Gestamp is a global leader in designing and manufacturing metal automotive components, with multiple production sites in the UK supplying premium car makers like Jaguar, Volkswagen and Volvo. Gestamp Tallent’s Newton Aycliffe plant in North East England is renowned for its expertise in welded assemblies for suspension and body-in-white components, and for solving tough manufacturing challenges.
“Gestamp is a perfect example of how manufacturers can optimise their production processes, reduce cycle times and increase cost-efficiency with Flowdrill’s friction drilling technology. The long-standing collaboration shows what’s possible when our teams work closely together.”
~ Mitch Ray, Technical Sales Engineer at Flowdrill USA
In the highly competitive automotive sector, suppliers must deliver flawless quality at the lowest possible cost, just-in-time, every time. Over a decade ago, the Newton Aycliffe team faced a serious obstacle: installing cable fixtures on a Volkswagen subframe. Tight spaces and awkward angles made traditional welding impossible. Without an alternative fastening method, the project risked production delays, increased cycle times and extra material costs, all unacceptable for a high-volume, cost-sensitive automotive line.
Determined to avoid bottlenecks and excess cost, Gestamp Tallent began exploring alternative solutions. Early discussions with Flowdrill introduced the team to the idea of friction drilling combined with tapping: a chipless, one-step process to create strong, clean threaded holes without weld nuts or backing plates. Over a rigorous 12-month testing phase, the process was validated to meet Volkswagen’s stringent performance requirements. The results spoke for themselves: robust, repeatable connections and clear cycle time savings.
Following successful trials, Gestamp invested in an automated robotic line dedicated to the Flowdrill process. This not only improved process consistency but also freed up manual operators for other critical tasks on the assembly line. Production of the Volkswagen subframe began in 2006, using a mix of M6 and M8 Flowdrill applications, and the process has proven so reliable that the plant still uses it today, producing more than 400,000 subframes annually.
By switching to Flowdrill friction drilling, Gestamp Tallent has achieved impressive, long-term results:
“From the very beginning of our collaboration, the experts at Flowdrill immersed themselves in our problem and how it could be solved using the unique Flowdrill technology. It wasn’t without its challenges, the automotive industry is highly demanding, but together, we showed Volkswagen that it works and leads to significant cost savings per part.”
~Paul Goacher, Programme Manager bij Gestamp Tallent
Switching to Flowdrill didn’t just solve one problem, it brought wider production benefits:
Gestamp’s experience shows how friction drilling can help automotive suppliers tackle space constraints, eliminate weld nuts and lower production costs, all without compromising quality.
Curious how your production line can benefit from Flowdrill? Request a consultation with our engineers and discover a faster, stronger and more cost-effective alternative to traditional fastening.
