According to insiders, e-car manufacturer Tesla is working on a novel manufacturing approach for the platforms of its electric vehicles. The aim is to produce the complex underbody of a car as far as possible from a single casting. Until now, this area has consisted of around 400 individual parts.
Tesla is using a casting process with extremely high pressure. This allows very large components to be cast in one piece. However, the production of such large molds is expensive and risky. Tesla wants to get around this with a digital development process based on 3D printing.
According to insiders, the company uses 3D printers that produce molds from sand. This allows for a fast and cost-effective prototyping process. In addition, hollow structures in the underbody can be mapped this way, which reduces weight.
Tesla has also developed its own aluminum alloys for the process to achieve the required strength and crash safety, he said. It is not yet clear which large presses will be used. However, the new type of production could reduce the development time for new models to 18 to 24 months.
According to experts, it would be a breakthrough in car production if Tesla succeeds in efficiently mass-producing complex vehicle platforms in this way. It could drastically change the industry.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
3DPResso is a weekly newsletter that links to the most exciting global stories from the 3D printing and additive manufacturing industry.
