Automotive supplier Handtmann has announced the production of further components for vehicle manufacturing using the aluminum die casting process. Following its successful launch in fall 2024, the so-called megacasting will be expanded at the Biberach site in Baden-Württemberg. As Dirk Seckler, Managing Director of the responsible Albert Handtmann Metallgusswerk GmbH & Co. KG, confirmed at the Global Giga Casting Congress in Kassel, the first components for the battery area will now be followed by tailgates and the front and rear ends.
“We expect major changes in the supplier market as a result of the transformation in the automotive industry,” said Dirk Seckler. “Handtmann has decided to take on the role of innovation leader, which we will now expand.”
Megacasting is a production process that enables the manufacturing of large and complex structural components in a single cast. The main advantages of large cast components for customers include a high level of functional integration, reduced manufacturing complexity and lower procurement and logistics costs. Numerous process steps in production are saved and labor-intensive joining and post-processing steps such as welding and adhesion are avoided. In addition, the weight of the car body is significantly reduced, which is particularly relevant for electric vehicles. With megacasting, Handtmann significantly reduces production time in automotive production, improves material efficiency and also increases the structural integrity of vehicles.
Handtmann provided information on Thursday in Kassel about its expectations for market development. According to the company's calculations, the proportion of cast aluminum in vehicles will increase from the current 130.3 kg to 142.5 kg in 2030. The products will also change.
Handtmann anticipates that combustion engine and transmission component housings will be less relevant in competition in the future. High competitive pressure is expected particularly for standard components such as electric motor housings, crossmembers and shock towers, as there is already sufficient capacity for these components in the supplier market. According to the forecasts, the winners of the transformation include EV components, structural and chassis components. Development expertise and new technologies such as megacasting can provide an advantage for these components. The Biberach-based company is taking the opportunity to focus on large and complex new products in particular, thereby setting itself apart from the competition.
The Handtmann Group of Companies decided to invest in the first megacasting die casting machine during the Corona period and invested a double-digit million euro amount. The process, which is in high demand in the USA and Asia, is still new in Europe. Handtmann is the first European supplier to use megacasting in series production. The Group is aiming to strengthen its German production facilities and its European customers and business partners with this investment.
Megacasting - The new process and its use at Handtmann
The Handtmann Group
The Handtmann Group is a globally operating technology company in the processing industry with approximately 4,700 employees, 3,300 of whom work at the company’s headquarters in Biberach an der Riß, Germany. Cutting-edge technology, innovation, and a people-centered approach are at the heart of this family-owned enterprise. The group is divided into six business units with autonomous management structures: Lightweight Metal Casting, System Technology, Filling and Portioning Systems, Plant Engineering, Plastics Technology, and e-Solutions. A holding company serves as the leadership, financing, and investment entity for the group.
In 2023, Handtmann generated a revenue of 1.3 billion euros. Through a consistent reinvestment policy, the company’s owners enable substantial investments in research and development as well as production facilities. This approach supports sustainable and qualitative growth.
The Handtmann Group currently operates in over 100 countries with its own production facilities, subsidiaries, and sales representatives. Founded in 1873 as a brass foundry, the company celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2023.
Lightweight Metal Casting Division
As part of the Handtmann Group, the Lightweight Metal Casting division is a strategic partner in the development and production of aluminum die-cast components for the automotive industry. As the first European Tier-1 supplier, Handtmann manufactures structural components using the emerging megacasting technology.
The subsidiary is the largest family-owned lightweight metal foundry in Europe, with locations in Germany, Slovakia, and China.
