DESIGN CENTERS: EV, HYBRIDS & CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
UK Consortium Reveals Cast Aluminium Subframes up to 35% Lighter
07/17/2026
UK Consortium Reveals Cast Aluminium Subframes up to 35% Lighter
A landmark moment for lightweight automotive manufacturing has been unveiled by the PIVOT consortium, showcasing the transformative potential of advanced casting technologies for the next generation of vehicles.
Designed for a demonstrator vehicle for a major British OEM and revealed at ‘Casting the Future of Aluminium’, hosted at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), the cast aluminium subframes are currently 17% lighter at the front and 35% lighter at the rear than the components they would replace.
The subframes were designed using a combination of casting design techniques developed by PIVOT’s lead partner, Coventry-based foundry Sarginsons Industries and topology optimisation technology from Siemens, including Simcenter™ Optistruct® software and Simcenter™ Inspire™ software.
Drawing on a proprietary database of mechanical property data built from more than 20 years of physical testing and microstructural analysis, the technology enables Sarginsons to accurately predict how aluminium will behave throughout a casting. This world-first capability allows structural components to be validated in virtual crash simulation environments before any metal is poured.
By replacing conservative assumptions with material-specific performance data, the process significantly reduces the need for over-engineering, unlocking lighter, more cost-effective and higher-performing structural castings.
The reveal was made during PIVOT’s presentation at “Casting the Future of Aluminium”, a closed cross-sector event convening senior figures from the automotive, aerospace and defence industries, funding bodies and the metals sector to explore collaborative opportunities in advanced aluminium manufacturing.
Sarginsons’ Technical Director, Gavin Shipley, made the keynote presentation unveiling the findings.
He said: “A physical crash test can cost up to £1 million every time you run one. For decades, the only way to be safe was to over-engineer, adding mass and material to compensate for uncertainty.
“What we've demonstrated today is an alternative. By combining virtual engineering, AI and advanced casting expertise, we're able to understand precisely how a component will behave before any metal is poured, giving manufacturers the confidence to design for real performance rather than worst-case assumptions.
“For decades, engineers have been forced to design around the limitations of casting. We're now turning that thinking on its head, unlocking entirely new possibilities for lighter, stronger and more efficient vehicle structures.”
Following the successful completion of the virtual development programme, the front subframe will now move into the next phase of development, with tooling scheduled to begin soon. The components will also undergo physical durability testing and be fitted to demonstrator vehicles for track evaluation, providing real-world validation of the virtual engineering approach used throughout the programme.
PIVOT (Performance Integrated Vehicle Optimisation Technology) is a £5.8 million project backed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre, bringing together Sarginsons Industries, Aston Martin, Siemens, Brunel University and GESCRAP.
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