Giga Press

Giga Press are a series of aluminium die casting machines manufactured by Idra Group in Italy. They are notable for being the largest casting machines in the world, with a clamping force of 5,600 or 6,200 tonnes-force (55,000 or 61,000 kN).[2][3] Initial usage is planned by Tesla, Inc. for production of the Tesla Model Y electric car chassis,[4] at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California.[5]

Giga Press
ClassificationHigh-pressure die-casting (HPDC)
IndustryMetal casting
ApplicationCar chassis production
Dimensions19.5 m × 5.9 m × 5.3 m
64 by 19 by 17 feet
Weight410–430 tonnes
900,000–950,000 lb
Fuel sourceElectric
Powered
  • 2 × 132kW motors[1]
  • 4 × 90kW motors[2]
Invented~2018
Examples2 (Tesla, Inc.)

The Giga Press machines had been included in Idra's catalogue since 2018.[6] Each Giga Press OL 5500 CS or OL 6200 CS machine weighs 410–430 tonnes (900,000–950,000 lb).[2][3]

Shots of molten aluminium weighing 80 kilograms (180 lb) are injected into the cold-chamber casting mold with a velocity of 10 metres per second (22 mph; 36 km/h).[7]

Tesla

As of 2015 Idra was one of the ten most important strategic suppliers to Tesla Motors,[8] with Tesla using purely die-casting machines made by Idra for use at the factories in California.[9][10] In 2016 Tesla ordered a 3,000-tonne-force (30,000 kN; 7,000,000 lbf) press from Idra for making major car chassis components.[11]

In April 2020 Elon Musk stated that the two biggest casting machines in the world had been purchased to enable casting the Tesla Model Y rear chassis and crash rails as a single component:[12]

  1. In May 2019, the first order for a 5,500-tonne-force (54,000 kN) Giga Press was placed by Tesla, Inc. , and scheduled for acceptance testing by February 2020.[13][14] The "big casting machine" would cast the Tesla Model Y rear chassis as a single component.[15] The OL 5500 CS machine was upgraded to OL 6100 CS specification for Tesla.[4][12] Preparation for installation of the first machine was planned to begin in California during May 2020.[12] In May 2020, Tesla requested building permits from the City of Fremont for demolishing a car wash at the Tesla Factory, and installing an arch-shaped metal building for casting machinery.[16][17] During May/June 2020 Tesla advertised a "Castings Tooling & Process Engineer" job, based at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, responsible for production ramp-up of the first Giga Press.[5] In June 2020, permits for foundations to support the Giga Press at Fremont were filed, then issued on 26 June 2020.[18]
  2. In July 2019, during the GIFA 2019 industry trade-show in Dusseldorf, contracts for a second Giga Press were signed—destined for an important Chinese-located customer.[13]

In 2018 a patent application assigned to Tesla showed four Giga Press casting machines arranged at right angles for whole-vehicle unibody chassis casting.[19] In 2019 Jerome Guillen stated that Tesla Grohmann Automation were working on a "giant, giant, giant machine" using modular construction.[20]

References
  1. OL CS Compact Series (PDF) (Brochure). Idra. 4 July 2019. p. 2. Retrieved 24 April 2020. OL 5500 CS … Pumps motors power: kW 2x132
  2. "OL 5500 CS" (PDF). Technical data sheet. Idra. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020. Clamping force: kN 55.000; Ton 5.607 … Tie bar spacing: mm 2300x2300 … Tie bar diameter mm 450 … Max. shot weight (Al alloy): kg 84 … Dry Cycles (as per DIN 24480) n/1’ 1,5 … Pumps motors power; kW 4x90 … Machine weight: Ton 410 … Machine dimensions (LxWxH): m 19.2x6.9 [sic]x5.22 Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. "OL 6200 CS" (PDF). Technical data sheet. Idra. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020. Clamping force: kN 61.000; Ton 6.218 … Tie bar spacing: mm 2350x2350 … Tie bar diameter mm 470 … Max. shot weight (Al alloy): kg 104,6 … Dry Cycles (as per DIN 24480) n/1’ 1,3 … Pumps motors power; kW 4x90 … Machine weight: Ton 430 … Machine dimensions (LxWxH): m 19,5x5,9x5,32 Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Visnic, Bill (2 June 2020). "Tesla casts a new strategy for lightweight structures". Automotive Engineering. Vol. 7 no. 5. SAE International. ISSN 2331-7647. Retrieved 3 June 2020. world's largest aluminum die-casting machine to manufacture entire rear underbody structures. … Tesla is the first customer for IDRA's hulking OL6100 CS (with upgraded locking force to handle the special Tesla casting), destined for installation in the company's Fremont, California and Shanghai, China, plants. IDRA's "Giga Press" measures some 64 feet (19.5 m) long and 17 feet (5.3 m) tall. Along with the higher clamping force is a maximum aluminum-alloy "shot" weight of 104.6 kg (231 lb). … weighing in excess of 410 tons.
  5. "Castings Tooling & Process Engineer". Manufacturing (job advert) (63334). Fremont, California: Tesla, Inc. Retrieved 8 June 2020. Leads all Tooling & Process Engineering activities associated with the startup and ramp of a brand-new casting cell with the largest HPDC machine ever made.
  6. Ferrario, Riccardo (11 October 2018). "PDC School interviews Riccardo Ferrario, Idra General Manager" (offset 01:00) (in Italian). Idra. Retrieved 24 April 2020 – via Youtube. Quali innovazioni propone Idra, nel settore delle pressofusioni … La Idra a costruito per prima di tutti i nostri concorrenti una presse da quattromila duecento (4,200) tonnellate. Ora siamo orgogliosi di potervi dire che abbiamo a catalogo la mille-cinque, cinquecento (5,500) tonnellate e anche la seimilacinquecento (6,500) tonnellate.
  7. "Idra introduces the world's largest die cast machine". Asosiasi Italia Pemasok Foundries. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2020. capable to produce castings well beyond 80 kgs in weight over an unbeaten maximum allowed projected area. … manufacture of high-integrity Aluminium and Magnesium Die Cast components for the automotive sector, with focus on structural and safety critical components. … Injection velocity exceeding requirements of 10 m/sec
  8. Conserva, Mario (December 2015). Guccione, Roberto (ed.). "An Alliance for the Renewal of Die Casting". Technologies‒Foundry. Alluminio & Leghe. Vol. 26 no. 6. p. 53. ISSN 1122-1429. [Riccardo Ferrario, General manager of Idra] … Tesla, … chose our machines, and we are in the short list of ten strategic suppliers of this extraordinary American company.
  9. Gallinari, Gianluca (2 March 2016). "Auto e metalli leggeri, Tesla in strada al forum di Idra Group" [Cars and light metals, Tesla on the road at the forum of Idra Group]. Economia. Giornale di Brescia (in Italian). Retrieved 25 April 2020. “Tra le aziende che Idra fornisce di presse c'è anche Tesla, casa produttrice dell'omonima auto elettrica di lusso che parla anche bresciano: tutte le presse per componenti in lega leggera installate in California negli stabilimenti Tesla sono state prodotte proprio dalla bresciana Idra"
  10. Trebeschi, Matteo (3 March 2016). "L'auto del futuro nasce a Travagliato: le presse della Idra conquistano Tesla" [The car of the future was born in Travagliato: the presses of Idra conquer Tesla]. Economia. Corriere della Sera (in Italian) (Bresica ed.). Retrieved 25 April 2020. Tra i clienti il colosso Tesla e Fiat-Chrysler … Infatti, grazie a questa strategia, anche un colosso come Tesla – l’azienda americana che sviluppa veicoli elettrici – ha scelto la bresciana Idra per fornire le presse adatte allo stampaggio dei componenti delle sue auto. «Sono automobili meravigliose» sottolinea [Riccardo] Ferrario, orgoglioso che i componenti siano realizzati «al 100% con i nostri macchinari».
  11. "La Tesla "atterra" a Brescia" [The Tesla "lands" in Brescia]. Libri & Giornali (in Italian). 2 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2020. californiana a scegliere l'industria travagliatese per la consegna di un «isola» per pressofusione da 3000 tonnellate, … (la macchina stampa componenti telaistiche delle vetture Tesla,
  12. Musk, Elon; Munro, Sandy (14 April 2020). "Tesla Manufacturing with Sandy Munro and Elon Musk!". Third Row Tesla (offset 09:29) (Episode 14). Retrieved 20 April 2020. The current version of the Model Y has basically two big high pressure die casting aluminium castings that are joined, then there are still a bunch of other bits that are attached. And then later this year we will transition to the rear underbody being a single-piece casting that also integrates the rear crash rails. … It gets better: the current castings—because they have to interface to so many things—we have to CNC machine them; CNC the interfaces … the single-piece casting has no CNC machining; it doesn't even have datums. … (10:36) It does require the world's biggest casting machine, which we have two off. Basically around a 6,000-tonne casting machine—the size of a small house basically. One coming from Italy, and one coming from China. We should be starting to set up the one from Italy, … next month. … about a 30% reduction in the size of the body shop … (12:59) going back and retro-fitting the Model 3 production at Fremont with a single-piece casting—it might be something we'd do, but it would probably in two years or something like that…
  13. "Giga Press keeps going: a second contract for Idra Group" (Press release). Idra. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020. another contract for a OL 5500 CS ton Giga Press and one OL 4200 CS ton. … customer is an important Chinese Group … Idra group received the first order for a Giga press back in May 2019, which was the first order ever issued worldwide, from a North American auto manufacturer. … combination of more single parts in one single shot. … First Giga press will be assembled and ready for pre-acceptance at Idra Italy plant within February 2020. “USA and China Mission Complete: Now we hope to sell the next Giga Press in Europe …" (Riccardo Ferrario)
  14. Conserva, Mario (11 June 2019). "Idra Thinks Big: Growth, New Strategies and an Order for the Largest Press in the World". Alluminio & Leghe. Riccardo Ferrario, Idra's general manager, at the plant in Travagliato (near Brescia) … range the "Giga Presses", 5500 and 6200 … produce the largest machines in the world, 5500 ton and 6200 ton presses. Recently we received the first order in the world for a 5,500 ton press, … can deliver Giga Presses in standard times.
  15. Musk, Elon (29 May 2019). "Episode 200: My Elon Musk Interview" (offset 51:02) (Interview). Ride the Lightning. Interviewed by Ryan McCaffrey. Tesla Headquarters, Palo Alto, California. There are some manufacturing improvements for the Y. The rear underbody we are moving to an aluminium casting instead of a series stamped steel and aluminium pieces. … Initially it'll be two casting. It'll go from 70 parts to 2 plus joiners, so 4. When we get the big casting machine it'll go from 70 parts to 1.
  16. Molinar, Robert; Tesla (5 May 2020). "Tesla F20-0048 - Castings Demo". Permitting (building permit application) (BLD2020-05639). City of Fremont – via Accela Citizen Access. Remove car wash equipment including tank, filters, pumps with associate piping and accessories as well as associated electrical and civil components … $576 paid
  17. Molinar, Robert; Tesla (20 May 2020). "(Elec) Tesla F20-0048 Casting Arch and associated MEP". Permitting (building permit application) (BLD2020-06008). City of Fremont – via Accela Citizen Access. Architectural and MEP for pre engineered metal canopy structure. … $6,843 paid
  18. Molinar, Robert; Tesla (11 June 2020). "(Elec) Tesla F20-0048 DCM Foundations". Permitting (building permit application) (BLD2020-06344). City of Fremont – via Accela Citizen Access. Die cast machine support skid. … $517.00 paid
  19. US application 248873852, Kallas, Matthew K., "Multi-directional Unibody casting machine for a vehicle frame and associated methods", published 2019-07-18, assigned to Tesla, Inc.
  20. Guillen, Jerome (23 June 2019). "Our Interview With Tesla President Jerome Guillen, Part Deux". Cleantechnica (Interview). Interviewed by Zachary Shahan. Retrieved 20 April 2020. building a giant machine using Tesla's Grohmann sub-division, … emphasized that it was a "giant, giant, giant machine" that duplicates everything, is modular, is simple on the modular level, and … is gigantic.

Further reading
  • "Giga Press: OL 5500 / 6200 CS". Idra.
  • Idra Introduces Idra OL 5500 CS (stock footage). Intro Idra Group. Idra. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020 – via Youtube. Idra Introduces Idra OL 5500 CS … perfect die casting machine for structure parts … think big … first production Giga Press sold … welcome to the future … welcome to the Giga Press
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