Only 35 high end Schuler servo stamping presses exist in auto manufacturing worldwide and the one at Tesla is the first one in the US. The equipment has allowed Tesla to form unique parts, like the Model 3 front fender, which engineers say has greater depth in a single piece of stamped steel than any other fender in production. Tesla chose to build a factory to handle all of its seat production, making it unique in an industry where its competitors all outsource seats.
This is a good article highlighting manufacturing of the Model 3.
Read the article at Bloomberg.
If you want to learn more about materials selection on the Model 3, head over to Teslarati.
-Danny Schaeffler, www.EQSgroup.com and www.Learning4M.com
Danny received his Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, and a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Materials Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. While at Drexel, Danny held engineering and research positions with the David Taylor Research Center (Annapolis, MD) and Hoeganaes Corporation (Riverton, NJ).
After receiving his Doctorate, Danny started at the LTV Steel Technology Center (Independence, OH), where he was a member of the Customer Technical Center, focused on customer-based problem solving in the areas of corrosion, formability, and surface contaminants. He then transferred into the Automotive Development Group, focused on formability analysis and training; materials selection and optimization; tooling development and production launches for new vehicle programs; customer materials & manufacturing cost reduction efforts; forming/denting/structural computer simulation; and technical awareness and communications with the automotive manufacturers and their Tier One / Tier Two companies. Danny's first position in the ADG was as the engineer responsible for all transplant accounts, and then moved to having responsibility for the Ford Motor account, before being promoted to the Group Manager. During his time with LTV Steel, Danny was active in AISI and Auto/Steel Partnership activities, serving as Chairman of the Standardized Dent Resistance Test Project as well as participating in other committees. Danny is the founding member of Engineering Quality Solutions, Inc.
Danny has over a dozen publications and is a member of ASM International, SAE International, and is a former President of the North American Deep Drawing Research Group (www.NADDRG.org).
