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0 pointsMunkum8y ago0 comments

There is no way that they are using friction stir welding in a high volume line. It's a very slow process, visually it's horrible (big scar along the joint) and, though I've no experience with it I would have thought that pushing a spinning piece of metal at high temperatures through two thin abutting pressings would be highly unreliable.

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SEJeff8y ago

"though I've no experience with it" - aka you're not qualified to answer whatsoever. At least you're honest in your trolling :)

SpaceX did not invent friction stir welding, but they did develop a mastery of the technique. Luckily, unlike you, they hire people who have experience in it. The strength of friction stir welds is one of the reasons they use it in the Model X and Model S vehicles, both which blew it out of the park regarding NTHSA safety standards.

Musk himself describes it here (for SpaceX):

https://www.wired.com/2012/10/ff-elon-musk-qa/

They even mention a few of the aerospace bits they have in the Model S:

https://www.tesla.com/blog/tesla-model-s-achieves-best-safet...

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