Tesla has released an in-depth, impressive look at its latest electric car production line deployed at Gigafactory Berlin, including its new “Godzilla” robot.
Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Texas are Tesla’s two latest factories, and they both feature the automaker’s latest manufacturing technology.
While Tesla was underestimated as a car manufacturer by the industry for years, many are starting to give Tesla credit for innovations, especially in body manufacturing through large casting technology.
The company invested in massive casting press and stamping machines to produce fewer but larger parts, resulting in lower capital expenditure and more efficient production lines.
As we previously reported, Tesla has been ramping up its use of its social media and blog to develop its own voice lately rather than have everything go through Elon Musk, which has been the case since he dissolved Tesla’s PR department.
Now the automaker has released an in-depth look at its latest production line at Gigafactory Berlin as part of this new effort:
Tesla starts out by showcasing its stamping line and how it produces its 13 different body parts.
The automaker also features its rear underbody, which has been its biggest use of its giga press so far with a single piece replacing 70 parts:
After originally using too many robots and automation in the first Model 3 production line, a mistake that Tesla later admitted, the automaker now takes pride in using fewer robots, but it confirms that it still uses a significant number of robots in this latest production line: over 600.
One of those robots is Godzilla, which is the largest industrial robot in the world:
It’s a massive robot made by Fanuc and used by several automakers.
The automaker also showcased its Gigafactory Berlin paint shop, which it claims is the most advanced paint shop in the world, enabling new multi-layered colors recently released on Model Y.
Top comment by Brian Drake
Nothing impressive in what they are showing. 16 Stampings/minute is actually not very fast. Speed becomes limited by how fast the robots can transfer the parts. If they move to fast the parts can deform.
Toured multiple plants where robot picks up entire body structure.
Finally, Tesla released new images of its Model Y general assembly line at Giga Berlin.
Other companies have been impressed by Tesla’s plan for the factory.
Herbert Diess, then CEO of Volkswagen, said that Tesla’s planned output at Gigafactory Berlin was 10 hours of production per car compared to VW being at over 30 hours at its Zwickau plant.
Most recently, Tesla said that it is producing 3,000 Model Y vehicles per week at Gigafactory Berlin, and it aims to ramp up to 5,000 units per week.
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