(delicate mechanical fast-paced electronic music)

From a manufacturing standpoint, the way we assemble

this car, the way we put it together, all of this is,

essentially, very different from any other car.

(delicate mechanical fast-paced electronic music)

The Model S process stages

it's all starts with raw material.

We have coils of aluminum, different gauges, different types

of aluminum, maybe 50, 60 coils.

(machine hissing)

(machine clicks)

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We start the process by uncoiling the coils

in a special machine we call Blanking Machine

that allow us to flatten the metal first

and then cut it into flat pieces, we call them blanks.

In addition to traditional blanking tools,

we're using laser.

(rollers humming)

And then with these pieces, we feed them to the press lines,

these gigantic dies and the press lines, essentially,

form the panels, you know, boom.

(machine crashes)

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We are getting all of the parts necessary to make the body

of the vehicle out of those gigantic machines

and then all of the parts, as they are finished,

so to speak, are brought to the body shop.

(delicate electronic music)

The role of the body center is

to take all the stamping panels that we make

and we bring all that together in one central locations

and that's where we actually put the Model S together.

(machine clicking) (machine motors humming)

(welder crackling) We'll start and we

do an underbody, which is the main floor system of the car.

(machine clanks)

And then from there, we'll move to body sides.

That's the internal reinforcement

as well as the outer skin and inside the framing area,

we take the body sides, that underbody and the front end

of the car and we actually marriage it all together.

(machine clicks)

(machine whirring)

One of the most unique things about this body center is,

we actually have five different overall joining methods

for the body shell.

We use adhesive, we use self-piercing rivets,

we have Cold Metal Transfer,

conventional resistance welding,

as well as a new DeltaSpot welding system.

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When a body leaves the body center,

it's actually a full, completed body shell,

ready to be prepped and painted.

[Gilbert] We have a gigantic robot that takes the body

and put into a conveyor and it's conveying

through the paint shop.

You have multiple pre-treatment,

primer, base-coat, clear-coat.

All of this is applied with robots

that have a special ability to paint

in a very clean environment.

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You get a beautiful painted body

that's coming to general assembly where we have

these super elegant robots, we call SmartCart,

where every cart is, essentially,

moving through the factory by itself.

It follows a magnetic strip and, essentially,

the car is being assembled from inside out.

(drill whines) (drill clicks)

(hydraulics hissing)

(upbeat gentle electronic music)

We're utilizing automation to the fullest.

We have a variety of robots from the teeny little ones

to huge one that are able to move the entire body itself.

(upbeat gentle electronic music)

One of the robot that I'm always very impressed to look at,

is the one that puts the seats inside the Model S

and the same robot is able to change tools,

go from a seat handling device to putting the windshield,

actually grab the windshield, put some glue around it

and then put the windshield onto the car,

as well as do the rear glass of the vehicle,

so talk about versatility here.

We have most everything we need right here in house.

We do the majority of our stamping panels ourselves.

(machine humming) (machine clicks)

We have design engineers here at the facility,

so we're very nimble and very quick at what we do.

Currently, it takes about three to five days

for a Model S to go from raw material all the way

to being finished on the bamboo line.

It's magnificent, it's like a piece of art.

We constantly try to improve process efficiency.

We want to push the boundaries of what can be done

by robots versus humans, so it's a constant evolution.

(metal chimes)

(upbeat gentle electronic music)

This Tesla factory is the future of the USA

and the world, that's the way I see it.

(tire whirring)

We are building the future here,

that's how proud I feel about this.

(upbeat gentle electronic music)

(CNE chime)