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THE SUPERIORITY OF ALCOA FORGED WHEELS
Learn more about the Forging process and the Casting Process
Forged wheel and cast wheel - are they really completely alike?
Become more familiar with the two processes in this bulletin.
For further clarification contact Alcoa Rodas de Alumínio Ltda.- After-Sales Department - Phone 011 3611 3086.
Wheels - Forging Process
Forging is an age-old process that has always been associated with increasing the strength of a product.
In wheel production, a block of aluminum in an extremely strong alloy is heated and subjected to 8000 tons of pressure.
As a result, the internal structure of the metal is completely compacted and there is no internal porosity. Forging aligns the grain structure of the aluminum* into the shape of the wheel.
Advantages of this process:
1) The lack of any internal porosity allows for the surface to be uniform, assuring any type of finish, without any need for a protective layer.
2) Greater SAFETY.
The JWLT simulates the impact on a curb at a speed of 50 km/h. In this test the Alcoa forged wheel is undamaged and the tire is still fully inflated.
That means safer traveling for the driver and passengers.
Alcoa QUALITY - Those who know prefer Alcoa forging.
The same wheel that you use in Brazil may be found anywhere else in the world. Strict project testing (TÜV, LBF, and JWTL) and Quality Certificates (ISO-9000; QS-9000; VDA 6.1) guarantee approval of the product at all vehicle assemblers and suppliers.
Alcoa has been recognized worldwide for a hundred years of leadership in aluminum technology and production.
(*) tests performed in internationally accredited laboratories.
Wheels - Casting Process
The metal is made molten and poured out under pressure into a mold.
It then goes to the machining and painting line (it must be coated in order to protect the surface).
The structure needs to be reinforced and is unlikely to meet the JWLT test.
That is because the internal wheel structure is not fully compacted (porosity) and consequently less resistant to impact.
Wheels - Casting Process
Small scratches, and even time itself, are enough to remove the surface coating, which is directly attacked by corrosion and it loses its aesthetic value.
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