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GF Expands Global Megacasting Capabilities
Georg Fischer Casting Solutions is expanding its global Megacasting offerings by installing die casting machines with a clamping force exceeding 6,000 tons across Europe, China, and America.
“This network is designed to deliver tailored, cutting-edge solutions wherever customers need them. Combined with our expertise in product and process development, testing and validation we are going beyond limits in vehicle development globally.”
Here’s an overview of GF's strategic global expansion initiatives.
Shenyang, China
In November 2024, the Shenyang facility completed testing on its new 6,100-ton die casting machine as part of a significant 7,300 square meter expansion. The aim is to meet the escalating demand for larger structural components at the forefront of modern "body in white" innovations. Shenyang has already been a supplier to major OEMs including BMW, Audi, Volvo, and FAW.
United States
In the U.S., GF Casting Solutions is constructing a new $184 million facility, which will house two 6,100-ton die casting machines and there are plans to employ 350 people. The new facility will be supporting the North American automotive industry with advanced manufacturing capabilities from 2026.
Europe
Details on the European expansion remain limited, but the division plans to establish similar high-capacity installations to serve the European market and ensure global coverage. A 6,100t die casting machine has been installed.
GF Casting Solutions on LinkedIn
Tesla’s Optimus Humanoid Robot
The normal internal plan calls for roughly 10,000 Optimus robots to be built this year (…) our goal is to ramp up Optimus production faster than maybe anything has ever been ramped (…)
The current line that we're designing is for roughly 1,000 units a month of Optimus robots. The next line would be for 10,000 units a month (2026).
This is what Elon Musk said during Tesla’s latest earnings call on January 29th.
Elon Musk is notorious for setting ambitious goals to push his team to achieve incredible feats in the shortest possible time. But does the claim of producing 10,000 units of Optimus in 2025 and over 100,000 in 2026 represent an exaggeration?
In my opinion, it does not.
In recent weeks, I've come across several Chinese articles dating back to November 2024, claiming that "Tesla is setting up its supply chain to sustain a production of 10,000 units in 2025 and 100,000-150,000 units in 2026."
Why am I reporting this in a newsletter focused on gigacasting and thixomolding?
The reason lies in one consistent detail revealed by the sources about Tesla’s Optimus robots: the actuator housings and joints for motors and planetary roller screws are planned to be made from magnesium alloy.
According to the sources, Tesla is exploring magnesium as a lightweight material to enhance the robot's agility and efficiency. This approach would reduce the overall mass by 10%, while the power requirement would drop by over 15%. Currently, an Optimus robot weighs between 60 and 70 kg.
If this information is confirmed, thixomolding would be the manufacturing method that makes the most sense to handle such ultra-high-volume magnesium products as humanoid robots have the potential to become.
I’ll keep an eye on the development of Humanoid Robots.
Tesla’s “Optimus Robot” V2
Bole Delivers World's Largest Magnesium Thixomolding Machine
Just before Chinese New Year, Bole Machinery has begun the installation of what is now recognized as the world's largest Thixomolding machine. This machine has a clamping force of 4,000 tons and can handle shot weights up to 17 kg of magnesium.
But that's not where it ends. Looking ahead, Bole plans to install even more machines in 2025, with clamping forces reaching up to 6,000 tons and shot weights scaling to 30 kg.
Chinese sources hint that Bymeto Advanced Materials might be the customer.
As die casting machines increased in size from 4,500t to 16,000t from 2019 when Tesla ordered the first Giga Press, now, magnesium thixomolding is following suit, aiming to transcend its traditional niche in electronic components such as laptop and various display frames.
The vision is clear: to expand its application to larger, lighter components for EVs like shock towers, motor housings, Cross Car Beams, wheels, seat frames, and why not? Underbody Gigacastings.
Bole's CTO, Timo Günzel, shared this milestone on LinkedIn
Handtmann Installs Trimming Press to Support Megacasting Production
We were able to successfully complete another milestone with regard to upcoming series production on the 6,100 t #megacasting machine with the delivery and installation of the trimming press. The hydraulic press from the manufacturer ABK Pressenbau is designed to meet the requirements for large die-cast components.
With a load weight of around 60 tons, the extra-wide transport had to overcome a number of challenges on the way to Biberach. With a clamping area of approximately 3 x 3 meters and a pressing force of 300 tons, this press is tailored to Handtmann's requirements profile.
Back in October Handtmann announced the serial production of megacastings commenced at their Biberach headquarter in Germany where the company installed a 6,100t die casting machine from Bühler.
The Supercar Seminar
𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: it is my synthetic comment on the event hosted by IDRA Group at Travagliato Brescia on last Thursday.
#Supercar #Engineers and top managers from #Ferrari, #Lamborghini, and others, have passionately discussed trends of Aluminium and Mag applications with the speakers of strategic companies of this industrial sector. The network of best competence is growing, which is my personal gaol as Aluminum Brand Ambassador.
The clear message we got at the end of the seminar is: “No matter the propulsor system you want for your cars, light alloy one-piece structural components are the best choice for sustainability, lightness, rigidity, simplicity and reduced cost of the body and white of the car.
The One-piece evolution! Engineers must leave the comfort zone and design parts with reasonable acceptance standards and safety factors: design by shape and not by elongation and yield limits”.
And it works, as proved by hundreds of thousands of Tesla cars moving on the streets of the world since 2020.
“Two different historical periods for the car industry” it has been said by Claudio Mus of Endurance at the seminar. "Before and after Giga birth".
Giga process and products, force you to think outside the box. Mini Giga Parts are competitive also for small medium volumes of production …… It is simply the way you approach the problem: make the chassis in 4 pieces plus the centre part instead of 160 different elements is already a good step ahead. The Mini Giga Press of IDRA Group is something to be considered.
What’s next? Contact the speakers to know more.
Watch the speech from Sandy Munro at Supercar Seminar on YouTube
Tesla Confirms the Use of Gigacastings on Future Models
Tesla’s Q4 2024 shareholder deck highlights new technologies that the Cybertruck has adopted and that Tesla will also use in future vehicles, including Gigacasting.
• Our largest castings ever - custom alloy and a 9,000-ton press combine to make front and rear vehicle structures
• Reduces number of parts and manufacturing complexity, and, as a bonus, scrap is fully recyclable
The Next Step in Aluminum Gigacasting
Great video by the Youtuber, The Limiting Factor about some technologies which can help improve the quality and yield of Gigacastings while helping reduce the size of the die casting machines.
I also had the honor to interview Jérôme Honório of Fondarex on this topic, you can read my article here:
