The Whole Process Of Tesla All-aluminum Body Production

The entire Model S developed and manufactured by Tesla contains 250 patents. Its all-aluminum body takes into account the characteristics of light weight and high strength. In addition to the body, most of the front and rear suspension materials are also made of aluminum. From a manufacturing standpoint, the way this car is produced is fundamentally different from other cars. Through the following real production video of Tesla factory, you will learn more about the production process of Model S from raw material selection, stamping, welding, painting to final assembly!
Since aluminum alloy materials are sensitive to heat, if the traditional welding process is used, there will be a problem that the strength of the material will decrease, and because it is easily deformed by heat, the dimensional accuracy of the all-aluminum body is not easy to control. So, how did the Tesla factory overcome the difficulties of the aluminum alloy welding process?
Tesla's lightweight layout

Battery density: The increase in the energy density of Tesla's batteries gives the Model 3 a longer driving ability, and the application of a single larger capacity 2170 battery can also reduce the number of batteries used, from the Model S's more than 7,000 cells to the Model 3. 4416 cells, the decline in the number of battery cells has further reduced the weight of Tesla.

Battery connection process: The battery connection method in the Tesla battery module is qualitatively changed compared with the traditional resistance welding. Compared with the Model S, the positive and negative connectors on the Model 3 are connected from a whole piece of aluminum to a It is arranged on both sides of the battery pack, and the two-sided aluminum sheets are combined into a single-sided aluminum sheet, which reduces the usage of aluminum sheets and reduces the weight of the battery.

Battery pack structure: reduce the use of modules. Compared with the Model S model (the battery pack is divided into 16 small modules), the battery pack of the Model 3 long-range version has only 4 modules. Fewer modules means more modules. Fewer battery pack internal partitions, battery pack BMS, wiring harnesses and cooling pipeline interfaces; the structure of the battery case has changed. Unlike the Model S, which is specially equipped with a battery case to protect the battery, the battery pack installation position of the Model 3 basically covers the passenger compartment, and uses the bottom of the vehicle body. The high-strength steel structure protects the battery, and the battery pack structural components are only used to carry the weight of the battery pack, which is 125kg lighter than the Model S battery pack.

Lightweight materials: At present, aluminum alloys and high-strength steels are still the first choice for lightweight materials. On the body bracket, the Tesla Model S uses an all-aluminum alloy body to effectively reduce the body weight, while the Model 3 uses high-strength steel more due to its own positioning and cost control. The 2019 domestic Model 3 uses a steel-aluminum hybrid body, the proportion of aluminum material has dropped to 21%, and the proportion of ultra-high-strength steel has risen to 15%; on the high-voltage wire, Tesla uses high-voltage aluminum wire, which is more comparable to the copper wire of the same current carrying capacity. 21% weight reduction and lower cost.
Body structure: Tesla adopts a different body design. Model 3 cancels the lower plate of the air chamber and replaces the lower plate with plastic parts to reduce the weight by 40%; the door without window frame design reduces weight compared with stamped window frame 65%; the door inner panel and the front and rear door inner panels are designed with different material thicknesses to optimize the sinking of the door and achieve weight reduction.
 

Use of advanced technology: Different parts of Tesla use different advanced technology, and the hot stamping steel plate technology is used in the collision energy absorption position (such as front longitudinal beam, A-pillar, B-pillar, rear longitudinal beam, etc.), which improves the strength and reduced weight. Model 3 adopts ultra-high-strength steel roll forming process in the position of side impact energy absorption such as vehicle floor beam, which is more than 17% lighter than stamping parts.