The difference between cast wheels and forged wheels

The most common way to upgrade car wheels is to change to aluminum alloy wheels, or to use enlarged wheels to improve car performance and performance and appearance. Jiahangaero said that the hub of the wheel has always been a hot topic, but from the perspective of technology, do you really understand it?

The way of production and processing is different, so the characteristics of use are completely different. The cast wheel rim is made by casting molten aluminum water in a sand mold, and then machining (deburring, trimming, polishing) after it is cooled and formed.The forging is to use a steel mold, put the heated and softened aluminum block in it, and shape it by stamping, and then machine it after cooling. Casting is easy to produce in large quantities, while forging is relatively expensive due to the complicated process. However, in the production process of forged wheels, due to the continuous stamping of aluminum blocks, after forming, its molecular structure will become very tight, so it can withstand high pressure. High pressure, so under the same size and strength, forged wheels are lighter than cast wheels.

Jiahangaero said that because the forged wheel hub has a compact structure and can withstand high stress, it can design some more lively thin spokes in terms of shape design, and the degree of freedom in design is also higher. However, relatively, forged wheels The price of the wheel hub is also much higher than that of the cast wheel hub, so it is basically used in high-end cars that focus on handling. And those high-performance supercars all use forged wheels without exception.

Jiahangaero claims the wide use of aluminum alloy wheels - the advantages of aluminum alloy wheels:

1. Fuel saving

On average, each aluminum alloy wheel is 2kg lighter than a steel wheel of the same size, and a car can save a whopping 10kg by using 5 wheels. According to Japanese experiments, for every 1kg weight reduction of a 5-seater car, about 20L of gasoline can be saved a year. A research report published by the Society of Automotive Engineers in the United States pointed out that although aluminum alloy wheels are more expensive than ordinary steel wheels, when each car runs to 20,000 km, the fuel cost saved is not enough to cover the cost.

2. Increase engine life

Jiahangaero indicates that according to the engine load and power curve, when the load increases to a certain level, its power will decrease instead, and this margin will mean that the engine will work harder (especially fuel consumption) per 1 unit of load at this time. , The engine load is reduced, naturally reducing failures and prolonging life.

3. Good heat dissipation

The thermal conductivity of aluminum alloy is three times that of steel. The heat dissipation effect is good, and the tire can also be kept at an appropriate temperature during long-distance high-speed driving, so that the brake drum and tire are not easy to age, increase the service life, and reduce the chance of tire blowout.

4. Good roundness

The precision is as high as 0.05mm, and the running balance performance is good, which is beneficial to eliminate the phenomenon of general body length and steering wheel shaking.

5. Strong and durable

Jiahangaero claims that the impact resistance, tension resistance and thermal strength of aluminum alloy wheels are higher than those of steel wheels. This is also one of the reasons why aluminum alloys play an important role in the defense industry and the aviation industry.