The Spanish multinational Tier-1 supplier, Gestamp, announced its fourth hot stamping line in India at the 16th Auto Expo 2023-Components Show.
A press release from the company noted that the new line, slated to open later this year, will add to the existing two in Pune and one in Chennai.
Glyn Jones, Country Manager and President, Gestamp India, noted that with three plants in the country and one R&D centre, the company has put the focus on the growing awareness of the need to have safety standards that match the standards of Global NCAP.
“Of all the elements of safety of the car, the most important is the car body structure, due to the protection that it provides to passengers when a collision takes place,” he added.
Besides the announcement, the company showcased its products and innovations, such as Extreme Size Parts, Battery Boxes, Cell-to-Pack concepts, Joining Technologies, Chassis innovative Lightweight Solutions or Active Frunks.
Sachin Bhoutkar, Director, R&D, BIW India, Gestamp, said that the new product family offers a unique combination of increased crash & safety, lightweight, lower costs and CO2 reduction in a single product.
Gestamp is also developing safer and lighter battery electric vehicle (BEV) solutions specifically designed for urban mobility and is showcasing, for the first time, a multi-material battery box made of aluminium and FRP along with steel and aluminium battery box parts. These materials represent a solution for small electric vehicles and point the way to the future of mobility.
With classic battery box developments and now with new cell-to-body concepts, the company has harnessed intelligent ideas to achieve a significant reduction in the overall weight of electric vehicles while ensuring a high level of safety at the same time, the release added.
Interestingly, Gestamp will also be exhibiting some new developments as an extension of its product and technology portfolio, including engineered products and related technologies such as Multistep and laser technology, as well as an insight into its aluminium competencies to be prepared for the mobility requirements of tomorrow.
Alongside showcasing products and plans, Gestamp also showcased its third business unit in India under the brand name Edscha. In May 2022, Edscha signed a joint venture agreement with Indian automotive supplier Aditya Auto Products & Engineering with a location in Chakan.
Through the 50:50 joint venture, Edscha secures direct access to the Indian market. The cooperation thus extends to developing, manufacturing and distributing hinge systems, door checks, latches and parking brakes.
The release added that in sliding doors, Edscha develops customised solutions for passenger and commercial vehicles.
Jörg Paulus, Sales Director VW-Group, Edscha, stated that the active frunk in EVs combines an actuator for automatic opening and closing of the front lid with a hinge for active pedestrian protection.
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