The completed 47,000 m² gigacasting plant ready for installation of 16,000‑tonne and 10,000‑tonne casting lines.
China, September 8, 2025
Dongfeng has finished construction of a 47,000 m² gigacasting factory 25 days ahead of schedule, allowing earlier equipment installation and commissioning. The single‑phase building will house ultra‑large die‑casting lines including a 16,000‑tonne unit and a 10,000‑tonne unit, positioning the company at the forefront of large‑format casting. Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) sped coordination and delivery. The project targets phased production capacity with an initial annual output goal of 200,000 components and a later scale‑up to 600,000 after additional lines are added. Investment is about 1 billion yuan and lines will be brought online gradually.
What happened: A new die‑casting plant built for a major Chinese automaker was completed 25 days ahead of schedule, finishing the factory shell that will host two ultra‑large gigacasting lines. The physical building covers 47,000 square meters and will be the central production base for the company’s gigacasting rollout.
The construction contractor reported early completion of the factory building. Project teams used Building Information Modeling (BIM) to speed design coordination and construction, which helped achieve handover ahead of contractual deadlines. The completed building is intended to serve as the core production base for the automaker’s gigacasting industrialization program.
In the first phase, the site will be equipped with one 16,000‑tonne gigacasting line and one 10,000‑tonne line. That initial setup will give the plant an annual output capacity of 200,000 components. A second phase will add four more lines, bringing total annual output to 600,000 components. Components targeted include super‑large structural parts for new energy vehicles such as rear floor assemblies and battery casings.
Gigacasting uses ultra‑large die‑casting machines to form multiple parts into a single structural component under very high pressure. The approach aims to reduce part count, welding work, and assembly steps while strengthening body structures and improving safety and efficiency, especially for electric vehicles with large, heavy battery packs. The 16,000‑tonne capacity is highlighted as the largest currently available and marks a first for the automaker to adopt this size of machine.
Although the factory building is already complete, the casting lines will be installed and commissioned in stages rather than all at once. The first phase installation of the two giant machines precedes planned mass production in June 2026. This staggered approach allows testing and ramping of output while later lines are added in the second phase.
Gigacasting has moved quickly from a niche experiment to a mainstream assembly option in electric vehicle production. The method can cut weight, reduce the number of parts and welds, and lower some manufacturing costs by replacing many welding and stamping steps with a single large casting operation. That said, the approach brings tradeoffs: high initial equipment and tooling costs, possible metal distortion risks, and more complex repair processes if a large single part is damaged.
Advances in design, alloy formulation, cooling and heat treatment, and rapid mold testing have helped make very large castings practical at scale. Project documents state the plant will focus on research, production, and sales of super‑large gigacasting structural components for new energy vehicles. Expected benefits include higher output and improved line efficiency for NEV manufacturing, while the industry continues to balance cost, repairability, and quality concerns.
Photo credit for the project announcement is attributed to the construction contractor’s official account.
Gigacasting is a manufacturing method that uses very large die‑casting machines to create big, single structural parts for vehicles by injecting molten metal into a mold under high pressure. It reduces the number of parts and welding steps needed to build a vehicle body.
A 16,000‑tonne machine provides extremely high clamping force, allowing the casting of larger, single pieces than smaller machines. That size enables production of very big components such as underbody assemblies and battery casings in fewer parts.
Mass production is scheduled to begin in June 2026, following staged installation and commissioning of the casting lines.
Phase one with two lines will be able to produce about 200,000 components per year. After adding four more lines in phase two, annual output is expected to reach 600,000 components.
Main tradeoffs include high upfront investment, potential challenges in repairing large single pieces after a crash, and technical risks such as metal distortion. These are balanced against reduced assembly steps, lower part counts and potential cost savings in high‑volume production.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Factory area | 47,000 m² |
| Start of construction | November 2024 |
| Handover | 25 days ahead of schedule |
| Installed machines (phase 1) | One 16,000‑tonne line and one 10,000‑tonne line |
| Planned mass production | June 2026 |
| Initial annual capacity | 200,000 components (phase 1) |
| Full annual capacity | 600,000 components (after phase 2) |
| Project investment | About 1 billion yuan |
| Key technologies used | Gigacasting machines, BIM for construction |
, September 8, 2025 News Summary Princeton’s council will consider borrowing $6.3 million from the New…
Richmond Hill, Georgia, September 8, 2025 News Summary ECI Group has broken ground on The Averly…
Czech Republic, September 8, 2025 News Summary Industrial production in the Czech Republic strengthened, driven by…
Pasadena, California, September 8, 2025 News Summary The Pasadena City Council will consider an amended development…
Latin America, September 8, 2025 News Summary Two recent studies present conflicting size and growth estimates…
Dublin, Ireland, September 8, 2025 News Summary A major market study forecasts significant expansion in the…