Linamar has announced the company is opening a giga casting plant in Welland, Ontario. According to the company the facility should come online in February 2025, with site prep already underway.
The investment will make Linamar the first company to be a Tier 1 supplier outside of Asia to invest in high-pressure die-cast giga press machines. Once up and running the facility will be producing “very large structural parts for electric vehicles,” the company explained. Linamar did not disclose who their customers will be or if they have already signed any supply deals with auto manufacturers.
Tesla of course made giga casting popular with their IDRA Giga Press machines that produce single piece front and rear castings for the Model Y, and soon the body of the Cybertruck. We have reached out to Linamar for clarification but have not received a response by the time of publication.
Linamar President and COO Jim Jarrell said this:
The Welland giga casting facility will have capabilities few companies in the world possess. There is an increasing trend of cast aluminium used in vehicle architectures, particularly BEVs. Structural aluminium castings offer an alternative to traditional steel stamping and weldments, creating a less complex and more lightweight solution for OEMs.
According to a report from the Welland Tribune, the plant will likely be located at the former Energex site in the city’s south end. However, Linamar did not confirm these rumours. With its strategic location near Canadian and US manufacturing bases in Ontario and Michigan, the potential clients are numerous.
