Giant receives raw aluminium tubing into its Taichung, Taiwan factory from another Giant facility that smelts its own alloys. All of the butting, shaping, and drawing is done here in-houseJames Huang/Future Publishing
Giant manufactures a heck of a lot of aluminium frames so it’s no surprise to see massive amounts of raw materials on siteJames Huang/Future Publishing
Raw aluminium tubing racked up and waiting for its turn through the machineJames Huang/Future Publishing
Giant uses a wide range of tube dimensions, each of which requires its own dieJames Huang/Future Publishing
Giant uses both air-assisted forming and hydroforming to shape its aluminium tubes. Air-assisted forming is less expensive and is reserved for mid-priced frames while the more expensive hydroforming process can create more complex shapesJames Huang/Future Publishing
Giant has several of these massive hydroforming presses on siteJames Huang/Future Publishing
Freshly hydroformed seat tubes and top tubesJames Huang/Future Publishing
Giant’s hydroforming process can create surprisingly intricate shapes out of essentially round blanksJames Huang/Future Publishing
The air-forming process isn’t as involved as hydroforming, says Giant. The two ends are sealed off and then the interior is pressurised under heat to push the walls out against the mould wallsJames Huang/Future Publishing
The machinery involved in hydroforming is absolutely enormous compared with the parts that are being formedJames Huang/Future Publishing
After forming, the tubes are subjected to various chemical and heat treatments to prepare them for weldingJames Huang/Future Publishing
All cleaned up and ready to mitreJames Huang/Future Publishing
Frames and frame parts are soaked in automated solution bathsJames Huang/Future Publishing
The aluminium half of Giant’s Taichung factory is certainly more cacophonous than the carbon side, which is comparatively quiet and peacefulJames Huang/Future Publishing
The welded joints on Giant’s hydroformed aluminium frames require complex mitresJames Huang/Future Publishing
There are endless shelves of fixtures and clamps for various frame models and processesJames Huang/Future Publishing
As with the carbon frames, individual frame sections have all of their requisite holes formed before the sections are joined togetherJames Huang/Future Publishing
Frame welders are apparently among the highest-paid workers in the Giant factory. It’s a process that isn’t easily automated in this situation and the results hold not only structural but visual consequencesJames Huang/Future Publishing
Giant has a veritable army of welders on hand in its Taiwan factoryJames Huang/Future Publishing
For the most part, welders are supplied with individual cubicles so they can get their work done relatively undisturbedJames Huang/Future Publishing
Various jigs are used for the initial tack weldingJames Huang/Future Publishing
Front triangles sit on this rotating rack as they transition from the tacking stationJames Huang/Future Publishing
Head tubes are apparently a very handy way to store frames in transitionJames Huang/Future Publishing