The North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACVS, October 28-31, 2020) has come to an end. Everyone must remember the electric wheels and smart wheels on site. Wuhan International Commercial Vehicle Show (CCVS November 1-4, 2020), as a pioneer in wheel-end technology in the commercial vehicle industry, uses global R&D resources to carry out technological innovation, and launches global standardized wheel products and aluminum alloy wheels that meet national requirements in China. The drawing process improves the weight of existing wheel hub products to meet consumer demand.
R series drum aluminum rear wheel
¡¡¡¡ 1. What is the main difference between iron wheels and aluminum alloy wheels?

¡¡¡¡2. Why does China not synchronize with the United States to promote aluminum alloy wheels in large quantities?

¡¡¡¡3. What is the application environment of aluminum alloy wheels?

¡¡¡¡ Next, Dr. Kang will clarify one by one from the development, design, application and North American experience of aluminum alloy wheels.

¡¡¡¡ Commercial vehicle aluminum wheel development history

¡¡¡¡The development of aluminum alloy wheels is a technical solution to reduce vehicle weight and save energy while maintaining safety and reliability.

Flatliner

¡¡¡¡ aluminum alloy wheels were first used on Freightliner trucks in the early 70s. Commercial vehicle aluminum alloy wheels have been used since 2004, and their reliability in a variety of different use environments and working conditions has been proven. Look at a set of data: from 2007 to 2018, more than 10 million aluminum alloy wheels were widely used in tractors (while iron wheels were 9 million in the same period), and more than 900,000 aluminum alloy wheels were used in trailers. From 2007 to 2018, there were more than 1.7 million aluminum disc wheels for tractors and more than 250,000 aluminum disc wheels for trailers.

¡¡¡¡The advantages of aluminum alloy wheels

¡¡¡¡Because the weight of the wheel end is reduced, the effective load is increased (more cargo can be loaded), the most obvious manifestation is the lighter weight of the vehicle. The heat is transferred to the aluminum hub body through the inner and outer bearings and the brake disc, and the aluminum has good thermal conductivity, which makes the thermal conductivity better. In addition, the corrosion resistance is better; the half shaft adopts stud bolts, which is more convenient to disassemble and assemble the half shaft. All these changes have made the performance of aluminum alloy wheels even more extraordinary.

Advantages of aluminum alloy wheels

¡¡¡¡According to the natural corrosion resistance of its material itself, aluminum alloy wheels will not rust like iron wheels; there is no need to worry about scratching off paint or coatings and causing corrosion like iron wheels.

¡¡¡¡ The weight comparison between iron and aluminum alloy wheels with 10 wheel bolts is a reference. The difference is obvious, but in the long run, the promotion of aluminum alloy wheels needs to consider more factors. In terms of application environment, aluminum alloy wheels have more stringent requirements for application conditions than iron wheels¡ªit is necessary to strictly limit the use of overload conditions. It is also necessary to use double-headed half-axle bolts instead of single-head bolts. Excessive tightening of wheel bolts will also damage the flanges of aluminum castings, and aluminum alloy wheels require more material and space to meet the strength requirements. Not only that, there are higher requirements for the assembly process, and there must be a wealth of relevant experience to avoid damage to the aluminum hub during the assembly of the bearing outer ring and the ABS gear ring.

¡¡¡¡ North American experience

From 1980 to 2010, North America has also experienced a series of impacts from vehicle safety and emission regulations. According to the three emission standards, ABS and braking distance requirements, how to use aluminum components to offset the weight increase of other parts and increase profitability ability. For the following three categories, bulk transportation (the most weight-sensitive), special freight, such as: weight-sensitive refrigerated transportation, and general freight.

¡¡¡¡ Application of aluminum alloy wheels in China

¡¡¡¡Affected by load restrictions, emission regulations, safety standards and changes in logistics patterns, China is developing along the same route as North America, but at a much faster rate. With the promulgation and implementation of GB1589, GB7258, JT/T1094, JT/T 1178 and China VI related regulations, the entire commercial vehicle industry will further develop towards lightweight, electrified and intelligent development.

The design and verification process of Jihoo Wheels ensures that aluminum alloy wheels can meet and exceed customer expectations in terms of product performance and durability. Aluminum wheel ends provide customers with the most lightweight products while also having the advantages of high performance, durability and serviceability. Deploy ahead of time, follow the general trend of the industry, and adopt the side-pull process to lighten and improve the existing wheel products. According to the application environment of domestic medium and heavy trucks and medium and large buses, product application routes at different stages have been established, namely: through the promotion of global standardized wheels The product lays the foundation for the future application of aluminum alloy wheels, electric drive wheels and smart wheels. Future products of "lightweight and standardized products" will be deployed in advance. The "future" is not far away, the future has come.