Alloy Wheels:
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| Range of different types of alloy wheels |
Alloy wheels are automobile (car, motorcycle and truck) wheels which are made
from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium.
They are typically lighter for the same strength and provide better heat
conduction and improved cosmetic appearance than
"normal" wheels. The earliest light alloy wheels made were made of
magnesium alloys.Although the cost of making an alloy wheel is higher than the
cost involved in steel wheel manufacturing but the benefits mentioned below
creates demand in the market.
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| An Alloy Wheel in a Truck |
Benefits
of alloy wheels:
- They are lighter so they decrease the overall
weight of the vehicle and thus improve efficiency and
acceleration of the car .
- In addition to lighter weight, the alloys wheels have
more strength as compared to their steel counterparts. This means that the
chances of any deformation in the wheel structure is less in case of harsh
roads.
- The most appealing feature of using alloy wheel is the
style factor that it adds on to the car. Most of the people switch to
alloy wheels just because to improve the cosmetic appearance of
their vehicle.
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| Custom Alloy Wheels in Maruti Suzuki Swift |
How they are made:
- Forging
Forging can be done by a one or multi-step process forging from various magnesium alloys, most commonly AZ80, ZK60 (MA14 in Russia). Wheels produced by this method are usually of higher toughness and ductility than aluminum wheels, although the costs are much higher.
This process uses a die arranged in a large machine that has high closing force to clamp the die closed. The molten magnesium is poured into a filler tube called a shot sleeve. A piston pushes the metal into the die with high speed and pressure, the magnesium solidifies and the die is opened and the wheel is released. Wheels produced by this method can offer reductions in price and improvements in corrosion resistance but they are less ductile and of lower strength due to the nature of HPDC.
This process usually employs a steel die, it is arranged above the crucible filled with molten magnesium. Most commonly the crucible is sealed against the die and pressurized air/cover gas mix is used to force the molten metal up a straw like filler tube into the die. When processed using best practice methods LPDC wheels can offer improvements in ductility over HPDC magnesium wheels and any cast aluminum wheels, they remain less ductile than forged magnesium.
Gravity cast magnesium wheels have been in production since the early 1920s. This method offers wheels with good ductility, and relative properties above what can be made with aluminum casting. Tooling costs for gravity cast wheels are among the cheapest of any process. This has allowed small batch production, flexibility in design and short development time.
- High pressure die casting (HPDC)
This process uses a die arranged in a large machine that has high closing force to clamp the die closed. The molten magnesium is poured into a filler tube called a shot sleeve. A piston pushes the metal into the die with high speed and pressure, the magnesium solidifies and the die is opened and the wheel is released. Wheels produced by this method can offer reductions in price and improvements in corrosion resistance but they are less ductile and of lower strength due to the nature of HPDC.
- Low pressure casting (LPDC)
This process usually employs a steel die, it is arranged above the crucible filled with molten magnesium. Most commonly the crucible is sealed against the die and pressurized air/cover gas mix is used to force the molten metal up a straw like filler tube into the die. When processed using best practice methods LPDC wheels can offer improvements in ductility over HPDC magnesium wheels and any cast aluminum wheels, they remain less ductile than forged magnesium.
- Gravity casting (permanent mold and sand casting)
Gravity cast magnesium wheels have been in production since the early 1920s. This method offers wheels with good ductility, and relative properties above what can be made with aluminum casting. Tooling costs for gravity cast wheels are among the cheapest of any process. This has allowed small batch production, flexibility in design and short development time.
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