According to Nikkei, Toyota is expected to install a giant casting machine (gigacasting) at a factory in Japan this year. The move can be understood as the company is trying to minimize the cost of electric vehicle production, by applying advanced technology that has been perfected by Tesla.
It is known that gigacasting is the process of creating large modules for cars by combining many parts together with a layer of hot aluminum alloy put into a high-pressure casting machine. By casting many parts together in just one step, electric car manufacturers can reduce the vehicle's weight and improve production efficiency.
Toyota's gigacasting machine will be located at a production center in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, manufactured by Ube Machinery. The device will be 10 meters wide, 22 meters long and about 7 meters high, equivalent to an area of a tennis court. This will be one of the largest casting machines in Japan with a capacity of 9,000 tons.
In fact, Toyota has planned to apply gigacasting to the production of the LF-ZC - a new generation electric vehicle model expected to launch in 2026 under the Lexus brand. Here, the body of the vehicle will be divided into three parts: front, center and rear.
According to the design, the front and rear sections will be produced using the gigacasting method. During the prototype testing process, the rear part usually needs 86 departments and 33 processes, but with this new technology, it will be created into a modular in just one process.
The gigacasting machine of Japan's largest automaker is expected to be used to prototype electric vehicle components, not for mass production. A representative of Toyota also said that they will evaluate whether this technology will help reduce the number of parts and processes as well as make electric vehicles lighter.
Currently, there are more than 10 automakers in the world applying gigacasting technology, mostly in the US, Europe and China. But the most prominent is Tesla, which uses a gigapress press with a clam speed of 6,000 tons to 9,000 tons.
In addition, thanks to this technology, Tesla has cut up to 40% of related costs for electric vehicle production. The weight of the rear body of the Model Y has also decreased by 30%.
In addition to Toyota, Honda is also planning to deploy a 6,000-ton gigacasting machine at a research and development facility in Tochigi province to prepare for mass production of electric vehicles. Nissan is also planning to install a 6,000-ton engine in 2027, aiming to reduce the weight of components by 20%.
