Idra Group
Canvas Category Machinery : Special Purpose : Fabricated Metal
IDRA Group is leader worldwide for high pressure die casting machines. The IDRA Group is capable of supplying die casting machines and completely automated cells from 200 to 9000 tons for casting aluminium and magnesium alloys. We know that supplying only the machine isn’t sufficient to satisfy our customers. After 50 years of designing and with die manufacturing companies part of our group, we are capable of supplying complete turn-key systems that fully satisfy the most advanced needs.
Assembly Line
Here are all >120 Giga Press Orders
— Luca Greco (@lucagrecoita) January 29, 2024
As you can see the vast majority of them are from Chinese T1 suppliers.
Very few are from European OEMs or suppliers.
The real number of orders is between 170 and 180.
I was able to track between 120 and 150 orders, which is not bad given… pic.twitter.com/7Afn2ojbg8
Why Sandy is Captivated By Castings: IDRA Conference Recap
Gigacasting: The hottest trend in car manufacturing
Gigacasting is all the rage in automotive manufacturing circles. And while Tesla has mainstreamed the term — involving enormous, high-pressure aluminum die casting machines that punch out vehicle chassis and bodies-in-white — the technology has largely caught on in mainland China. Now other automakers, including Toyota, are eyeing the process.
These massive gigacastings (also known as megacastings) carry huge initial startup costs, may have distortion issues in the metal, alter collision-repair capabilities, and require extensive end-of-line inspection scanning. And that is only after ordering a custom-built gargantuan piece of equipment, moving it into place, and figuring out how to efficiently work the temperamental processes. The cost-benefit analysis of gigacasting should be based on achieving a good-enough first-pass yield rate and maintaining a sufficient, yet not excessive, number of orders for the same part. When comparing gigacasting to conventional steel stamping or aluminum-stitching, S&P Global Mobility nonetheless assesses the unit price for a single-piece, gigacasted aluminum rear floor to be valid.
OEMs are looking towards gigacasting not as a component piece, but as a change to how their entire world functions. The reconfiguration of the dance played behind factory walls will forever change economies within automotive. Whether corner castings or single piece, whether gigacast or gigapress, a change to how vehicles come together is upon the industry. Nodal construction will replace linear, bottlenecks will arise and dissolve, and something altogether new will be born.
Ford, Hyundai test Tesla supplier's Giga Press
Idra, an Italian aluminum casting machine maker and Tesla supplier, has added Ford, Hyundai and another European company to its customer base as more automakers explore this manufacturing technique. Tesla has pioneered the use of massive casting machines, also known as ‘Giga Presses,’ to make large single pieces of vehicle underbodies, streamline production and reduce the work even of robots.
The source said Idra was also about to sign a supply contract for two 9,000 presses with a premium automaker in Europe, its first with a European group. Sources said Volvo has purchased two Idra Giga Presses for their new plant in eastern Europe.