Today, it is hard to find any automotive manufacturer that doesn’t utilize all the benefits of alloy wheels, as well as imagine any high-performance car or truck without them. Alloy wheels combine an elegant design with light weight and ultimate strength, giving a vehicle a touch of style, while improving its handling and performance. Thanks to their lightweight construction and unmatched durability, alloy wheels surpass their steel counterparts in every way, allowing your vehicle to accelerate easier and brake faster without sacrificing your comfort and safety.
What is actually an alloy wheel? In a few words, it is a mix of metals such as aluminum, magnesium, nickel or some other ones. Alloys are much stronger yet much lighter and far less prone to corrosion than any pure ferrous materials. In addition, the majority of alloys provide enhanced heat conduction, which together with their significant weight reduction and high strength, makes them ideal for manufacturing high-performance wheels that are typically subject to a lot of stress and overheating caused by quick acceleration and extreme braking.
There are a number of ways to turn alloys into a wheel. The simplest and most cost-effective one is gravity casting. This is a process of filling the form with an aluminum alloy by means of the Earth’s gravity. The gravity method offers a budget-friendly production cost and allows for producing wheels that are usually stronger and lighter than steel wheels, yet heavier than other types of alloy rims. Factory alloy wheels that are made using gravity casting are some of the most budget-friendly rims available on the market and are an affordable alternative to steel rims for lower-priced vehicles. Gravity casting does not provide significant weight savings, although it allows for creating a broad variety of wheel designs.
The most popular type of alloy wheels available on the market is low pressure cast wheels. They are made similar to gravity cast wheels, however, the alloy is forced into the form under some pressure, which makes it possible to receive a wheel with increased density and reduced weight. Low pressure casting is the preferred method of manufacturing factory wheels since it allows for producing lightweight and durable wheels, while maintaining a relatively low production cost. When it comes to flow-forming technology, it begins with low pressure casting and then uses special rollers pressed towards the rim area to create the final shape of the wheel. The result is a strong wheel similar to a forged one, but without the high cost of the forging process.
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