Cybertruck Body Prototype Casting spied uncovered!! 😲

[Ogre]

There was no one doubting the image on the first page. I just checked.

‘My bad, I was being sarcastic and wasn’t clear enough.

A couple people were quite vocal that it was a render. A few also though there were stand in pieces (self included). It didn’t quite mesh with the mental image of what the truck would look like.

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[CyberGus]

Most likely this is a hand fabricated mock up of what could eventually become cast parts.

Well, it's all a hand-job at this point

 

[anionic1]

I'm skeptical that the highlighted sections are gigacastings.

First, every gigacasting I've seen is silver (bare aluminum), not black. It is not necessary to paint them, and Tesla is trying to reduce manufacturing steps.

Second, all types of complex metal parts were used in cars before the gigapress came along.

Lastly, that area does not require the same level of stiffness and support needed for the current structures replaced with castings. I'd say those pieces in the sail wings could even be plastic or composite.

That is the final design of the castings. The sail pillar needs to act like a truss and to make any significant structural use of the stainless cladding they need to pick up the end point of the truss. that completes the triangle. If you look at the image of a typical truss below you will see that it matches the shape of the casting outlined in red below. That part back by the tailgate is completing that farthest pin connection. Remember the stainless panels are only structural cladding. They can only transfer loads to internal body parts that they are connected to.

These casting according to Munro are not cast like the giga castings. They probably hired a company that makes prototype castings to sand cast these in parts and welded them together. I bet that they coat them as a standard part of their process as a service to the client. Because aluminum doesn't rust but it does corrode.

 

[anionic1]

‘My bad, I was being sarcastic and wasn’t clear enough.

A couple people were quite vocal that it was a render. A few also though there were stand in pieces (self included). It didn’t quite mesh with the mental image of what the truck would look like.

I debunked that. see page 23 of this post. I am going to shut up now and quietly accept my invisible award for being right.

 

[RVAC]

I'm skeptical that the highlighted sections are gigacastings.

First, every gigacasting I've seen is silver (bare aluminum), not black. It is not necessary to paint them, and Tesla is trying to reduce manufacturing steps.

Second, all types of complex metal parts were used in cars before the gigapress came along.

Lastly, that area does not require the same level of stiffness and support needed for the current structures replaced with castings. I'd say those pieces in the sail wings could even be plastic or composite.

GIgapresses for CT are not yet operational so that's probably just how sand cast parts come out looking like, either that or powder coated for corrosion resistance as the sign above it says.

 

[Ogre]

GIgapresses for CT are not yet operational so that's probably just how sand cast parts come out looking like, either that or powder coated for corrosion resistance as the sign above it says.

How do you know this?

They’ve been under wraps for weeks. May well be cranking out Cybertruck castings already. They moved huge numbers of Model Y castings outside to make room for??? Something.

 

[RVAC]

How do you know this?

They’ve been under wraps for weeks. May well be cranking out Cybertruck castings already. They moved huge numbers of Model Y castings outside to make room for??? Something.

When this photo came out the 9k ton press was not on site.

 

[CyberGus]

GIgapresses for CT are not yet operational so that's probably just how sand cast parts come out looking like, either that or powder coated for corrosion resistance as the sign above it says.

Those pieces aren't big enough to require the 9K gigapress. And wouldn't they CNC such a beta part anyway?

I do not see the point of adding corrosion-resistance to a prototype. Why do something in test that you're not going to do in production?

 

[RVAC]

Those pieces aren't big enough to require the 9K gigapress. And wouldn't they CNC such a beta part anyway?

I do not see the point of adding corrosion-resistance to a prototype. Why do something in test that you're not going to do in production?

That's why they are potentially split in more pieces than we might see in the production version with the 9k gigapress, but the bottom one alone is huge when compared to a Model Y rear casting.

 

[anionic1]

And I'm guessing it's just ONE giga casting per side, so all that including the wheel well comes out of the press already together?

Nope. That entire rear end is coming out of the casting in one piece. Here is the math. Basically any axis that you look at the rear of the truck you get about 3500 sq in.. the injection pressure of those casting machines from what I read is in the range of 5000 psi. I believe i got that from an Idra video. that comes to 17,500,000 lbs of clamping force along the axis. the gigapress is a 18,000,000 lb press.

Also and most importantly. That press has something like a 2 min cylce. thats only 720 a day running non stop. This is definintely going to be the bottle neck of the CT production folks. Thats only 360 vehicle castings per day if they make a front and rear. Or 130,000 vehicles per year. If they will use a smaller press for the front end they could double that and they likely will as its not nearly as big. I also bet that's why they are working to get the press up as soon as possible to start stocking the castings. If the rear was in 2 pieces that would limit production even further. Note that it was announced that a second gigapress was already shipping to Asia. Could they be making CTs in Asia as well Link.??? I know Elon prefers their asian manufacturing to US and has said its superior. The only logical reason to me that they would send the other press their would be to make the CT unless its for their next gen vehicle and the only reason to have casting capability this early on is if the entire design of the vehicle R&D heavily depended on their ability to cast a large portion of it. IMO.

 

[Ogre]

When this photo came out the 9k ton press was not on site.

You were talking in the present tense above. Yes, when this photo came out GP was not there. It is now and operational state is… unknown.

 

[firsttruck]

From the Birds Aren't Real movement:

If birds aren't real then why are all the animal rights activists complaining about wind turbines killing "unreal" birds?

 

[Dids]

It was me..... I said the old photo is a Photoshop. And I still think it is. There is a lot of nonsense about it for a mock up and the paint over spray etc is not done for a jig. I think some saw the castings mockup and they took a picture and they took a picture of the stamped cab parts and put several photos together.....
But who cares.... Here is a bigger conspiracy.

Are those red boxes near the bumper water thrusters controllers?
Are the square boxes below the rear bumper thruster ports?
Are those flaps inside the intake on the front bumper intake to seal it off?

 

[Cyberman]

It really should be yours if it kills you.

-Crissa

"What doesn't kill me better start fucking running"

 

[Cyberman]

Spot on. Not to mention. Drivers front side sled rail support should be on the outside like in the rear. Should be about where the dudes left shoulder is. And what's up with the gap on the back support. And is that a flimsy floor the rails sit on? Not for walking on.

This pic is the one I use to dispel the idea of a sail storage. There's just no room, unless you're thinking dropping some nuts and bolts in through the crevices. I mean, look at it. There's just no friggin' way.

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