this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2023
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The stainless steel body of Tesla's Cybertruck is reportedly leading to issues with gaps in between the panels::The Cybertruck's steel is made in "coils that resemble giant rolls of toilet paper," WSJ reported.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 11 months ago (1 children)

If they were smart, they would pursue nitinol body panels or a similar memory metal. Get a ding in a panel? Take a heat gun to it or leave it out in the sun and the dent is gone. Another benefit would be a ~25% weight reduction.

All they would have to do is figure how to make large panels; which is no easy task, but neither is rocket science. The patent licensing could be a major revenue stream.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Isn't this what Saturn did or is nitinol some sort of metal alloy?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

AFAIK they did plastic fenders and nothing with "exotic" alloys.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Nitinol is an alloy of 60% nickel and 40% titanium (usually). It can be used in memory materials or to capture energy from heat. Basically it can be bent when it's below a certain temperature (like a regular metal) and it creates force to restore its shape when it's heated.

Yes, I did learn that by playing modded Factorio. Why do you ask?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Is that the lore behind the healing walls?