IDRA 9000T Giga Press Already Almost Fully Assembled in Giga Texas!

[firsttruck]

Cold-rolled steel has a directional grain to it. Since the panels need to be folded in different directions, that will complicate getting consistent results.
....

Franz von Holzhausen addressed the finish question in his recent interview on Ride the Lightning podcast.

Franz did not say what the finish was or how it was done but he did specify there would be a purposely done finish.

He also said it would be possible for many owners to repair minor scratches.

-------------------------------------------------

Episode 389: Special Guest Franz von Holzhausen Talks Cybertruck, Roadster, and More! Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen joins me for his second interview on this show! Our almost hour-long discussion covers the Cybertruck, next-gen Roadster, the new Model S, and much more! Plus: after the interview I analyze Tesla’s huge across-the-board price cuts that happened this week as well.
Jan 15, 2023
Ride the Lightning
-----

8:39 (519s) Removing scratches from the Cybertruck's stainless steel finish




-------------------------------------------------

Sponsored

 

[Deleted member 4261]

This machine will make millions of Cybertruck front ends.

The purchase/transport/install cost will cost less than the ongoing maintenance/upgrades over its lifetime.

And if we consider the savings in production time, and Robots, it may be the most significant advancement since Robotics and Henry Ford's moving assembly line.

These casting machines, return to vertical, the 4680 and Pack is a revolution.

Overall, the CT will represent in features and price all of what Tesla has achieved thus far.

Just random ...

Front ends?, wouldn’t they use a 6 ton casting machine for that.

 

[TyPope]

Seems obvious

What is less obvious is whether the variables affect operation (e.g., the new materials and methodologies being deployed for CT construction).



I suppose a lot of the proofing has been done virtually using models. On the other hand, is the notion here that the press is basically the last part of the CT production line needing built?

Yes. Well, actually, it's the biggest hurdle. The stamping machine that'll fold the external panels is also being constructed. It's in the SE corner of the building. We've been catching glimpses inside at the foundation work which now appears to be complete. I believe the components are on-site to finish that final piece. It's looking like they could be up and running pre-production test runs in a matter of weeks.

 

[Throwcomputer]

Not buying it.

Unless they are launching they slotted the Gen 3 vehicle in front of it. Tesla doesn’t buy a Gigapress and sit on it for 18 months. Something is coming on line that needs a 9k Ton Gigapress this year.

Nevermind the fact that "delivery guy" has no insight into production line. He's just a cog in the wheel.. at the end of the line. And definitely not important enough to share confidential corporate information with. But its funny how people online give so much credence to nobodies like that. No different than cybertruckmembersforum conjectures.

 

[SolarWizard]

You are the first to contradict what Elon said so I assume that you have some proof?

Heard of anyone doing a factory tour (outside cyber rodeo) or picking up their Y from gigatex?

 

[TyPope]

Front ends?, wouldn’t they use a 6 ton casting machine for that.

Most likely not. The front-end will have to be much beefier than the Model Y is. The aluminum's volume will necessitate higher clamping force to keep it from squirting out between the molds. While it's possible the 6k ton press has the overhead to make the CT front ends, I would posit that the existing 6k ton presses are needed for the MY line and probably won't have the spare capacity for the CT line.

 

[Sirfun]

Franz von Holzhausen addressed the finish question in his recent interview on Ride the Lightning podcast.

Franz did not say what the finish was or how it was done but he did specify there would be a purposely done finish.

He also said it would be possible for many owners to repair minor scratches.

-------------------------------------------------

Episode 389: Special Guest Franz von Holzhausen Talks Cybertruck, Roadster, and More! Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen joins me for his second interview on this show! Our almost hour-long discussion covers the Cybertruck, next-gen Roadster, the new Model S, and much more! Plus: after the interview I analyze Tesla’s huge across-the-board price cuts that happened this week as well.
Jan 15, 2023
Ride the Lightning
-----

8:39 (519s) Removing scratches from the Cybertruck's stainless steel finish




-------------------------------------------------

Thank you for cueing the video up to the part where Franz discussed scratch removal. The interviewer was horrible. Everybody is interested in what Franz has to say NOT all the interviewer observations. No way I can listen to over an hour of that!

 

[TyPope]

I believe the only thing about this gigapress that wasn't tested in Italy was the actual injection of aluminum. Everything else was tested. It was fully assembled and tested at IDRA. I don't know who makes the dies but it wouldn't surprise me if IDRA does and they might even have run an initial test of the injection system.

Reassembling it will take some time but I assume IDRA disassembled it in sections that could be "easily" moved and reassembled. What the photos show is the simple part of large components. Now they have to add all the support pieces, robots, and assembly line components IDRA doesn't (necessarily) supply. At least it's there and being reassembled. This is exciting because now we know it's actually happening!

We know IDRA doesn't have a forge on-site but they may have found other ways to test it.

 

[TyPope]

Thank you for cueing the video up to the part where Franz discussed scratch removal. The interviewer was horrible. Everybody is interested in what Franz has to say NOT all the interviewer observations. No way I can listen to over an hour of that!

I agree. What interviewer constantly interupts his visitor? How many times do you have to hear "Yeah" interupting Hanz?

 

[kbolt]

Cold-rolled steel has a directional grain to it. Since the panels need to be folded in different directions, that will complicate getting consistent results. There are springback issues that can vary with time and temperature and variations in the cold-rolling process as well as the original temper of the steel to begin with that can impact the way the steel takes a bend and the consistency of that. These kinds of problems can be particularly vexing to solve. Nothing like it has ever been done before as not many items are mass produced from cold-rolled stainless steel. It's usually used in limited, low-volume or custom applications.

Franz said that the stainless steel has a finish that removes the directional grain like the delorean has. It's this done before or after bending and if it's done before would that remove issues with consistent bends.

 

[Ogre]

Franz von Holzhausen addressed the finish question in his recent interview on Ride the Lightning podcast.

Franz did not say what the finish was or how it was done but he did specify there would be a purposely done finish.

He also said it would be possible for many owners to repair minor scratches.

Non directional.

I’d be quite happy if I could call service to buff out a scratch for a couple hundred bucks.

 

[swengl]

So long as the press operates to spec, it shouldn’t take 18 months to iron out issues. They have 6 ton presses, and I assume they’ve done in-house testing with IDRA to verify it works before they shipped it. When they rolled out the 6kt presses previously, they were only on site for a few months before production.

Also, as a general rule, would you want to have half a billion dollars worth of robots and gigapress sitting idle for 18 months?



The biggies are :

• Gigapress — This is what we’re talking about.
• 4680 production — Seems like ramp is finally progressing smoothly.
• Stainless steel folding thing — We’re not quite sure on this.
• Assembly line — Robots, other stamping machinery etc… we’ve seen a lot of this.
• Staff — lots of hiring for Cybertruck specific jobs.

Really the only thing which we don’t have a solid visibility on is the steel folding. But folding steel isn’t a dark art, the only big question is how they do it at a scale which can keep up with the rest of production while maintaining quality.

One thing to add: they need to make the molds that will go into the Gigapress, but I don't believe that is a task that is too difficult (or time consuming? anyone chime in with more knowledge on the subject). It's my understanding that one of the "new" buildings onsite in Austin will be a gigapress mold manufacturing facility which, if true, shows you how expansive Tesla plans are for utilizing the technology of the gigapress in the future. It would allow them to potentially swap molds (if production numbers get so high that they need to order another gigapress) and do runs of different body castings for different vehicles based on the demand for those vehicles until another gigapress is installed. Talk about flexibility! (and a more agile shift based on near JIT manufacturing)

 

[greggertruck]

I bet parts of the c-suite don’t know.

That's debatable. I think probably so at this point, but yea. I would bet Elon himself didn't know what the price WILL be even as soon as 60 days ago. Speculative, but even now they still do not KNOW for CERTAIN I'd say. But the C / E level probably knows the entirety of what CAN be known now.

 

[Ogre]

One thing to add: they need to make the molds that will go into the Gigapress, but I don't believe that is a task that is too difficult (or time consuming? anyone chime in with more knowledge on the subject). It's my understanding that one of the "new" buildings onsite in Austin will be a gigapress mold manufacturing facility which, if true, shows you how expansive Tesla plans are for utilizing the technology of the gigapress in the future. It would allow them to potentially swap molds (if production numbers get so high that they need to order another gigapress) and do runs of different body castings for different vehicles based on the demand for those vehicles until another gigapress is installed. Talk about flexibility! (and a more agile shift based on near JIT manufacturing)

Yep. Lots of little details need to get ironed out for each of the bigger pieces. Like @HaulingAss suggested, folding and spring back will have to be fine-tuned when they start cranking trucks at volume.

I think they have a machine shop onsite now for making the gigapress forms but I’m not quite sure.

 

[greggertruck]

One thing to add: they need to make the molds that will go into the Gigapress, but I don't believe that is a task that is too difficult (or time consuming? anyone chime in with more knowledge on the subject).

The molds are there. I mentioned this a few days ago, but I tracked molds(presumably Cybertruck) from China late Dec which lines up w the sightings in the casting area in drone videos. I didn't screenshot the BOL I'd found but there was 6 pieces total, interestingly. Weight was about 40k lbs.

Sponsored