive production efficiency advantage.
Moreover, development timeframes for new models could be slashed from 3-4 years for legacy automakers down to just 18-24 months with the gigacasting process.
As Elon Musk pushes for rapid vehicle development, Tesla’s mastery of integrated die casting looks to be a key enabler. Shanghai’s implementation for the Model Y body highlights the company’s continued manufacturing innovations.
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