Popular Science shares Volvo’s vision for the next generation of automobile manufacture. Not only are they using electric motors, but they’re putting together the vehicles with a process they’re calling “mega-casting” to mold large portions of their cars without needing any factory workers to weld or assemble the bits and pieces together:
One example part that will be made using mega-casting is the floor structure of Volvo’s upcoming lineup of electric cars. Given the size of the vehicle floor, Volvo will need to use extremely large molds that operate at very high-pressures.
While Volvo hasn’t revealed its secret sauce behind mega-casting, the die-casting process is largely the same for any metal, or in the case of injection molding, plastics. In this case, molten metal is quickly forced under pressure into a reusable mold. The liquid metal then flows into channels and crevasses, eventually forming whatever that part might look like—in Volvo’s case, that part more closely resembles a large portion of a vehicle.
Once the metal hardens into shape, the part is then released and quenched in water to cool completely before it undergoes finishing. Using high-power lasers, Volvo removes the unwanted excess material left over from the manufacturing process and performs several other tasks needed to make the part usable in the construction of a vehicle. Once the part is finished, it can be used in the final construction of the vehicle, or sent back to a foundry so it can be easily recycled and cast again should any imperfection be found.
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The single-piece casting also helps to add structural rigidity to the vehicle. When coupled with battery packs, the chassis stiffness is greatly improved. That means the vehicle can be both more nimble, and potentially fare better in an accident.
Volvo says that its mega-casting procedure also helps to reduce its carbon footprint during the manufacturing process. But more importantly, it also helps reduce the environmental impact of its cars after they leave the assembly plant. Electric vehicles tend to be heavier than gas-powered cars, and since Volvo is using this method to manufacture its EVs, it can also be used to help mitigate the non-tailpipe emissions created by heavier vehicles. Lowering the vehicle weight creates a more efficient car that consumes less power when driven, but also reduces non-exhaust emissions from tire, brake, and road surface wear commonly exacerbated by heavy electric vehicles.