Spanish supplier
How steel makes body construction more cost-effective
Gestamp shows on the Skoda Epiq how components can be integrated and costs reduced with high-strength steel. A new welding process is said to be five times faster than conventional spot welding. Volkswagen is already validating the technology.
Gigacasting has attracted considerable attention as a way to simplify body-in-white production by replacing multiple components with large aluminium castings. But the same principle of part consolidation can also be applied to steel structures. Spanish automotive supplier Gestamp demonstrated its approach at the International Suppliers Fair (IZB) in Wolfsburg, presenting a range of manufacturing technologies used in the new Skoda Epiq alongside developments aimed at further reducing production costs.
The Skoda Epiq entered series production at Volkswagen's Navarra plant in Spain in June 2026. Built on the MEB+ platform, the compact electric SUV has a target entry price of around €26,000, putting considerable pressure on manufacturing costs. Gestamp has been closely involved in the development and production of its body and chassis components.
At its IZB stand, the supplier displayed almost the entire vehicle structure, including the front end, side structures and key chassis assemblies.
“We are a major partner for the Volkswagen Group and involved in numerous components,” explains Ralf Koormann, Technology and Innovation Office Product Director Europe North at Gestamp. The relationship extends beyond manufacturing to specification, with Gestamp also taking responsibility for developing complete assemblies.
Hot-formed steel reduces component complexity
Among the technologies presented was Gestamp's Door Ring, a large integrated door frame produced from hot-formed steel. The component uses the company's Overlap-Patch technology, in which several steel blanks are joined before being heated and formed into the final structure.
Additional reinforcement patches can be incorporated in areas subject to particularly high loads, allowing the material thickness and mechanical properties to be tailored to specific crash requirements. This reduces the need for separate reinforcement components and avoids adding weight across the entire structure.
Gestamp is applying a similar approach to the vehicle's sill structure. Its Wave Rocker uses hydroformed steel rather than a more expensive aluminium extrusion. The wave-shaped geometry is designed to improve energy absorption during a side impact.
“Our aim is to achieve lightweight construction with steel. That is why we rely on hot forming and high-strength materials, rather than simply resorting to more expensive materials,” says Koormann.
This approach builds on Gestamp's wider development strategy. In a previous AMS interview, the supplier outlined how larger hot-stamped components could simplify body assembly while making use of existing production assets.
Developing integrated chassis structures for the Epiq
Gestamp's involvement in the Skoda Epiq extends beyond body-in-white components. The supplier developed both the front subframe and the lower control arm according to Volkswagen's engineering requirements.
The 26kg front subframe combines several functions, providing mounting points for the chassis and electric drive unit while also contributing to crash energy management. Compared with conventional combustion-engine architectures, the structure extends further into the front end to improve energy absorption in a collision.
The electric motor is supported by mounting points on the subframe, with an additional mounting point located on an aluminium bridge.
For the lower control arm, Gestamp focused on minimising manufacturing operations. The component consists of a single shell made from high-strength steel, eliminating the need to weld together multiple stamped parts.
“The single-shell control arm does not require additional welding processes. It is hardly possible to manufacture such a component more cost-effectively, provided that the design meets the technical requirements,” Koormann explains.
Both examples illustrate how Gestamp is seeking to reduce component costs through design and process integration rather than material substitution alone. Fewer parts and joining operations can also simplify production logistics and assembly.
G-Weld promises fivefold increase in welding speed
Alongside the components already used in production, Gestamp presented a new joining technology with potentially significant implications for bodyshop efficiency.
G-Weld is a laser welding process developed to replace conventional resistance spot welding in selected applications, particularly where reinforcement patches are joined to hot-stamped steel components.
A Door Ring incorporating multiple reinforcements can require more than 100 weld points. Traditionally, these joints are produced individually using resistance spot welding guns. G-Weld instead uses a specially controlled laser process with a distinctive G-shaped weld geometry.
One of the main challenges is the aluminium-silicon coating commonly applied to hot-forming steels. During laser welding, the coating can enter the weld and compromise joint quality. Gestamp says its patented process addresses this issue while maintaining the mechanical performance required for structural applications.
“With G-Weld, we are five times faster than with conventional spot welding. For a Door Ring with more than 100 weld spots, this results in enormous efficiency potential,” says Thomas Linn, Technology and Innovation Office Program Manager at Gestamp.
The technology also provides additional flexibility in joint design. Weld seams can be extended to improve load transfer, while single-sided welding can leave the opposite surface free from visible weld marks.
As AMS previously reported in its examination of Gestamp's advanced joining technologies, G-Weld forms part of the supplier's efforts to make large-format steel structures easier and faster to manufacture.
The process is not yet used on the Skoda Epiq displayed at IZB, where reinforcement patches are still joined using conventional spot welding. However, Gestamp is already working with Volkswagen to validate G-Weld for potential production applications.
A timeline for series implementation has not been confirmed. Retrofitting existing bodyshops could also prove challenging where established welding equipment would need to be modified or replaced.
Ges-Wire eliminates coating removal in blank welding
Gestamp is also targeting efficiency improvements further upstream in the production process.
Its patented Ges-Wire technology is designed for the manufacture of tailor-welded blanks, where different steel grades are joined before undergoing hot forming.
Using a B-pillar as an example, Gestamp demonstrated the combination of ultra-high-strength Usibor 1500 and the more ductile Ductibor 1000. This allows different areas of a component to provide specific mechanical properties, combining high structural strength with controlled deformation during a crash.
Conventionally, the aluminium-silicon coating must be removed from the welding zone before joining the blanks to avoid compromising weld quality. Ges-Wire uses a specially developed filler wire that eliminates this preparation step.
Removing the coating-removal operation simplifies the process chain and reduces manufacturing effort. Gestamp also sees opportunities to reduce flange widths and component weight through the use of its advanced joining technologies.
The development complements the company's existing work on hot stamping and integrated steel structures, where material selection, forming and joining processes are increasingly considered together during component development.
Gigastamping offers an alternative to aluminium casting
Gestamp brings these developments together under its gigastamping concept, an approach intended to consolidate multiple steel components into larger, highly integrated structures.
Like gigacasting, the objective is to reduce part count and simplify downstream body assembly. However, the manufacturing processes and investment requirements differ considerably.
Where gigacasting relies on large die-casting machines and molten aluminium, gigastamping combines steel blanks, hot forming and local reinforcements. An important advantage for established vehicle manufacturers is the possibility of using existing press shop infrastructure with comparatively limited modifications.
“The integration of many components into a single component also works with steel. That is, in a sense, our answer to gigacasting,” Linn explains.
For cost-sensitive electric vehicle programmes such as the Skoda Epiq, the choice between casting and stamping is therefore not simply a question of material weight. Tooling investment, cycle times, joining operations and the ability to integrate new components into existing manufacturing systems are equally important.
Gestamp's latest developments illustrate how far the company is pushing steel forming and joining technologies to reduce these costs. While G-Weld still needs to demonstrate its advantages in series production, the Epiq already provides an example of how integrated steel components can help simplify manufacturing without requiring an entirely new production approach.
