Gestamp, a global leader in the design, development, and manufacturing of metal automotive components, is at the forefront of transforming the automotive industry. With a presence in more than 20 countries and over two decades of innovation, Gestamp has grown from a small stamping company into a multinational technology provider. Its portfolio includes body-in-white structures, chassis components, and advanced mechanisms, all aimed at producing lighter, safer, and more sustainable vehicles.
The automotive industry, however, is undergoing a rapid transformation. Increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs), stricter regulatory frameworks, and rising consumer expectations have led to an explosion of new vehicle models, drive systems, and personalized options. For suppliers like Gestamp, these trends present significant challenges, such as adapting to greater product variation, reconfiguring production lines, managing material shortages, and incorporating recycled materials.
To address these challenges, Gestamp is having an active role as pilot company in the R3GROUP project, piloting innovative solutions designed to redefine the manufacturing landscape.
Gestamp’s R3GROUP Pilot: Revolutionizing Production
The GESTAMP Use Case in R3GROUP project focuses on manufacturing suspension control arms, a critical component that connects various joints in a vehicle’s suspension system, transmitting forces and ensuring smooth operation. Traditionally, the production of these parts requires extensive tooling and complex processes like cutting, drilling, stamping, and welding. Small design variations often necessitate costly retooling, leading to significant downtime, material waste, and increased production costs.
Gestamp’s collaboration with R3GROUP developers’ partners introduces advanced laser-based technologies and digital tools to revolutionize this process. These innovations allow for a reconfigurable production system capable of adapting to design changes without requiring new tooling or extended downtimes.
Key Innovations and Technologies
- Laser-Based Manufacturing Flexibility:
Gestamp integrates modular, laser-based systems that can perform various processes—such as hardening, re-melting, and cladding—using the same tooling. This flexibility allows for the rapid adaptation of production lines to accommodate different component designs and materials. - Digital Toolkit and Monitoring Systems:
Advanced digital tools, including simulation models, monitoring, and control systems, are critical enablers of reconfigurability. These tools optimize design configurations, ensure quality control, and streamline reconfiguration processes, reducing both time and costs. - Enhanced Reconfiguration Capabilities:
Through the adoption of modular systems, Gestamp reduces reconfiguration times by over 50% and decreases the number of tools needed by the same margin. This flexibility ensures consistent production output despite frequent design changes or fluctuations in demand.
Overcoming industry challenges
Gestamp is addressing some of the most pressing issues in automotive manufacturing:
- Production Reconfiguration: Traditional manufacturing lines are highly rigid, often designed for a single component reference. Gestamp’s flexible factory concept introduces modular cells capable of adapting to multiple designs, reducing the time and cost of retooling.
- Material Shortages: By incorporating laser technologies and digital tools, Gestamp optimizes material use, reducing waste and enabling the integration of recycled materials into production.
- Market Variability: The automotive sector’s increasing diversity—spanning different drive systems, personalized models, and new segments—has made demand forecasting more uncertain. Gestamp’s reconfigurable systems enable agile responses to these fluctuations, maintaining efficiency and reducing risk.
Strategic benefits of R3GROUP solutions
The integration of R3GROUP technologies into Gestamp’s operations is expected to deliver a wide range of benefits:
- Cost Efficiency: By reducing the reliance on specific tooling and enabling multi-purpose manufacturing systems, Gestamp minimizes costs associated with tool redesign, storage, and reconfiguration.
- Enhanced Production Efficiency: Modular systems ensure that production rates are maintained, even during reconfiguration, resulting in a 5% increase in facility availability per production shift.
- Sustainability: Improved material efficiency and reduced scrap production align with Gestamp’s commitment to sustainability and the automotive industry’s push for greener solutions.
- Adaptability: With reconfiguration times cut by over 50%, Gestamp can quickly pivot to meet changing market demands, from traditional vehicles to electric and hybrid models.
A vision for the factory of the future
Gestamp and R3GROUP are pioneering a new manufacturing paradigm. The future factory concept centers on smaller, modular workstations connected through advanced IoT platforms. These facilities will employ automated guided vehicles (AGVs) not just as transporters but as active participants in production, capable of interacting with machinery and adapting workflows in real time.
This vision allows Gestamp to address increasing product diversity and demand uncertainty without sacrificing efficiency or competitiveness. It represents a strategic shift from traditional linear production lines to highly adaptable, digital, and multidisciplinary facilities.
Shaping tomorrow’s automotive industry
The collaboration of Gestamp in R3GROUP project is a strategic response to the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly evolving industry. By leveraging advanced technologies, Gestamp is setting new standards in flexibility, sustainability, and efficiency.
This innovative approach not only positions Gestamp as a leader in automotive manufacturing but also serves as a blueprint for the industry’s transition to smarter, more adaptive production models. As the sector moves toward a future defined by electric mobility and personalization, Gestamp’s commitment to innovation ensures it will remain at the forefront of automotive manufacturing.