Tesla Factory - you have to be impressed
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Warm_in_NH
Minister of Fire
Really cool.
How often do you think they need to recalibrate those robots to they don't stuff a windshield into the back seat?
Interesting to see run time compared to service time on that line compared to one manned by men.
How often do you think they need to recalibrate those robots to they don't stuff a windshield into the back seat?
Interesting to see run time compared to service time on that line compared to one manned by men.
The robots are known not to drink before and after work - most also do not have fights with their wives and come to work angry.
It's an impressive factory - remembering that ALL of these advances are the works of men and women....to eventually eliminate much of the drudgery and danger from certain jobs (let alone shorten the work week, etc.)....
It's going to take society a couple generations to catch up, though....
Warm_in_NH
Minister of Fire
Is that the California plant?
Very impressive. My comment was aimed more towards how finely tuned the fully automated process is.
Is it a solid functioning line, or did it take 30 hours of filming to get 10 minutes of flawless operating?
Never heard of them before today. They'll be an interesting company to keep an eye on.
Very impressive. My comment was aimed more towards how finely tuned the fully automated process is.
Is it a solid functioning line, or did it take 30 hours of filming to get 10 minutes of flawless operating?
Never heard of them before today. They'll be an interesting company to keep an eye on.
The same guy built a rocket plant from scratch - he's perhaps the most prolific engineer on the planet today!
http://www.spacex.com/
That's the CA. plant - freemont.
I followed them from many years ago - bought stock at 20 and sold it at 50. Bought more at 140 a couple months back. I may just hold onto it now. In my view this company has about a 70% chance of being the most valuable automobile company in the USA.
He is really the first guy who started from scratch with an auto company...lately. Same with the spacecraft - he builds his rocket completely differently than the old ones.
http://www.spacex.com/
That's the CA. plant - freemont.
I followed them from many years ago - bought stock at 20 and sold it at 50. Bought more at 140 a couple months back. I may just hold onto it now. In my view this company has about a 70% chance of being the most valuable automobile company in the USA.
He is really the first guy who started from scratch with an auto company...lately. Same with the spacecraft - he builds his rocket completely differently than the old ones.
ironpony
Minister of Fire
It is the future, like it or not. I like it. Imagine the programming that went into those robots. amazing.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
The robots are known not to drink before and after work - most also do not have fights with their wives and come to work angry.
It's an impressive factory - remembering that ALL of these advances are the works of men and women....to eventually eliminate much of the drudgery and danger from certain jobs (let alone shorten the work week, etc.)....
It's going to take society a couple generations to catch up, though....
I heard that they can have two drinks at lunch . . .
I heard that they can have two drinks at lunch . . .
Find me a robot eating lunch and I'll buy it two drinks.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Indeed, more than a few lines of code there. That's an awesome factory. It reminds me of the VW Phaeton plant in Dresden.
Not that I'm not impressed...because I am. I am, after all, a Mechanical Engineer. But manufacturing facilities with similar automation can be found all over the world turning out products of all shapes and sizes...so Tesla's facility certainly isn't unique. Very cool, but so are many others. Rick
We'd have to study up, but the way I understand it is that lots of plants only do assembly and a few basic operations - that is, they marshall parts from suppliers and then put them together.
If Tesla is setting up to do the vast majority of their own work in-house that could be impressive. I hear they are building the world's largest battery production facility.
Some discussion of it here:
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...tory-Automation-Compare-to-GM-Ford-and-Toyota
I think Tesla is setting up for a whole different biz model - largely internet sales and direct to consumer. If they set the whole thing up to be able to ramp production up and down quicker than the "standard" (subcontractors and suppliers) mode, that could be an advantage.
I've seen a lot of those machines before - at the sheet metal trade show, etc.
What is neat is seeing them all used together in-house. Of course, Henry Ford made the coke, smelted the iron, made the glass, etc. so that was thought of long ago!
blazincajun
Burning Hunk
Cool - only problem is if one error is programmed in then you get a recall on all. Must be some major QA in the programming.
PapaDave
Minister of Fire
Worked at the Mazda plant in Flat Rock, Mi that was state of the art when it was built.......in 1985.
Quite a few robots and automation. Had our own stamping dept for all panels.
Some of the robots didn't like to work any more than some of the human employees.
It was amazing to watch some of them work. The robots, that is.
In that vid, I was impressed with the one that put in the seats, front and rear glass.
We were still putting the seats in by hand when I left.
Quite a few robots and automation. Had our own stamping dept for all panels.
Some of the robots didn't like to work any more than some of the human employees.
It was amazing to watch some of them work. The robots, that is.
In that vid, I was impressed with the one that put in the seats, front and rear glass.
We were still putting the seats in by hand when I left.
Kevin Dolan
Burning Hunk
Yes and they don't get hangoversI heard that they can have two drinks at lunch . . .
NWfuel
Minister of Fire
I notice there are no humans to be near that operation. Those robots would kill without a thought.
NWfuel
Minister of Fire
They have those arms available for under $20,000 now. They are fully operational within 1 hour out of the box. You move the arm in the rotation you want then click the hand and its saved. It needs to be in a cage where humans cannot get near it, as it has no feelings.
hockeypuck
Feeling the Heat
News flash.. making batteries is dirty business... which it seems that Tesla is dragging its feet into. The electricity does not magically appear out of thin air.. and the lead weights in the bottom of the car not so clean. Just a simplistic view. Tesla is "exploring alot of options now" because if you go look at a company like Johnson Controls.. you will realize how much they spend on remediation and how dirty batteries are. Lets just say we would rather ship the "recycled" batteries out of the country.
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24531612/tesla-motors-may-make-its-own-batteries
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/03/...-moves-battery-recycling-south-of-the-border/
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24531612/tesla-motors-may-make-its-own-batteries
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/03/...-moves-battery-recycling-south-of-the-border/
Probably a book could be written on this - but suffice it to say it would take hundreds or thousands of hours to put together a comparison of the IC engine over it's life with the current Teslas.
My gut tells me that the eventual simplicity of electric motors will win out in the "lifecycle" analysis. But that's way past my pay grade. I'd have to put fossil or one of the other mechanical engineers to the problem.....then again, Musk is an engineer and I feel fairly certain he's confident that there is no comparison in the long run (that is, that electric cars will effectively save resources).
The shift to electric cars is going to have a seismic effect on the current auto industry.
Some examples of current parts and services made obsolete by electric cars include:
spark plugs, ignition systems, engine oil, oil change stations, fan belts, electronic fuel injection, fuel filters, emissions stations, gas stations, oil filters, most repair shops, muffler shops, clutches, turbochargers etc. etc.
Other items will take the place of the obsoleted stuff but this is going to be quite a change...
Some examples of current parts and services made obsolete by electric cars include:
spark plugs, ignition systems, engine oil, oil change stations, fan belts, electronic fuel injection, fuel filters, emissions stations, gas stations, oil filters, most repair shops, muffler shops, clutches, turbochargers etc. etc.
Other items will take the place of the obsoleted stuff but this is going to be quite a change...
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