What metal are forged wheels made of? How are forged wheels made? Video of the assembly process of stamped products

The number of forged wheel manufacturers is not that large. Literally all forged wheels are quite expensive. And the cost of some exclusive discs differs tenfold from the cost of discs for ordinary consumption. All this is due to the expensive technology used to produce forged wheels. And not all companies consider it economically feasible to produce forged wheels.

There are several well-known companies, both domestic and foreign, that produce forged wheels. Moreover, they not only produce them, but also often develop exclusive models. And such exclusive discs have their own designers. And the disks not only differ in design, but have certain specifications, which will ideally fit a particular suspension of a particular car.

Here is a list of companies that make forged wheels, both in our country and abroad:

• Slik;
• VSMPO;
• SMK (Aviation Technologies);
• KraMZ;
• BKMPO;
• Beneventi;
• Rocksroad;
• Solomon Alsberg;
• AGForged.

Moreover, what is interesting is that all foreign manufacturers of forged wheels developed as manufacturers of various components for cars. Those. this process was completely natural. But domestic manufacturers used technologies that were characteristic of the military-industrial complex (military-industrial complex). Namely, it was in these industries that all advanced technologies were most developed. And then these technologies, where possible, flowed into ordinary peaceful industry.

Forged rim wheels

There is a special category of disks that, with a very big stretch, can be considered forged. Such discs are produced only abroad and domestic manufacturers do not produce just such discs. The essence of such discs is that they only have a reinforced rim. The disc is produced using conventional casting technology, and then it is sent to a line where the surface of the rim is hardened by pressure. Hardening occurs due to compression of metal grains.

Formally, it turns out that the forging procedure seems to exist. But only one part of the disk is forged, and the rest, relatively speaking, remains raw. Therefore, such wheels cannot be considered forged. Although some unscrupulous sellers try to present them as such.

Domestic manufacturers of forged wheels do not use this technology and produce only forged wheels, in classical understanding this term.

How are forged wheels made?

Forged wheels are wheels that are hot stamped. The materials used for forged wheels are exactly the same as for cast wheels. And the initial operation of making a blank is very similar to the casting operation. And then the differences begin.

The workpiece is supplied to an automatic line, where it is hot stamped using presses. Moreover, pressing up to the desired state does not happen in one operation. At the first stage, the lowest-power press is used. The next stage is when the workpiece falls under a press, which creates greater force. Next, another press with even greater effort. And so on.

Typically, the press cycle ends at the third press. But in some cases, both the fourth and fifth press can be used. It is typical for domestic manufacturers to use three presses with different power and pressure in one line.

After this, the forged workpiece is subjected to two types of heat treatment: hardening and tempering or metal aging. Tempering is needed in order to relieve internal stresses inside the metal that appear as a result of pressure treatment and as a result of heat treatment (hardening).

Next, the workpiece is processed on a milling machine. During this processing, the disc acquires its final appearance and shape. Next, the disc can be subjected to galvanic operations, for example, chrome plating or bluing.

We invite the reader to take a break from reading and watch a video about the production of forged wheels:

What is the difference between domestic forged wheels and imported analogues?

First of all, there is a difference in price. Domestic wheels are significantly cheaper than foreign-made forged wheels. But at the same time, they are in no way inferior to them in mechanical qualities. But we must admit that the range of domestic disks is still limited. Imported forged wheels have a lot of design solutions that make the wheels completely unique. This trend is not observed in the domestic disc industry.

The problem of choosing between steel and alloy wheels continues to cause a lot of controversy among car enthusiasts. Manufacturers add fuel to the fire by advertising their own products in every possible way for the purpose of sale. Therefore, about the characteristics of products made from different metals, stereotypes have formed that do not correspond to reality. Hence the purpose of this material - to tell how stamped, forged and cast wheels differ, how to distinguish them from each other and which ones are better suited under different operating conditions of the car.

Light alloy wheels

The name “light alloy” is given to these products due to the properties of the materials from which they are made. This is an alloy of light metals - aluminum and magnesium; titanium and copper are added to it in small quantities for strength and ductility. Hence the second name for such discs - titanium. There are 2 types of alloy rims:

• cast;
• forged (pressed).

These 2 groups of products differ from each other in manufacturing technology, performance properties and cost. To understand which ones are better, you need to look at disk production in more detail.

Note. Sales representatives Motorists are often forced to believe that, unlike cast products, forged rims are made from incredibly durable and expensive metals, almost platinum. In fact, this is a myth; the composition of the alloy for the manufacture of both groups of products is absolutely the same. Manufacturers can slightly change the ratio of base and additional metals in the melt at their discretion.

About production technology

As the name suggests, cast products are made by pouring molten metal into special molds (casting method). The sequence of technological operations looks like this:

1. Metals - ingredients are placed in an oven, melted and mixed.
2. The alloy is fed to the mold and poured into it with a special ladle.
3. After hardening, the workpiece is removed from the mold and moved for machining. In this case, the structure of the rim and spokes has already been formed, all that remains is to remove excess material around the edges and refine the holes for the bolts, as well as balance the disc.
4. The last stage is testing under certain speed and shock loads.

Reference. In factories famous brands The process is fully automatic using CNC machines, even casting is performed by a robot. Manual labor practically excluded.

The name “forged” does not accurately reflect the production method of these discs, since they are not forged, but extruded from a heated alloy using high-power hydraulic presses. The manufacturing algorithm is as follows:

1. As in the previous case, an alloy is prepared in the furnace, from which cylindrical blanks are cast.
2. Each blank undergoes several pressing operations, where it is formed into a solid wheel rim without spokes or holes.
3. Products undergo 2 heat treatment operations - hardening (strengthens the alloy) and tempering to relieve internal stresses in the metal.
4. Using mechanical processing on a variety of machines, holes are made in the disks, the pattern of the spokes is cut out, excess material is removed from the edges and balancing is carried out.
5. Testing at critical loads is performed on special equipment.

Note. So the second myth is dispelled - that due to the manufacturing technology, forged wheels cannot boast of a varied design. On CNC milling machines, you can cut any, even the most complex, pattern into the body of the workpiece.

Pros and cons of cast products

The main advantage of wheels made from light alloy casting is their attractive appearance, making a car of any age and brand look much prettier. And the choice of products in terms of configuration and number of knitting needles is incredibly wide. This is the main reason prompting car enthusiasts to replace steel wheel rims with light alloy ones.

Other advantages are also important, but they are of a technical nature:

• the reduced weight of the products results in lower fuel consumption and improves vehicle handling;
• for the same reason, the acceleration dynamics of the car improves, and the braking distance is reduced;
• products are initially balanced due to production technology;
• long service life.

Of the listed positive aspects, only the durability and balance of alloy wheels is really noticeable when the car owner changes tires in a tire shop. The improvement in handling and acceleration dynamics can only be felt by an experienced driver, and the change in fuel consumption is so insignificant that it is completely unnoticeable (0.1-0.2 liters per 100 km). Therefore, the beauty of alloy wheels remains a priority, and only then their technical parameters are valued.

Now about the disadvantages:

1. The products are resistant to strong and sharp impacts. A crack appears in the thinnest place or where an air pocket has formed inside the metal. Manufacturers claim that casting cannot be repaired.
2. The price of the product is higher than that of stamped steel wheels. Due to price variations, the difference can range from 50 to 200%.
3. Cast rims cannot be used on minibuses and small trucks as they are not designed to withstand such loads.
4. Maintenance operations for such products at a tire shop (changing tires, balancing) are more expensive.

Reference. In the post-Soviet countries there are many workshops where specialists have become accustomed to soldering cracks in aluminum castings. But such a repair cannot be called complete, and restored discs cannot be installed on the front axle of the car.

Advantages and disadvantages of forged wheels

The significant and only drawback of forged rims is their high cost, which is 2-5 times higher than casting, depending on the manufacturer. But for this money you will get the following advantages:

• reliability and strength;
• durability, the pressed rim will last as long as the car itself;
• light weight of the product (even compared to casting), which improves the car’s behavior on the road and reduces fuel consumption.

Thanks to pressing and hardening in the manufacture of such rims, the metal does not have hidden holes and acquires increased strength, so cracks from impacts are extremely rare case. In addition, the spokes of the product can be made thinner and more openwork, giving the wheel design additional lightness and beauty. This is what you pay money for when you buy a forged wheel.

How to make cast alloy wheels - video

Stamped steel rims - the secret of popularity

More than 60% of all cars in the post-Soviet countries are equipped with disks made of sheet carbon steel. The vast majority of these cars are equipped with these wheels from the factory, since they are cheaper than others. Exceptions are cars in luxury configurations or luxury brands, for which the “stamping” frankly does not suit the appearance.

Despite their cheapness, iron wheels have many advantages:

• Compared to aluminum alloy, steel has ductility and elasticity, so the rim partially absorbs impacts when driving over large uneven surfaces;
• for the same reason, steel products are easy to repair - deformed areas can be straightened, and cracks can be welded;
• scope of application - transport of any purpose and carrying capacity;
• low prices for wheel maintenance;
• There are no problems with fastening the wheels, for which factory (standard) bolts are used.

The most valuable advantage when driving on our roads is the high maintainability of stamped wheels and the ability to absorb shocks. Combined with low cost, these features make traditional iron rims the most attractive in the eyes of ordinary users. To understand how their cost is formed, it would not hurt to familiarize yourself with the manufacturing technology of such products.

Production by stamping

Thick sheet steel is used to make iron rims. Two types of workpieces are cut from it - a circle and a strip, sent for further processing. The process looks like this:

1. On a hydraulic press, the core of the future disk with holes for bolts and technological openings is stamped from a steel circle.
2. The strip is sent to rollers, where it is bent into a cylinder shape. The ends of the sheet are welded together, after which the seam is cleaned.
3. A hydraulic press squeezes the finished rim out of the cylinder, then a hole for the valve is drilled in it.
4. Both elements are connected by welding, then covered with primer and painted.

In the manufacture of stamped products, expensive CNC machines and furnaces are not used, which is why energy costs are significantly lower. Hence the low price of the final product.

Video of the assembly process of stamped products

Weaknesses of steel wheels

Compared to attractive products made from light aluminum alloy, stamped iron rims are inferior in appearance, which often becomes the reason for their replacement. Plastic decorative caps, which always get lost on potholes on our roads, do not solve the problem, and the car owner has to buy new ones.

For reference. To prevent the hubcaps from flying off the wheels, many drivers fasten them to the rims with plastic electrical clamps. This helps, although it somewhat spoils the appearance of the car.

There are other negative aspects in using “stampings”:

• due to the large weight of the wheels, the car’s handling is worse and fuel consumption is higher;
• increased braking distance;
• products made of stamped iron cannot boast of good balancing;
• metal rusts and therefore requires maintenance.

Judging by the statistics, the listed shortcomings do not bother most Russian drivers too much. Again, some of the negative aspects are misinterpreted by sellers. For example, there is no basis for the statement that steel can rot in 2 years and the disk will become unsuitable for use. further use. To bring the metal to this state, it will take twice as long, and with timely care, the product will last no less than light alloy.

Note. There is a myth that the paint of stamped rims is easily scratched and quickly becomes unusable, but the light alloy surface cannot be damaged. The second part of the statement is incorrect; alloy wheels can also be scratched, but painting them is much more difficult.

It is best to select the type of wheel rims based on three criteria:

• depending on the operating conditions of the machine;
• car class and make;
• active driving in cold or warm periods of the year.

Advice. If you expect to use one set of rims all year round, then, taking into account Russian road conditions, it is better not to risk money and install steel “stamping”.

The ideal option is to have 2 sets of discs, using them in the warm and cold seasons. For summer driving on asphalt surfaces, light alloy rims are perfect, but for the winter you need to use stamped ones. The problem is ice that appears on the asphalt due to unremoved snow, causing a smooth road to be covered with continuous potholes. The same ice along the edges of the roadway will easily scratch your beautiful titanium wheels when pulling onto the side of the road or approaching close to the curb.

When choosing a set of new disks, it doesn’t hurt to take into account other recommendations:

1. You shouldn’t shell out money and buy light alloy products if you drive an SUV across the fields. Conversely, luxury cars driven on smooth roads should not be stamped; it looks reprehensible.
2. Forged wheels are suitable for any passenger car and various conditions driving, except for outright off-roading.
3. Do not try to install alloy rims on a minibus that is used for commercial transport, you risk quickly making them unusable.

When choosing forged products, a natural question arises - how to distinguish them from casting when they are externally similar. After all, an unscrupulous seller may sell you a cheaper product at the price of forged wheels. There are a number of tips on this matter:

1. Forging is easier than casting. For example, a forged rim measuring 15 inches weighs no more than 5 kg, and a cast one weighs 7-8 kg.
2. On pressed products processed milling machines, you will not find burrs or small flash around the edges, as happens with casting.
3. As a rule, inscriptions on cast wheels protrude above the surface, while on forged ones they are recessed because they are applied by extrusion.
4. If the product is branded and accompanied by documents, then in the specification of the forged rim you will find the corresponding English word- FORGED.

Advice. There are many exceptions to these rules, which appear when studying products from domestic or Chinese manufacturers. The best option- buy forged car wheels at retail outlets with an impeccable reputation or from official dealers.

Despite the numerous advantages of alloy wheels, they cannot win even half of the Russian market. A similar situation is observed in countries former USSR, where stamped products are more relevant and practical than aluminum ones. A change in trend should not be expected until there is a dramatic improvement in paved roads.

How are they made? And why are they so common in our country. I thought - “why not”, I’ll write an article, there will be a plus detailed video manufacturing process. It will be interesting, so read on...

Stamped wheels are indeed the most popular type now, because they are installed on budget trim levels of almost all cars. They also cover almost 90% of the commercial vehicle market, that is, they are installed on trucks, large or small buses, etc.

Why are they so popular?

So what explains this demand? It's simple - THIS IS THE PRICE, they are the cheapest of all types of wheels for cars, if you compare them with forged or cast ones, the price will be 2 to 5 times lower. That’s why they are so widely installed on budget car models.

They are also quite durable and elastic. If the disk is cast or forged, under heavy loads ( heavy weight in the back of a car or flew into a deep hole), they can simply break, which is very dangerous at speed. Then this disc will simply get dented and then it can be restored relatively easily, we just “roll” it in a tire shop and ride on.

Of course, they do not have beauty, I would even say on the contrary, they are not beautiful at all. But let's say on a truck or a large bus, there is no time for beauty.

What are they made from?

The main material is a special elastic but strong steel. However, no one can tell you for sure; every manufacturer keeps the grades of steel or their mixtures secret.

As I wrote above, the big advantages are that this steel is a relatively elastic material. But the disadvantages are also obvious here:

• She's rusting
• It is heavier than cast or forged alloy wheels
• Less susceptible to balancing
• Not aesthetic appearance

Actually, these are all the disadvantages, but the main ones, in my opinion, are rust and weight.

How is it made?

Now the production process is automated to the maximum, because of this the cost is not so high.

A stamped disk is made from two main blanks - a “plate” and a “rim” (some call it a “cylinder”).

The “plate” is made of a round sheet of steel; stiffening ribs and holes are pressed into it using a special press, which serve to cool the disk. Next, holes are drilled for bolts or studs, and all excess is cut off from the disc rim. It is worth noting that the plate is almost never made flat, it is always made using stiffening ribs, so the weight withstand and the margin of safety are much higher.

Rim (or cylinder) - made from a flat and long sheet of steel. It is cut to size and bent into a circle using special shafts. Then the joint is welded and the weld is cut off in such a way that there is no roughness, that is, the rim is smooth on all sides.

After this, the already welded cylinder falls under the press, where it is compressed and it practically takes the desired shape. In general, there can be up to three or four presses, each giving the necessary bends and shapes. After this, all unnecessary protruding parts are cut off and the rim is sanded.

Then the main stage is connecting the “plate” and “rim”. The plate is placed inside and the cylinder is heated with a burner from the outside, after which it “falls” into a special attachment point.

To fix it, the plate and rim are welded with a torch, then the seam is processed, thus obtaining an almost finished product.

All that remains is to drill holes for the nipple and paint the disc with special corrosion-resistant paint.

This is actually the entire manufacturing process.

Now we are watching a short video.

I’ll finish this, I think it was useful. Read our AUTOBLOG

A forged wheel for a car is like high-quality branded shoes for a person. Do you know how forged wheels are made? This is a rather energy-intensive process that requires a lot of money, but it’s worth it. There are rims three types: stamped, cast and forged. Stamped ones are most often made of steel, while casting and forging are made of aluminum alloys.

Modern forged wheels today meet all the indicators of safety, reliability and attractiveness. Manufacturing reliable and modern, stylish and safe is not an easy task.

Let's leave the process of smelting aluminum from alumina without attention, and move straight to the production of blanks for future forged wheels. IN industrial scale Pure aluminum is not produced; it always comes with additional additives that give it the necessary properties.

Having arrived at the disk production plant, the aluminum is again sent for remelting, and additional chemical substances, the alloy of which our disk will consist of. First of all, it is magnesium, not a lot of copper and manganese.

The finished blank posts are cut into logs 40 cm high with a circular saw, exactly like logs at a sawmill. If everything is in order with the chemical composition of the alloy of the entire batch, the chemists give the go-ahead for further manufacturing process. Aluminum hemp made at the previous stage is heated in an oven and sent to the press.

Two hydraulic cylinders create a pressure of 10 thousand tons per 1 sq.cm, turning hemp into pancakes with a strength higher than that of steel. From such monstrous compression, the metal structure becomes fine-grained and fibrous.

After the entire batch of blanks has been deposited, these aluminum cakes are again sent to the oven, and the die is changed on the press. After heating the cakes, they are stamped into an approximate profile of disks, rather like a pan, and again sent to the heating oven. The stamp on the press is changed again. The third stamping finally gives the workpieces the required profile.

The future wheels are placed in a special basket and sent to an oven, where they are kept for several hours at a temperature of 515 degrees Celsius, then they are quickly lowered into water, as a result of which the metal becomes fine-grained, which means it is more difficult to break.

In this way, the discs are hardened three times, after which they are further subjected to artificial aging to relieve internal stress. Only now the blanks are sent to the workshop for machining, where they will acquire their final form.

The designer of the enterprise creates on a computer the image and appearance of the future wheel, taking into account its operational properties and the maximum possible reduction in weight. After all, if the weight of the wheel is reduced by just 1 kg, it will be possible to load 60 kg onto the car. more payload without losing speed or fuel consumption.

A drawing with the dimensions of the future forged wheel goes to the turner. Here the turner is also a programmer. Its function is to correctly enter the program into the machine computer, and then the machine will do everything itself. During the machining process, the workpiece loses weight five times from 48 kg. up to 9-10 kg. So in the production of disks, as in sculpture, everything unnecessary is cut off.

During the processing process, the disk moves from machine to machine 6 times. First, the rim is turned, and then the windows, then holes for fasteners are drilled, after which the disk is turned again from the inside and outside.

During the machining process, a coolant made of water and oil is used to regulate the temperature of the cutters and the workpiece. As a result, approximately 40 kg of aluminum from each workpiece is recycled. This is why forged wheels are so expensive. A colossal amount of energy, time and resources are spent on their production, but the end result is discs of exceptional quality.

By the way, the factory pays great attention to their quality, examining the finished product and conducting various experiments. If suddenly the selected sample does not meet the necessary requirements, then the entire batch is rejected. After all, getting it right can save your life!

This is how forged wheels are made. These, at first glance, simple products had to go through many treatments and thousands of kilometers, so that you could drive more than one thousand safe kilometers on them!

To repair a car suspension, some people turn to a car service center, while others do it on their own. In both cases you can’t do without a special tool. A ball joint remover is one of these. You can order and purchase pullers, hydraulic pressers, spring ties, etc. for yourself and your company from the Favorit-Instrument company. Order delivery is carried out to all regions of Russia.

Without this seemingly ordinary part, not a single car will be able to drive. A wheel for any car can be compared to shoes for a person. We always try to make sure that our shoes are comfortable and beautiful, but doing the same with rims is quite difficult. Incorrectly selected boots can threaten us with minor troubles; at the most, incorrectly selected discs can threaten life.

There are three types of car wheels: stamped, cast and forged..

Stamped ones are most often made of steel, while casting and forging are performed mainly from aluminum. Forged wheels best meet the requirements of safety, reliability and visual appeal. True, their cost is more expensive than all other types of rims.

Forged wheels are made from aluminum, smelted from alumina, which in turn is obtained from bauxite. aluminum ore. The mined red clay (bauxite) is sent to alumina refineries, where alumina is separated from it, separating various impurities and producing a white powder (aluminum hydroxide). The resulting powder is then sent to aluminum smelters. The largest aluminum production plant is located in the Republic of Khakassia.
At the plant, the desired metal is separated from aluminum hydroxide by hydrolysis. The aluminum production workshop consists of several hundred baths sequentially connected to each other in a multi-kilometer chain. The hydrolysis process occurs with enormous energy consumption (several gigawatts per hour), so large that in order to provide it with the necessary amount of energy, it requires its own power plant and not just a power plant, but such as the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station, which was built specifically to provide energy aluminum production. In this regard, it becomes clear why raw materials for aluminum production are transported so far across half the country, specifically to the plant in Khakassia.

The separated metal is then sent for maturation to gas furnaces, in which it is placed along with alloying elements (such as iron, titanium). Iron is added to aluminum to give it greater strength, and titanium for ductility. As a result, mature “modified” aluminum is already coming out of the gas furnace. Then samples of the finished product are necessarily taken for verification. chemical composition. Then, if the test is successful, the aluminum is poured into special molds and cooled in them.

The cooled aluminum is sent to disc production plant, there it is again melted in a hot furnace, where other elements are also added to obtain the alloy that will ultimately make up the disk: magnesium, manganese and a little copper. During the mixing process, unnecessary impurities are slagged off, and the pure alloy is sent to a billet casting machine, in which six-meter aluminum pillars are first made, then they are cut into individual small pieces. Then the alloy is again checked for compliance with the standard.

At the next stage of production, the blanks are stamped; this process involves squeezing under pressure the blanks obtained at the previous stage, which, as a result of squeezing, acquire amazing strength and have the shape of pancakes. Then, under the influence of a press, so-called pans are obtained from the pancakes, which are heated to a certain temperature and sent under the next press, where wheel blanks are obtained. They are hardened: heated to 550 degrees and sharply placed in cold water, do this 3 times. After such hardening, the metal becomes fine-grained, and therefore very durable.

At the final stage, the discs are machined, after which they acquire their final presentation. First, the designer draws the appearance of the disk, the drawing is transferred to special program, with the help of which the machine computer refines the disk to the desired form.
In the process of giving the disk the desired look, a lot of aluminum shavings are produced, which is waste. This is why the price of a forged wheel is high.
Then 1 disk is removed from each batch for very strict control. If the selected sample does not pass the control, then the entire batch is rejected.

How do forged wheels: