Rumor: Cybertruck Gigapress set to begin operating next month!

[Cyberman]

Fake news. Tesla is not ready to produce anything for the CyberTruck until they finish the Engineering.

Check back in about 12 months to see if they are making progress on the engineering side.

Actually, Elon announced on Jan 27th 2021 that the engineering was done.

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[Jhodgesatmb]

Well, if he spotted them this week, that would indicate they hadn't yet used them.

-Crissa

The Zeppelin silos are for the cell plant.

 

[CyberGus]

I think in Fremont they have a piece of equipment which chunks them back up for recycling, but its possible the alloy changes a bit chemically when it solidifies and would need to be processed somehow. Pure speculation, I am not a metallurgist. I do like Megadeth but that doesn’t qualify.

...I saw an article quoting someone who worked at a recycling plant talking about showing up to work the other day and finding a large stack of what looked like Tesla front and rear castings that were there to be recycled.

No, you can't just melt it down and reuse it. The proportions of the elements in it changes when cast. That needs to be rebalanced to reuse it.

I found my answer from Jordan Giesige, of course.

Molten aluminum is hydroscopic, and the reaction causes bubbles of hydrogen that weaken the finished product. This is mitigated by bubbling argon gas into the molten aluminum, which encourages the hydrogen out. Aluminum that has been cast will need to be processed again to achieve the same strength.

 

[Crissa]

Yeah, gas bubbles react at the high temperatures, some metals adhere/erode the cast, some amount is lost to the surface in the melting chamber...

-Crissa

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

I found my answer from Jordan Giesige, of course.

Molten aluminum is hydroscopic, and the reaction causes bubbles of hydrogen that weaken the finished product. This is mitigated by bubbling argon gas into the molten aluminum, which encourages the hydrogen out. Aluminum that has been cast will need to be processed again to achieve the same strength.

I watched that video the other day and what I got out of it was that this is how they keep the Al density high and porosity low, and that both air and hydrogen come out in the process. The casting should be relatively pure for the metals in their mix. Right now they take ingots and melt them in a smelter I guess, so they would have to get the recycled aluminum back to that state/form factor, but I do not see how the video you provided answers the question about recycling.

 

[Crissa]

I watched that video the other day and what I got out of it was that this is how they keep the Al density high and porosity low, and that both air and hydrogen come out in the process. The casting should be relatively pure for the metals in their mix. Right now they take ingots and melt them in a smelter I guess, so they would have to get the recycled aluminum back to that state/form factor, but I do not see how the video you provided answers the question about recycling.

It says why the metal changes during the whole process of melting, casting, and ejecting.

It's just more complex than melting the scrap and starting again - aluminum and these other elements react with the air quite readily and so it takes some special doing.

It's not impossible, just will take some time to dial in what changes happen and create a process that will fit in the factory.

-Crissa

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

It says why the metal changes during the whole process of melting, casting, and ejecting.

It's just more complex than melting the scrap and starting again - aluminum and these other elements react with the air quite readily and so it takes some special doing.

It's not impossible, just will take some time to dial in what changes happen and create a process that will fit in the factory.

-Crissa

I wasn’t (and wouldn’t) say I don’t think they could/would/will recycle bad castings; I just didn’t see that video as providing evidence.

 

[Dirt Worker]

Hopium addiction?! Ha! I am defiantly going to plagiarize that one. Along with the Q-36 SpaceX modulator. (that ones mine).

 

[SparkChaser]

Can the rejects just be melted down and used again, or must they be recycled? It's possible the casting process alters the chemistry enough that the material cannot be directly re-used without degradation.

It all depends on the secret sauce in the alloy. If it is temp specific or have properties that it gains or loses at temps needed to melt the casting down, it may not be re-cast able with the same strength.

 

[Cybertruckee]

I heard rumor that Cybertruck was to be produced 4th quarter last year.

And it's even Elon who spread the rumor.

Then you expect me to believe someone who call himself Butter(something)?

 

[Qball]

I so WANT to believe this, it has been a difficult 3 years. Where is Disney magic when you need it?

 

[Ogre]

I so WANT to believe this, it has been a difficult 3 years. Where is Disney magic when you need it?

The first 2 years of this was completely expected!

It’s only been the past ~4-6 months which has been particularly frustrating.

 

[Qball]

The first 2 years of this was completely expected!

It’s only been the past ~4-6 months which has been particularly frustrating.

Hey man, just because it was expected doesn’t make it any less trying! LOL!

 

[Cyberman]

The first 2 years of this was completely expected!

It’s only been the past ~4-6 months which has been particularly frustrating.

...Seems like thirty... (years).

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