We've been hearing a lot about the Hyperloop lately, the proposed transportation system that will "move people and cargo through near-vacuum tubes at airline speeds using electric propulsion over a non-contact levitation track." One thing that we haven't heard much about, though, is where its parts will be made. That changed today, as parent company Hyperloop One announced the opening of the "First Hyperloop Manufacturing Plant in the World."
Known as Hyperloop One Metalworks, the 105,000 sq ft (9,755 sq m) tooling and fabrication plant is located in North Las Vegas, not far from the company's existing test track.
According to the company, the facility will house engineers, machinists and welders. They will be tasked with building and testing components going into DevLoop, which is a full-system Hyperloop prototype due for completion in 2017. There will also be a test lab for the Transponics system, the technology which is responsible for launching the Hyperloop cars to high speeds.
Within the next few months, some of the items to be built at the plant will include the joints between the Hyperloop tube and its supporting columns, along with the cradles that will hold and protect the tubes prior to their installation.
The facility can be seen in the following video.
Source: Hyperloop One