Steel solutions for mass savings in the wheel industry

Abstract

Two different approaches are available to reduce the mass of automotive steel wheels. The traditional approach is based on the use of high resistance steels that allows a thickness reduction of the rim and disc. A mass reduction up to 25 % can thus be obtained. A different approach allows a larger mass reduction with a more drastic change in the wheel production technology. One possibility is to use laser welded blanks to feed the existing manufacturing lines. Another possibility is to implement a combined spinning and rolling of the rim. These new steel solutions allow a mass reduction up to 50 %. Indeed they allow adjusting precisely the steel thickness and properties to the local service conditions. Finite elements calculations have been carried out to assess the static and dynamic behaviour of the new wheels.