Alloy wheels: Different Types And Manufacturing Process

by Herts Wheels Specialists in Alloy Wheel Refurbishment

There are two types of alloys are used to make car wheels. They are magnesium alloy and aluminium alloy. These wheels are made of different processes.

Alloys are widely used to make car wheels. Car alloy wheels are extremely durable and scratch resistant as compared to cast iron steel. Nowadays, most of the automobile manufacturing industries produce alloy wheels. Apart from that, the alloy wheel repair and refurbishment process are also cost-effective. Alloy wheels are classified into two types. They are magnesium alloy wheels and aluminium alloy wheels. Here we will deeply discuss these types and how to manufacture it.

Magnesium alloy wheels:

The oldest alloy wheels are generally made of Magnesium alloys. They are extremely light-weight. These alloy wheels are first manufactured in the year of 1960. On that time, these wheels captured customer’s attention. Over time Magnesium alloy wheels have lost their popularity because of their major drawbacks. If high strength is suddenly applied on these wheels then they occur major damages. Nowadays, these alloy wheels are remanufactured and refurbished with some advanced improvements.

Aluminium Alloy Wheels:

Recent days, most of the car wheels are manufactured from aluminium alloys. They are very popular because of their countless advantages. Firstly, these alloy wheels are lightweight as compared to magnesium alloy wheels. Alumninum car wheels are durable. Alumninum alloy wheel manufacturing process has started in 1970.

The Manufacturing Process of Alloy Wheels

The manufacturing process of these wheels is classified into four different methods. They are forging, High pressure dies casting (HPDC), Low pressure die casting (LPDC) and gravity casting.

Forging:

Forging is the most common type of alloy wheel manufacturing process. There are two types of forged wheels: one piece and modular. It is quite a complicated method and it involves many processes such as heating, applying pressure, rolling, hammering, etc. Forged alloy car wheels are ductile.

High pressure dies casting

High pressure dies casting or HPDC is another common method of manufacturing the alloy wheels. A special type of die is used for manufacturing these wheels. In this method, the magnesium (molten) is generally poured into the shot sleeve. This sleeve is also known as the filler tube. In the die, a piston is used to push the molten metal with very high pressure and speed. When the molten magnesium solidified, the wheel is ready to be released from the die. HPDC wheels are highly corrosion resistant. However, they have low ductility.

Low pressure die casting

Steel die is generally used in low pressure die casting or LPDC process. In this process, a crucible is used to fill the molten magnesium. The die and crucible are properly sealed before pouring the molten metal. LPDC wheels are very ductile as compared to HPDC alloy wheels.

Both alloys are widely used to make car wheels. They are durable, long-lasting and highly recommended by wheel experts. Apart from that, these wheels can be repaired easily.