FABCAST and INEGI develop aluminium cast E-bike frames

FABCAST produces technically demanding components using no-bake sand casting and gravity die casting processes. The company was founded in 2017 but builds on almost 100 years of experience in gravity casting. Its production facility covers 7,000 square metres on a total site of 26,000 square metres, providing additional space for future expansion.

Between 2017 and 2019, FABCAST invested almost 5 million euros in transforming the facility into a modern foundry. The investments covered areas including design, quality assurance, production and an integrated management system.

Production is vertically integrated. It covers the process from project development, mould making, casting and finishing through to heat treatment and machining. The core shop is designed for the requirements of no-bake sand casting and gravity die casting. This enables FABCAST to produce cores of different sizes and levels of complexity using hot-box and cold-box technologies.

Technology partnership with INEGI

FABCAST is working with INEGI to develop new E-bike frames. The cooperation is taking place as part of the “Agenda Mobilizadora para a Inovação Empresarial do Setor das Duas Rodas” (AM2R).

INEGI is a research and technology organisation based in Portugal. Founded in 1986, the organisation works in research, technology-driven innovation, consulting and technological services. More than 350 employees, 120 researchers and over 160 successful industrial projects are cited as its experience base.

The development approach matches INEGI’s competence profile because design and manufacturing are considered together. The focus is on how several components of an E-bike frame can be combined in a single casting. This is intended to reduce manufacturing steps such as extrusion, forging and welding.

Filipe Monteiro, project manager at INEGI, points to a central challenge in E-bike manufacturing: rising demand is driving technological innovation, while larger motors and batteries are making frame design and production more demanding.

Why E-bike frames place specific demands on design

E-bikes are becoming increasingly important in urban mobility. Advances in electric motors, battery technology, product design and cycling infrastructure have helped make E-bikes more accessible and suitable for everyday use.

At the same time, technical challenges remain. E-bikes are heavier and larger than conventional bicycles. Another factor is their limited range, which is closely linked to battery capacity, overall weight and frame design. Because the battery increases the mass of the bicycle, the frame must provide sufficient stiffness.

Design, manufacturing process and material selection are therefore decisive for developing a suitable frame. FABCAST and INEGI are working at this interface and are examining how aluminium casting can be used for a new generation of frames.

From concept to cast frame component

Before production began, the development team carried out a benchmark analysis of existing solutions. Based on this, the requirements for the final product were defined. These included a step-through frame, a mid-mounted motor, front suspension, a battery integrated into the frame and removable from it, and a design suitable for the casting process.

Several design concepts were developed on the basis of these requirements. The selected concept integrates the head tube, seat tube, motor mount and down tube directly into a single casting. This can significantly reduce the need for subsequent welding and forming operations.

The feasibility of the component and the gating system was checked using ProCAST® simulation software. FABCAST and INEGI then produced the first prototype castings from an aluminium alloy using gravity casting. 3D-printed sand moulds were used for this purpose.

One of these prototypes was presented at CastForge 2026 in Stuttgart. The prototypes were used to validate the geometry and formed the basis for developing an LPDC mould. LPDC stands for Low Pressure Die Casting. The mould is ready for use and marks the next step towards series production.

Aluminium casting as a design approach

The project shows how aluminium casting can be used for functional integration in bicycle frames. Instead of producing several components through different manufacturing steps and then joining them, the concept combines key frame areas in one cast component.

For production, this approach can be relevant when component complexity, the degree of integration and process simplification are considered together. The combination of design, simulation, prototyping and casting implementation creates the basis for developing the frame not only as an individual component, but as a production-oriented overall concept.