Tesla’s ‘Alien Dreadnought’ factory takes a step forward with structural cable patent

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When Elon Musk pictured the Model 3 production line, he saw a mill that was automated; it seemed like it was out of the world. In later statements, Musk shared Tesla’s name for its automated mill – Alien Dreadnought – an reference to this intriguing, intricate extraterrestrial motherships that are a trope of franchises. Musk also noted that the Alien Dreadnought ought to be operational sometime. 

The Model 3 generation ramp would eventually teach Elon Musk that his deadline for its Alien Dreadnought was way too optimistic. Since beginning the creation of the electric vehicle, Tesla has been met after bottleneck in the Fremont mill and Gigafactory 1. While Tesla was eventually able to find a system that balances robot and work to effectively conjure the Model 3, Musk would later acknowledge that Tesla overreached in regards into the automation of its production lines. In a post on Twitter, Musk candidly noted that human employees are underrated.

Yes, even excessive automation at Tesla was a error. My error, to be precise. Humans are underrated.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2018

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Even though Elon Musk’s Alien Dreadnought mill may be coming later than anticipated, the business is apparently paving the way for much more automation in its factories. A recently published patent on Thursday, for starters, summarizes a structural cable design that is completely optimized for automated manufacturing. From this patent’s discussions, Tesla described the rationale.

“The cable based on the present revelation is a cable using structural integrity that could be exploited into position by means of a robotic arm as part of the automated process whilst providing reliable data connections to its preferred location. Into geometries allowing for positioning that prevents barriers, the cable preferentially enables manipulation Included in this kind manipulation, and that may be carried out in a reproducible manner so as to be implemented as part of an automated process. ”

Tesla notes in its patent that wires, due to their character, are installed by human hands, which join the right connectors during the production process. The electric car maker notes that this is because of the wires lacking rigidity and “ sufficient structural integrity to be picked up, moved, and placed by means of a robotic arm,” and their inability to become shaped into pre-determined contours.

“Because conventional cables aren’t rigid, they may not be formed and hauled to some pre-determined place amidst tight constraints. Routing flexible wires for example to connect components during automobile production can not be automated and therefore require individuals to place by hand. Guide positioning that is such is time consuming, dull, and costly. There is a need. ”



Tesla’s layouts for its structural cable design as outlined in the patent. [Source: Patentscope]

Tesla intends to work around these compromises by using a structural cable, which could be picked up and set up automatically by means of a robotic arm. By using such components, Tesla will be able to improve the level of automation in its facilities even further.

“An advantage of the flat cable configuration with famous geometries and also wires/conductors spaced at famous measurements (and rather collinear) is that the practice of linking the flat wires/conductors to connectors could be automated via, such as crimping, conventional soldering, or even laser soldering. On a conveyer that was flat wires are stored in a particular implementation or using a robotic armas well as the wires are stripped with a attachment so as to preserve the cable spacing. The robotic arm (or a different robotic arm) may then get a connector and crimp the connector into the wires by pressing down (or utilizing an appropriate instrument ). ”

It should be said that while Elon Musk’s Alien Dreadnought mill is delayed, the firm ’s production lines are heavily automated. Back in the Q1 2018 earnings forecast, for example, Elon Musk noted that Tesla managed to reduce the time that it takes to create Model 3 battery packs by 94 percent, by seven hours per unit to below 17 minutes each package . Tesla has enhanced its production lines in the Fremont mill and Gigafactory 1, also this Q4 2018, the provider intends to optimize its operations even further. Gigafactory 1, as an example, is expected to receive brand new battery cell assembly traces from Panasonic this quarter. New Grohmann machines, that are expected to improve generation, will also be expected to go online in the Nevada center this Q4 also.

The entire text of Tesla’s patent for its structural wires could be obtained here.

The post Tesla’s ‘Alien Dreadnought’ mill takes a step ahead with all structural cable patent appeared initially on TESLARATI.com.

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