CUTIP program takes PhD students to see the manufacturing process of TESLA

Business Technology and Management CUTIP program takes PhD students to see the manufacturing process of TESLA cars from the first step to the completion of a car.

Articles by Khun Prawee Tim Pravee, PhD student, Class 11 of CUTIP “What I got from a study tour of TESLA

TESLA was the factory that was the most intended to be seen on this trip. Because it is considered an Automotive Tech company that can bring the company to IPO in national history is the second company after Ford.

Tesla's mission is to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.

In the part of TECHNOLOGY that is important from studying and talk to the people who take the tour It consists of the following

1. Tesla's Batteries do not use a single battery, but instead use a small lithium battery cell in a cylindrical way, similar to the battery used in most home electric devices. This makes the cost of batteries cheap, lightweight and easy to manufacture. In addition, Tesla also opted for liquid cooling. instead of using a fan Its key partner in battery production is Panasonic, which is the exclusive manufacturer of Tesla's Model S, X, and 3 models, in its Nevada Gigafactory.

2. AC Motors Tesla uses two types of motors: 3-phase Induction motors and 4-pole AC with copper rotor.

3. Autopilot Tesla has started service. Semi-autonomous driver-assist since 2014, then Tesla upgraded the sensor. and software in 2016. The 2017 Tesla Autopilot includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning emergency braking, autosteer, auto park and summon. It includes 8 cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, 1 radar for viewing. 2 GPUs in front for processing a large number of images. And the only Model 3 is the driver-facing camera (Elon previously said that in 2020 Tesla's driverless functions will allow the driver to sleep at all …. Really?! )

4. Glass in 2016, the company invested in new technology. to produce glass roofs by bringing technology from SolarCity

5. Tesla's car software can update firmware anytime, anywhere while the driver is on the road. And the Tesla software development and engineering team is huge. (Observed from the moment you have to walk through before entering the factory)

6. Production (What I got from this show) The Tesla plant has approximately 5.3 million square feet of space for the production of the Model 3 cars. and modern tools used in mass production There are more than 1000 robots in use, MES system to control and monitor production status, Calibration lab to test the car, even though every piece has a QR Code attached to it, it can track where it went. However, from what has been observed, Automation is mainly applied in the process of Pressing, Body Assembly, Spot and Welding, Painting, but almost all the assembly processes in the car. Still requires a lot of labor.

In terms of innovation

personally view Tesla is doing business model innovation by combining more than one business model (compared to the case of Apple, where business model innovation was blended. smartphone technology with the mobile app business model which acts as a platform for developers to develop and sell products on the App store), which creates innovative new business models that have high impact and are difficult to imitate The main strategies that Tesla uses include:

– Sales model (only in America) Tesla sells directly to customers to order. And choose the desired option directly through the website, including the return policy of the old Tesla car (Model S) at a price of 50%.

– production technology model Tesla is very committed to the development of vertical manufacturing technology, including participating in the production of the devices used in Tesla cars. and the production and development of electric charging infrastructure for Tesla vehicles.

– Legal Policy Model: Tesla focuses on the policy of building 100% electric vehicles and has tried to push this policy towards driving. both in America and outside the United States, especially in China. and India

– The most technologically advanced model in the car Such as Autopilot technology, Software update that can update the firmware of the car at any time.

– Electric charging station model The concept of Tesla is to be able to charge easily like a mobile phone and charging 1 time can be stored for a long time. and can drive long distances Charging doesn't take too long.”