Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

I did an internship at Audi a few years ago and it looked exactly the same.

The one thing that was much more impressive at Audi however is that, as opposed to Tesla, where one line seems to produce one type of car, at Audi, the same line (i.e. the same robots) would sequentially work on different models. A robot might, for example, attach an A4 windshield, then a Q5 windshield, etc. That was very impressive. The required identification information (model, type, options,...) was contained on a small transmitter attached on the transporter carrying the semi-finished vehicle.

This is obviously not necessary at Tesla since they only have two models, but it was nonetheless the thing that most impressed me.




From what I gather the general workflow is similar, but there were apparently specific customizations needed to deal with the fact that Tesla body panels aren't magnetic; apparently most car assembly lines use magnetic arms to move panels from one part of the line to another, because most car bodies are made of steel. I think Tesla uses a mix of suction and clamps instead, depending on the part.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: