A 6,000-Ton Press Turns 70 Car Parts Into One Aluminum Casting
Tesla brought its first Giga Press online in 2020 at the Fremont plant.
The machine clamps with roughly 6,000 tons of force and fires molten aluminum into a mold.
Each cycle takes about 80 to 90 seconds.
Out comes the Model Y rear underbody as one solid piece.
Before this, that same structure was built from about 70 stamped and welded parts.
Fewer parts mean fewer welds, fewer fixtures, and fewer places for mistakes to hide.
The tradeoff is simple.
If a casting goes bad, you lose the whole piece instead of one bracket.
Here’s what they learned.
Look at any multi-part assembly you build and ask if it could be one clean part instead.
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Originally posted as a note on St. Clair Exchange: A 6,000-Ton Press Turns 70 Car Parts Into One Aluminum Casting
