Nancy,
Underneath that obese plastic shell is a skeletonized aluminum frame. It's made from recycled beer cans I think. I have a Singer 3810 and had to pull the shell off of it to fix the bobbin winder clutch thing and that is what I found. I neglected to take pics of it though. Just wanted it fixed and off my bench.
Darth Vader is an appropriate name for it though. I'd like to put one through a do or die torture test. IE, give it to my wife and tell her to use it like you do the Bernina. I wonder how quick it would die?
Joe