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One of the basic pillars on which the group's strategy is based is our research and development activities.
In the R&D centres in Abadiano and Santpedor, we carry out different activities related to product and process development in close collaboration with our customers. The centres have modern CAD, CAE, and CAM applications and the most advanced forming and welding simulation programmes.
From the integration of new technologies such as hydroforming and the introduction of new lighter materials to respond to market trends oriented towards reducing weight in cars in order to lower fuel consumption and environmental contamination, to the development of systems and modules that simplify and lower the cost of production processes, our engineers work on simultaneous engineering with our customers in the development of new projects.
Our centres also collaborate with other centres and laboratories, such as in the development on new technological solutions in the Sollac or Robotiker R&D Centre.
Besides providing customer support, the Gestamp Automoción R&D centres are basically to support the activities of the different business units in the group in close collaboration with the resident engineers in the production plants.
Gestamp Automoción provides its customers with the most effective service for all needs and qualities. Offering global solutions, we cut the bands prior to forming in the desired shape.
Our R&D capabilities and our die tool know-how give us excellent stamping capacities for the supply of leather components and interior panels, bodywork structures and different auxiliary components.
· Gestamp has tandem lines for the stamping of large parts such as wings, bonnets, roofs, sides, doors and interior panels such as wheel casings, floors and bonnet reinforcements. They are totally automatic G1 large double and simple effect press lines (up to 2500 Tn, with table sizes up to 4,500 mm), G2 (up to 1000 Tn, tables up to 3,500 mm) and G3 (up to 600 Tn, tables up to 2,740 mm).
· Our highly productive Transfer presses are the most suitable for medium-sized structural components such as pillars, sub-chassis and heel casings.
· Progressive for medium and small parts with high productivity such as lock reinforcements and hinge reinforcements.
· The individual presses complement the small components that will be later used in sub-assembly welding.
Gestamp Automoción has the most advanced production methods for forming presses and robotic automation, including the latest technological innovations and maintaining an ongoing improvement programme, as a result of our efforts to adapt our capabilities to our customers' needs.
Large format stamping plants:
· Estampaciones Metálicas Bizkaia
· Gestamp Bizkaia
· Gestamp Palencia
· Gestamp Vigo
· Gestamp Paraná
· Ferrosider Gestamp
· Gestamp Polonia
· Gestamp Noury
· Galvanizaciones Castellana
Small and medium-sized format stamping plants:
· Gestamp Toledo
· Gestamp Linares
· Gestamp Portugal
· Gestamp Noury
· MB Metalbages Santpedor
· MB Metalbages Abrera
· MB Metalbages Ciganotto
· MB Metalbages do Brasil Ltda.
· MB Metalbages Narvarra
The participation of Gestamp in the value change ends with the welding and assembly of sub-assemblies, pre-assembling high-safety structural components such as longitudinal shafts, pillars, heel casings, sub-chassis, steering column supports and bonnet assemblies that are delivered just in time
We have totally robotic arc and point welding cells, gluing and door and bonnet hanging.
Our Gestamp Vigo, MB Metalbages Abrera, MB Metalbages Levante and Gestamp Linares plants, strategically located next to our customers’ assembly lines, operate in complete co-ordination with the vehicle assembly lines with minimum safety stocks.
The die tools manufacturing division of Gestamp Automoción represents the integration of the tool manufacturing process to offer our customers our know-how in the design of the best possible embossing process with the highest quality guarantee.
Our installations in Spain with Araluce and Deusto, in Brazil with Gestamp Paraná and the upcoming incorporations on assembly lines allows us to use the most advanced technological methods in the design and manufacture of die tools, with 40 years’ professional experience.
The first step consists of the initial development of the functional assembly in close collaboration with the customer in order to continue with product engineering that selects the industrial application of the item to be manufactured on our customer’s production lines, which often belong to other companies in the Gestamp group.
To validate a reliable and stable process, the collaboration between our engineers and our customers leads to a process engineering process that contemplates all the aspects of serial manufacture and attaining the required quality levels.
The design of die tools is now configured in 2 dimensions but the latest technologies take us to a rapid 3-D integration, facilitating the manufacture of the final production tools.
Our production methods, with a wide range of machinery for machine tooling the dies by last generation numerical control technology, shapes the die tools that will produce the most complex parts of a car.
Visible parts such as doors, sides, roofs, boot lids, where quality demands are highest, and interior reinforcements such as wheel casings, shafts that form the basic structure and geometry of the vehicle and are important from the perspective of possible impacts.
The preparatory phases for machines and final assembly require ample space, fully equipped, to assemble the different sub-components of the tools with strict internal quality controls.
Our most solid base is a final product that reflects the quality of our customers’ vehicles. The press and final finishing sections are the result of our manufacturing experience; mechanical and hydraulic double and simple effect presses and our highly qualified staff present our customers with a product for which we certify that the range of dies complies with all customer demands.
The Solblank Barcelona, Solblank France, Gestamp Taubate, Gestamp Parana and Gestamp Mexico plants manufacture welded blanks using the sheave and recent laser technologies developed by our partner, Sollac..
Blank welding prior to forming has significant advantages for impact-proof structural components, allowing us to combine formats with different qualities of steel and different thicknesses depending on the specific requirements established for each part.
This is, then, a significant improvement in the manufacturing processes and in the quality and functionality of the product.
This technology is applied to a wide variety of products: pillars, longitudinal shafts, interior panels and many more, where a certain area has to provide greater resistance to impact with special deformability requirements.
The use of welded formats allows us to achieve significant material savings, and therefore, lower weights.
We have totally automatic lines with constant monitoring of the welding parameters that guarantees high levels of efficiency and quality.
The latest of the technologies incorporated by Gestamp Automoción is cold forming parts by lengthening, compression and expansion of pipes or hollow structural components by injecting water inside them at a very high pressure.
This hydroforming technology allows us to obtain geometrically complex parts that otherwise would require the joining of sub-assemblies. It also allows us to reduce the number of components and optimise weights. Hydroforming also eliminates welding. A single process manufactures components with very precise shapes and dimensions.
The consolidation of this new technology positions us as technological providers to the main car manufacturers.
A hollow tube is expanded by a forming process based on high internal pressure and simultaneously compressed on its axis or its radius. The flow of axial material and the addition of material on the ends gives the parts their original thickness in spite of the increase of section produced. The components obtained possess high deformation and forming properties from thick walls.
The parameters involved in the process are internal pressure, blow of the axial cylinders and press closing force. Lengthening is produced with the flow of axial material, helped by compression in the axial or radial direction.
This technique improves the functionality and performance of the components enormously. The applications of hydroforming are countless in structural components, and we can use the technique to produce longitudinal shafts for roofs and floors, pìllars, heel casings, frames, sub-chassis, union joints, seat frames and steeling columns, among others. Our R&D development in this field can be seen in the installations of Metalbages Hidroacero, in the VW Landaben suppliers’ park.
2 totally automatic lines manufacture structural components.
The crossmember line with tube handling for line-feeding, two 3,500 ton hydraulic presses and auxiliary hydroforming equipment, washing system and automatic discharge. The sub-chassis line with tube handling for automatic feeding, 2 hydraulic bending machines, one 400 ton hydraulic press, one 5,000 ton forming hydraulic press and auxiliary equipment for hydroforming, washing and automatic discharge. In both cases, the punching control is automatic.
Galvanizing is the process that will protect the steel from the aggressive agents present in the environment and polluted atmospheres.
It consists of coating the steel with a layer of zinc, providing it with the best possible protection to preserve its qualities and lengthen its useful life even in the most adverse conditions.
Corporación Gestamp is a leading EU Multinational in the steel industry, automotive components and logistics. Made up of three large industrial divisions: Gonvarri, Gestamp Automoción and Esmena, the holding has facilities in twelve countries located in EU and Mercosur. In the year 2003, Corporación Gestamp sales were over 2,100 million euros and employed more than 10.000 people.
· European multi-national present in ten countries.
· Turnover of 1,100 million euros.
· Over 7,600 employees.
· Very active in the European Union, Mercosur and Mexico
Leader in the manufacture of metal car components, well positioned on the European and American markets, in each of its business lines, with a high level of profitability and long-term solvency.