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Gigacasting in focus – does it really come down to size?

GTK 2025 in Kassel with 400 participants from 25 countries

Reading time: min | Bildquelle: Thomas Fritsch
Thomas Fritsch, Chief Editor

With a warm welcome by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Fehlbier, the GTK conference at the University of Kassel kicked off a high-caliber event that resonated strongly with industry experts. Well-organized with simultaneous translations in German, English, Chinese, and Japanese, the conference focused entirely on the latest developments in Giga-Casting. Particularly compelling were the diverse approaches and practical insights from Europe, China, and the USA, each offering a unique perspective on the subject.

The speakers emphasized the increasing integration of cast components as replacements for numerous individual parts. The key topics included the future of the industry, die-casting machine clamping forces of up to 20,000 tons, as well as the strategies of OEMs and suppliers. Additional focal points included tooling and simulation concepts, alloy materials, component processing, sustainability, energy efficiency, recycling, and costs.

Gala evening at Brüderkirche in Kassel

Thanks to the support of numerous co-organizers and partners, including the EUROGUSS trade fair, Max Schumacher (BDGuss), and Foundry-Planet, the event was a great success, setting a new attendance record with over 400 participants from 25 nations. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Fehlbier highlighted the crucial role of sponsors—including FILL, Stotek, Bühler, Comptech, and others—as well as the presence of 25 exhibitors from various fields of foundry technology.

"This was two intense days dedicated to Giga-Casting, the likes of which we have never seen before in Central Europe," noted participants during the gala evening at Brüderkirche in Kassel, enjoying excellent catering and stimulating conversations.

Different Mindsets and Strategies in Asia, the USA, and Europe

The well-curated presentations provided a comprehensive overview of automotive manufacturers' strategies in Europe, North America, and China regarding Giga-Casting. The differences between these regions and their impact on suppliers and market trends became particularly evident.

It was clear that production capacities are developed and implemented very differently across industrial cultures.
Three categories were defined:

  1. Large Casting (3,000–6,000 tons clamping force) for structurally relevant components.
  2. Giga-/Mega-Casting (over 6,000 tons) for complete body structures.
  3. Battery components, such as trays, frames, and casings.

Looking at the markets, distinct differences in OEM strategies and supplier adoption are evident:

  • Europe: VW is leading the way in Giga-Casting, while BMW and Mercedes selectively use larger cast components with their existing die-casting machines (DCM). Volvo follows a progressive strategy, implementing Giga-Casting for rear body structures. Tesla remains the innovation leader with its Unbox Process.
  • North America: General Motors and Ford are expanding their Giga-Casting efforts, while Stellantis remains more cautious. Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota, Nissan, and Honda are also planning their entry into the field.
  • China: Giga-Casting has already become the industry standard. Companies like NIO, Xiaomi, and BYD are investing heavily, and even traditional manufacturers such as GAC, Cherry, and FAW are expanding their capacities.

China has made massive investments in Giga-Casting, with over 110 large die-casting machines in operation. In Europe, the situation is quite different—suppliers with machines exceeding 6,000 tons remain scarce, presenting a significant challenge for European OEMs. Handtmann in Biberach is currently the only Tier-1 supplier with a Mega-DCM

Giga-Casting is transforming automotive production worldwide – but is it truly disruptive?

One thing is clear: Giga-Casting is reshaping the global automotive industry. While China is already ahead, Europe and North America are catching up. OEMs, suppliers, and machine manufacturers must develop new strategies to remain competitive across the entire process chain.

However, a radical or disruptive shift, as predicted by American manufacturing expert Sandy Munro, was not definitively confirmed during the conference in Kassel. Strong arguments were made for various machine sizes, casting geometries, and part dimensions.

Key uncertainties remain, particularly regarding:

  • Repairability of large cast components
  • Logistics challenges when foundries are not located near OEM production sites
  • Actual efficiency of Giga-Casting, as scrap rates and machine uptime remain closely guarded industry secrets

A positive takeaway is that lightweight casting continues to be a key industry focus. Aluminum usage is on the rise, and due to favorable pricing, magnesium is making a comeback in new vehicle designs.

The Giga-Casting discussion remains exciting, and Foundry-Planet will keep you updated on key developments and selected presentations from GTK in Kassel.

Overview of the presentations:

Market Overview GIGA-Casting
Sebastian Lüttig, Schlegel und Partner GmbH (DE)

LK GIGA-Casting 2.0
Gao Zhan, L.K. Technology (CN), Christian Platzer, TPI Technology GmbH (AT)
HONGTU Strategy for GIGA-Casting Gary Yao, Guangdong HONGTU Technology (CN

GF Strategy for GIGA-Casting
Frank Gensty, GF Casting Solutions AG (CH)

Honda's MEGA-Casting and aluminum alloy recycling initiatives
Kenichi Kawasaki, Kosuke Dateki, HONDA R&D Co., Ltd., (JP)

Addressing Large Structural Casting Challenges at Ford
Alan Gonzalez, FORD Motor Company (US)

Technology trends and potentials for GIGA-Casting
Martin Hartlieb, VIAMI International Inc. (CA)

Mg-Thixomolding for Automotive & Ultra-Large Structural Applications
Stefan Fritsche, YIZUMI Die Casting and Metal Forming (CN)

GIGA-Casting - One Stop Solution mould development
Tina Zhou, Ningbo SCIVEDA Technology Co., Ltd. (CN)

Large castings in the global purchasing environment: opportunities and risks
Frank Wimmer, BMW AG (DE)

Large Sized Parts - Right Sized Machines - The Volkswagen Approach
Benjamin Marks, Volkswagen AG (DE)

Think Big! Growing potential for large parts in HPDC
Stefan Kneer, Albert Handtmann Holding GmbH & Co. KG (DE)

Low carbon Aluminum HPDC Alloys for large Structural Components
Dr. Stuart Wiesner, Aluminium Rheinfelden Alloys GmbH (DE)

How to convince existing car makers using Big Structural Parts up to MEGA-Casting
Cornel Mendler, Michael Cinelli, Bühler AG (CH)

Optimizing Gigacastings with Total Cost of Ownership in Mind
Philipp Hettich, Laubinger + Rickmann GmbH & Co. KG (DE)

Latest developments and solutions at MEGA/GIGA-HPDC moulds
Siegfried Heinrich, Schaufler Tooling GmbH & Co. KG (DE)

Variothermal process control for future thermal management in permanent mold casting
Alexander Haban, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Fehlbier, Universität Kassel, GTK (DE)

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