American automaker Ford and South Korean Hyundai reportedly plan to use Tesla supplier IDRA’s gigapress machines, Reuters reports, citing a person close to the matter.
The move is part of the legacy automakers’ efforts to streamline electric vehicle production and reduce costs.
Report highlights
According to the report, Ford’s order was a “gigapress 6,100” capable of generating more than 6,000 tons of clamping force.
The unit apparently features Ford’s brand logo. It has undergone assembly and testing in IDRA’s Travalgiato factory in Italy at the industry event held by the company on October 10-11, 2023.
The more powerful “gigapress 9,000” was also spotted testing near the site. This model is currently the biggest and the largest machine in IDRA’s portfolio, with the size of a small house. However, it does not show the client’s name.
The source suggests that this unit was for the Hyundai Group. The unnamed source further noted that Ford and Hyundai initially plan to utilize the gigapress for R&D applications, not production yet.
What is gigacasting?
A gigapress is basically a die-casting machine made up of aluminum. Tesla pioneered this technology in its vehicle factories in the US, China, and Germany.
These massive machines can produce aluminum components larger than any previously used in auto production.
Reports suggest that IDRA used the “giga” in its house-size machines as inspiration from Tesla’s gigafactories.
The gigapress forms parts by injecting 80kg+ molten aluminum into a mold, which is then cooled.
Significance
IDRA’s gigapress machines significantly eliminate the need to individually stamp over a hundred metal parts to form the car’s body.
In effect, it streamlines production by only molding fewer components. In fact, it also enables Tesla to cut costs by eliminating many robots for the previously complex task.
Tesla has impressively cut Model Y prices by 40% with a single rear component.
See Also:
- Tesla prepares Cybertruck production with the delivery of its second 9k-ton Giga Press
- Tesla builds a 9,000-ton IDRA Giga Press for Cybertruck production at Giga Texas
- Tesla’s new Cybertruck Giga Press is confirmed to arrive in Giga Texas
- IDRA to provide 9000-ton Giga Press to Tesla for Cybertruck
- Tesla Giga Texas impresses industry analysts but with a drawback
Apart from Ford and Hyundai, the report also indicated an unnamed European firm as one of the new players to order gigapress 9,000 from IDRA. It apparently secured a supply contract for two “gigapress 9,000.”
Notably, the Italian manufacturer has already supplied 14 gigapress machines to Tesla. Of that total, the “gigapress 9,000” accounts for two units for producing the electric pickup Cybertruck.
