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Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

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11–20 of 70 posts

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#11

This is the truck Howard Roark would build. Function over form for good reason and to hell with the critics. I for one absolutely love it.

I was actually prepared to dislike it before I saw a picture of it, because I'd seen other conceptualizations of hypothetical Tesla trucks and they look sorta like they're trying too hard to look like the sedans, but end up too bubbly and cute.

However, this truck is dope as hell and I'd drive it. It makes you look like a retro-80s action star. I think I would have to grow out my mustache if I drove it, and I don't mean that ironically.

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#12
post #3

Basically: the stainless steel, hard edged design has quite a few cost-savings for manufacturing but may effect aerodynamics, weight, and durability (large flat sections of metal are more likely to dent than curved). It will be interesting to see how the pros/cons play out for Tesla with the cybertruck!

The whole stainless steel thing is fascinating to me. The other really famous car made of stainless is of course the Delorean DMC-12.

Wasn't that aluminum?

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#13
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

unconvinced. long, precise, sharp angles are expensive to stamp on thick steel plates. so I've checked around the pictures, apparently the marketing material has seams along the angle, but the car in the presentation has angled plates. something doesn't add up https://imgur.com/a/HO1HnGC

I figured they would be using a brake[0] for the bends. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_(sheet_metal_bending)

yeah but that doesn't make really sharp angles and controlling the curve where it bends precisely is hard, fighting that is going against the claim it's about manufacturing efficiency

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#14

This is the truck Howard Roark would build. Function over form for good reason and to hell with the critics. I for one absolutely love it.

>Ditch the heavy, traditional, body-on-frame, and rethink the structure as weight-efficient trussed bridge in its simplest load-spreading configuration: a triangle set on its hypotenuse. One side is the Cybertruck's wedgy cab, the other, its tapered, sail-sided bed, their meeting point at the truck's tall peak resulting in a huge cross-sectional area for maximum stiffness. So one little mishap with a heavy object in…

Like most luxury trucks this thing probably won't have very many super heavy things coming near its bed.

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#15
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The whole stainless steel thing is fascinating to me. The other really famous car made of stainless is of course the Delorean DMC-12.

Wasn't that aluminum?

Brushed stainless on the DMC-12. Although now Ford F-150s are getting aluminum bodies.

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#16
post #3

Basically: the stainless steel, hard edged design has quite a few cost-savings for manufacturing but may effect aerodynamics, weight, and durability (large flat sections of metal are more likely to dent than curved). It will be interesting to see how the pros/cons play out for Tesla with the cybertruck!

> durability (large flat sections of metal are more likely to dent than curved).

I take it you didn't see the part of the presentation where they hit the Cybertruck with a sledge hammer with no effect.

The "regular pickup door" did not fair so well.

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#17
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

unconvinced. long, precise, sharp angles are expensive to stamp on thick steel plates. so I've checked around the pictures, apparently the marketing material has seams along the angle, but the car in the presentation has angled plates. something doesn't add up https://imgur.com/a/HO1HnGC

I figured they would be using a brake[0] for the bends. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_(sheet_metal_bending)

That's a lot slower than stamping from sheet and has all kinds of limitations with respect to angles and manufacturability. I've used them a lot making sheetmetal enclosures for industrial hardware, it's great for simple stuff, right angles and other common shapes but if you start doing sheets that have multiple bends at precise angles at odd angles to each other you'll run into the geometric limitations very quickly. Keep in mind that the wedges need to cover all of the angle for the brake to work and that you need to be able to remove your work without disassembling the tool.

This is a more likely option:

https://www.247tailorsteel.com/en/plate-bending

These machines will do full sized sheets as well and are much more versatile than a brake, also far faster.

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#18
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The whole stainless steel thing is fascinating to me. The other really famous car made of stainless is of course the Delorean DMC-12.

Wasn't that aluminum?

Definitely stainless. Unlike the rest of the chassis.

https://www.deloreanguide.com/new-posts/frame-rustquite-poss...

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#19

This is the truck Howard Roark would build. Function over form for good reason and to hell with the critics. I for one absolutely love it.

How is it function over form? They use electric motors on the door handles, bed cover, and ramp. They made the bed sides super high and hard to access the bed. It has no floor tie-downs. They gave it a glass roof where you'd lean stuff from the bed! This is absolutely form over function, they just picked a form which is controversial. PS - I actually like the Cybertruck. But I'm self aware to know it is due to all th…

Uh it looks like there are at least holes where the tie downs can fit. The glass roof is kinda nuts for sure though. Those high walls are also annoying if you want to put tool boxes in your truck. It might be possible to still be practical by making some changes to how you might store things for easy access like on a normal truck but it probably can't use current existing solutions. :/

Re: Tesla's Cybertruck Approach on Auto Manufacturing and Engineering

#20

This is the truck Howard Roark would build. Function over form for good reason and to hell with the critics. I for one absolutely love it.

How is it function over form? They use electric motors on the door handles, bed cover, and ramp. They made the bed sides super high and hard to access the bed. It has no floor tie-downs. They gave it a glass roof where you'd lean stuff from the bed! This is absolutely form over function, they just picked a form which is controversial. PS - I actually like the Cybertruck. But I'm self aware to know it is due to all th…

The high sides are for overall stiffness, compensating for the flat sheet steel, which is for cheap manufacturing.
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