SpaceX manufacturing costs

In reading the Feb-May update for the umpteenth time, I started thinking about the stiffeners used in the barrel sections. Does anyone know of any reason why something like bead rolling would't provide the needed stiffness?

If bead rolling does work, it would significantly reduce manufacturing costs and launch weight.

I probably should have provided more information on what bead rolling is. Do a google search for "bead roller" and you will come up with a number of sites like this. The idea is to form a semicircular depression in the metal in a vertical line instead of the stringers that are being welded into the barrel sections. Bead rolling is used to increase the stiffness in sheet metals.
The process is likely to be cheaper and faster than the stir welding currently being used, and even more importantly, all the weight added by the stringers could be removed from the structure. It is likely that a custom bead roller would be needed to work with such large pieces of metal, but that would be a one time cost.

The real question is if bead rolling could provide the needed stiffness?

You can't bead roll a pressure vessel -- the beads would just pop out when pressurized.

John Carmack

Ooh! Mega-sized Bubble Wrap! I WANT ONE!

Not very good on a rocket, though...