Much more important than it sounds: Large-frame aluminum casting will transform manufacturing
by Inside China Business [3-4-2026].
Large frames, such as those used to build passenger cars, trucks, and buses, are typically made up of several pieces, which are welded or riveted together.
The result is a frame that is costly and time-consuming to manufacture, with weak points at the seams and joints.
A Chinese company, Hantek, has pioneered a technique that allows molten aluminum to fill large molds, even across different thicknesses. Their single frame is stronger, costs less, weighs less, and is safer during crashes.
BYD is perhaps the most vertically integrated company in the world, yet they are using Hantek frames for their new lineup of SUV's.
Closing scene, Wenchuan New City, Sichuan
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The BYD Yangwang U8L is the first model to feature Hantek’s revolutionary single-piece aluminium frame, produced using advanced low-pressure casting.
Hantek, a Chinese manufacturer specializing in lightweight aluminum chassis systems, has developed a new frame that expands what can be achieved in large aluminum casting. The company focuses on producing large structural components for automakers, and this latest design addresses long-standing challenges in creating ultra-large, thin-walled parts.
The frame covers a projected area of about 45 square feet, with wall thickness ranging from 0.16 inches to 1.97 inches, resulting in a thickness ratio of more than 12:1 – a level of variation that is typically difficult to manage in a single casting process.
According to Hantek, it is not aware of any previous project worldwide that has successfully cast a frame with such a wide and precisely controlled thickness range.
Instead of relying on a single integrated structure, most all-aluminum vehicle frames are built from dozens of smaller parts that must be welded, riveted, or mechanically joined. Each of these steps adds complexity, cost, and production time. More importantly, the joints created during assembly often become structural weak points, reducing overall rigidity and potentially impacting long-term durability and safety.
Following extensive development work, Hantek succeeded in addressing several technical obstacles associated with low-pressure casting of ultra-large, thin-walled components. Key challenges included managing the flow of molten aluminum during filling and ensuring proper solidification across sections with significantly different thicknesses. These advances enabled the company to produce a single, integrated aluminum frame that replaces the traditional approach of assembling many separate parts.
By combining multiple components into a single structure, the integrated frame design significantly boosts overall body rigidity and torsional stiffness. The optimized distribution of forces throughout the frame also enhances crash performance. Hantek notes that the use of its specially formulated aluminum alloy, combined with precise heat treatment, delivers a balanced mix of high strength, toughness, and long-term fatigue resistance.
Hantek’s low-pressure casting process marks an important step in the production of large, complex aluminum structural components in China. The company notes that this approach could influence the design and manufacturing of large-vehicle frames in the future, offering a more integrated and efficient alternative to traditional multi-part assemblies.