Automotive Industry Expands Adoption of Die-Casting Production Methods
Interest in Suppliers of Ultra-Large Press Equipment
Idra Supplies 6000~9000t Giga Presses to Tesla
Hyundai Motor Group and Hyundai Rotem Expected to Promote Equipment Localization
In the semiconductor industry, the Dutch semiconductor equipment company ASML is known as the 'super Eul (乙)'. Without ASML's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, semiconductor companies cannot survive in the global competition. Leading semiconductor companies worldwide queue up and wait for their turn to receive ASML's equipment. For this reason, when Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong travels to Europe, the first place he visits is ASML's headquarters located in the Netherlands.
In the electric vehicle industry, there are signs that a 'super Eul' company like ASML may emerge due to changes in production methods. The core production technology for the next-generation electric vehicle market is the ultra-large die casting process. This method involves pouring aluminum alloy castings into a large mold and stamping the body or parts at once under high pressure. It is similar to making fish-shaped bread (bungeoppang) by pouring dough into a mold and stamping out identical shapes.
Tesla introduced the giga press method, simplifying over 170 parts into two large components. [Photo by Tesla]
The most notable 'super Eul' candidate is the Italian casting equipment manufacturer IDRA, which supplies 6000~9000t-class (pressure strength) giga presses to Tesla. Founded in Italy in 1946, IDRA was acquired by China's LK Technology Group in 2008. Since Tesla first introduced the 'giga casting' process at its California factory in 2020, IDRA has been exclusively supplying ultra-large press equipment. Although IDRA produces various die casting machines ranging from 5500 to 9000 tons, its annual supply volume is less than 10 units. In fact, it is currently difficult even to handle Tesla's custom orders for the time being.
Currently, IDRA's competitors capable of producing die casting equipment over 6000 tons include Switzerland's B?hler Group, Japan's UBE Group and Shibaura Machine, and China's Izumi and Haitien. However, IDRA surprised the industry by unveiling the world's first 9000-ton giga press in June last year. The 9000-ton ultra-large press equipment is reportedly ordered by Tesla for the production of its next model, the Cybertruck. The giga press indicates pressure strength in tons, and the larger the unit, the bigger and stronger the body and parts that can be produced.
Tesla was the first to introduce the concept of ultra-large die casting to the global electric vehicle market. Since 2020, Tesla has been the first in the world to apply the giga casting process to Model Y production. With this technology, Tesla succeeded in stamping the rear body parts, which were previously divided into about 70 pieces, into a single piece. Through this, Tesla reduced electric vehicle costs by 40% and weight by 30%. With the conveyor belt eliminated, the factory production area was also reduced by 20%.
Recently, traditional automakers such as Toyota, Hyundai Motor, and Volvo have announced their intention to actively adopt Tesla's ultra-large die casting process. Especially, it was quite a shock in the industry that Toyota, known for its craftsmanship represented by the 'TPS (TOYOTA Production System)', accepted Tesla's production method.
On the 11th, Toyota held a press conference at three factories in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, revealing the status of technology development and production systems. The most notable was the 'giga casting' equipment applied at the Miyoshi plant. The giga casting process requires periodic replacement of casting molds, and Toyota reduced this replacement time by about 20 minutes. Toyota plans to apply casting know-how obtained from engines and various parts to electric vehicles produced from 2026, aiming to secure 20% higher productivity compared to other companies.
UBE Group is a strong candidate to collaborate with Toyota on equipment development. UBE Machinery, a subsidiary of UBE Group, is the only Japanese company that has entered the electric vehicle die casting market. In April, UBE Machinery announced the development of equipment that stamps the chassis (frame) of electric vehicle bodies at once and mentioned that a major Japanese automaker is considering applying it.
On the 11th, Toyota unveiled the Giga Press prototype at the Miyoshi plant in Aichi Prefecture. Photo by Toyota
Volvo was the fastest among traditional automakers to decide to adopt the die casting process. Volvo plans to introduce the 'mega casting' process by 2025. Last year, Volvo signed a contract to purchase two automotive body press machines developed by Switzerland's B?hler Group. Volvo plans to install these 8400-ton large press machines at its Torslanda plant in Sweden. It is expected that this will reduce production time by more than 75% compared to existing processes.
In Korea, Hyundai Motor will introduce the die casting process under the name 'Hyper Casting' in 2026. To this end, it has decided to build its own casting, processing, and assembly plants. Suitable sites will be selected from idle land such as existing engine and transmission factories, and construction is scheduled to begin next year.
The equipment is expected to be handled by its affiliate Hyundai Rotem. Last month, Hyundai Rotem unveiled the 'servo press', an ultra-large press machine for vehicles, at its Dangjin plant. The servo press is optimized for curved shaping and is useful for stamping steel plates used for vehicle exterior bodies. This press equipment ranges from 1000 to 2400 tons per unit and will also be installed at Hyundai Motor Group's dedicated electric vehicle factory under construction in Georgia, USA. Researcher Im Eun-young of Samsung Securities predicted, “Although Hyundai Motor Group will initially import giga press equipment from overseas, Hyundai Rotem will eventually promote localization of the equipment.”
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