Giga Presses – giant die casts revolutionizing the auto industry.

GIGAPRESS 9,000

Although huge aluminum underbodies for automobiles are a relatively recent application of metal and plastic die casting, which has long been utilized in manufacturing.

According to an AlixPartners estimate based on Apollo Reports data, the worldwide aluminum die-casting market had a value of over US$73 billion last year and is anticipated to reach US$126 billion by 2032.

Aluminum is also employed in engines and other auto components, due to its value as a lightweight material. According to a study commissioned by the lobbying organization European Aluminum, the average amount of metal in automobiles made in Europe increased by 20% to 179 kg in the three years leading up to 2019 and is predicted to reach around 200 kg by 2025.

The 9,000 gigapress from IDRA is the size of a small house and can clamp materials with a force of over 9,000 tons.

The company does not reveal its clients, although its 2021 revenues were 100 million euros ($108 million). Tesla CEO Elon Musk, however, said it was for his company’s new cybertruck after he tweeted a video showing the first Gigapress 9,000 prepared for shipping.

In all of its sites, notably in Gruenheide, next to Berlin, where it claims it can produce a Model Y in 10 hours—roughly three times quicker than electric vehicles made by rivals—Tesla already uses gigapresses.

Ferrario said that IDRA has agreements with three automakers and an equal number of “Tier 1” component suppliers. Hyundai Motor of South Korea is one of them, according to persons with knowledge of the situation.

The advantages of die casting, according to Ralf Bechmann of manufacturing consultancy EFESO, would encourage its “application to an increasing number of new types of BEV vehicles, also by other manufacturers.”

Gigapress-cast front and rear underbodies are now joined with battery packs to create a three-piece chassis for BEVs.

By 2035, Ferrario predicted that 80% of automakers will be using gigapresses, at the very least for BEV vehicles built on new platforms. The real query, though, is whether we will require even larger gigapresses.

However, not all automakers are on board, and EFESO’s Bechmann issued a warning that massive module die casting required “ultra strong” product design.

With a body made up of multiple small sections as opposed to a single module, fixing design errors is significantly simpler, he claimed.

Volkswagen has changed its mind after previously exploring die casting for its next Trinity model, while BMW has never shown any interest.

The concept that die casting posed a risk to jobs at carmakers was disputed by Ferrario, who noted that the body-making process was already highly automated. Ferrario claimed that the auto industry tended to be conservative and that no one liked upsetting established processes.

The actual problem, he claimed, “would be with companies selling those minor bits replaced by our modules.