The Spanish supplier believes it is well prepared for the transformation of the automotive industry. Innovations from a wide range of areas are intended to help. The company presented some of these at the IZB in Wolfsburg.
With sales of €12.27 billion ($12.93 billion) in 2023, Gestamp achieved growth of 14.4 percent compared to the previous year and posted a profit of eight percent. The company attributes this development to a combination of technological development, cost management and close cooperation with automobile manufacturers. As a strategic partner for OEMs, Gestamp focuses on products in the areas of body in white, chassis and mechanics (Edscha). The strategy of offering comprehensive solutions that both reduce complexity and support sustainability goals has contributed significantly to the success.
At the end of October 2024, Gestamp showed some innovations at the IZB in Wolfsburg, such as an electric sliding door with servo function from Edscha (from Gestamp). This system combines fully automatic movement at the push of a button with intuitive manual operation. What is special is the constant operating force of the door, which remains the same, regardless of the parking position - on inclines, for example. This makes it much easier for children or older people to use.
”Suppliers are now responsible for 75% of vehicle value creation. For many, and especially for us, the great opportunity lies in offering cutting-edge, highly developed and cost-effective key solutions”
- Ignacio Martin Gonzalez, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Gestamp
The system is based on a special rope tensioning mechanism that keeps the door free of play, and enables intuitive operation by simply pushing it. “This innovation is a major step forward for comfort, but also for safety,” emphasises Jochen Bals, R&D Mechatronics director at Edscha Gestamp, at the trade fair stand. In addition to the improved user-friendliness, Gestamp highlights the “tip-to-run” function, which makes the system future-proof for autonomous vehicles, or so-called people-movers.
Gestamp sees potential in weight reduction
“Suppliers are now responsible for 75 percent of vehicle value creation. For many, and especially for us, the great opportunity lies in offering cutting-edge, highly developed and cost-effective key solutions,” said Ignacio Martin Gonzalez, Gestamp’s Chief Technology and Innovation Officer in an interview with Automobil Produktion. This brings not only opportunities, but also additional responsibility.
“We are able to manufacture the vehicle structure with a weight saving of up to 10%”
- Thomas Linn, Program Manager, Gestamp
The company sees potential in areas such as reducing the weight of vehicles and developing sustainable solutions. One example is the increasing integration of battery and engine components in the body and chassis. At the same time, Gestamp emphasises the need to adapt to the changing requirements of electric vehicle architectures.
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One example of this development is so-called ‘gigastamping’, in which complex structural components are manufactured from up to 16 individual components in a single pressing process. This approach saves production time and logistics costs, while also enabling weight reduction. “We are able to manufacture the vehicle structure with a weight saving of up to ten percent,” explains Thomas Linn, Program Manager at Gestamp.
This contributes to both reducing CO₂ and improving stability. According to Gestamp, this technology is already being used in series in plants in China, the USA and Germany, such as in Ludwigsfelde, and is an important part of the future product portfolio.
Focus on material innovation and hybrid solutions
In view of the increasing weight of electric vehicles due to the batteries, Gestamp has developed from a pure steel processor into a provider of hybrid and aluminum solutions. The company relies on material combinations that enable lightweight construction while ensuring crash safety and CO₂ reduction.
Hybrid solutions, such as those used in battery boxes or chassis components, are an important part of the portfolio. However, these solutions require high investments in connection technologies in order to meet the requirements for safety, corrosion resistance, and tolerances.
Another example of this innovative power is the development of high-strength axle supports. These are made of steel that is processed using hydroforming technology. By reducing the sheet thickness by 0.7 millimeters, the weight was reduced by around ten percent; or 2.5 kilograms.
At the same time, the axle support retains its stability and meets all safety and performance requirements. “We worked on the formability and stability of the material in intensive tests and development phases,” reports Mehdi Asadi, Gestamp’s Head of Material Development Engineering. The steel is prefabricated by a supplier and then formed into tubes and hydroformed.
This production method required numerous adjustments to the forming processes in order to be able to process the high-strength steel accordingly.
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