Production Process of Aluminum Alloy Hubs

To fully demonstrate the superior performance of hubs and apply them to automobile production, aluminum alloy has become the preferred material for automobile hub manufacturing, with the output of aluminum alloy increasing year by year. Analysis of the current status of automobile hub production in my country shows that to meet the needs of lightweight development, traditional steel hubs are gradually being replaced and aluminum hubs are widely used in the automobile industry. Aluminum alloy hubs help improve the overall performance of vehicles, promote the rapid development of the automobile industry, and meet the needs of automobile use. According to the current understanding of China's automobile industry, the country's consumption of automotive aluminum is relatively low. However, the demand for aluminum alloy materials is growing, which benefits both the automobile and aluminum alloy hub manufacturing industries. Currently, in many well-known automobile manufacturing industries, aluminum alloy hubs have replaced steel hubs, optimizing hub performance and promoting the development of the aluminum alloy hub industry.
 

The influence of low-pressure casting on aluminum alloys originated in France. After World War II, Britain began focusing on the development of low-pressure casting. Since China officially introduced scientific research equipment, half of the aluminum alloy castings are produced by low-pressure casting, which has been widely used in hub manufacturing. In low-pressure casting of aluminum alloy hubs, liquid metal is filled and solidified under pressure. The castings have characteristics of high output, few defects, relatively perfect quality, light weight, less waste, and low cost.
 

Compared to the casting method, the forging method has higher production costs but offers advantages such as fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, and high precision. Because the forging process is relatively versatile and the proportional accuracy of machined parts is high, it accounts for less than half of the aluminum alloy hubs of the same specification. Additionally, the surface of the forged aluminum alloy hub has no pores, allowing for surface treatments such as coating, coloring, and bonding.
 

The spinning method has greater advantages than the low-pressure casting method, especially as hub sizes increase, where low-pressure casting technology can no longer meet the requirements of high-end passenger car hubs. Compared to the forging method, the spinning aluminum alloy hub offers advantages such as low cost, strong practicality, quality assurance, attractive appearance, excellent performance, and broad development prospects.
 

It is well known that the quality of aluminum alloy forged hubs is better than that of low-pressure cast hubs, but the cost is much higher. Therefore, combining these two advantages is considered a successful technology, leading to the adoption of a new spinning casting process. Low-pressure casting technology is used to produce hub casting blanks with low cost, good appearance, and high quality, after which the edges of the blanks are heat-treated. This process combines the advantages of low-pressure casting and spinning, achieving good practical results.
 

Semi-solid forging is a new aluminum alloy automobile hub manufacturing process. The parts shrink and harden in the prefabricated mold to form a usable aluminum alloy hub. This process not only reduces the amount of processing but also makes the surface of the aluminum alloy hub smooth and waterproof. Compared to other production processes, the service life of the parts is greatly improved, making it a new metal forming technology.
 

With the decline in automobile prices in China, automobiles have become a popular product. The demand for automobiles has shifted from practicality to the pursuit of aesthetics. People require not only excellent performance and convenient operation but also the car's appearance to conform to their aesthetic taste and identity. Therefore, the appearance of the hubs greatly impacts the vehicle's image. A company that cannot design and develop hubs will find it difficult to gain a long-term market position. Therefore, designing and developing hubs is key to an enterprise's success.
 

Aluminum alloy hub manufacturing is a complex process. First, high-performance aluminum alloys are selected for smelting, then modifiers are added to modify the alloy. The current manufacturing method is casting. Once the product has good performance, stability, wide application, and grindability, technicians check the tire surface's comfort to ensure the product's size and width meet standards.
 

When castings are heat treated to improve quality, the processing sequence changes from traditional vertical roughing to high-precision dual-vertical CNC machining to maintain and manage more domestic CNC machine tools. The main advantage of this method is that it meets environmental protection requirements and improves production efficiency. After treatment, the air-tightness test is performed hydraulically, which is more effective and automated than previous methods, representing a new trend in air-tightness detection technology. Due to technical limitations, most testing equipment is imported.
 

While aluminum alloy hubs are excellent and recognized by consumers, they also have several shortcomings. Although aluminum alloy has good quality and a generous appearance, it is expensive. Additionally, aluminum alloy has low strength, and the surface may crack over time. If not discovered in time, these cracks may lead to safety accidents. Therefore, consumers should choose their tire type carefully. During cleaning, do not use cold water directly, as it can reduce the tire's braking effect. A common asphalt removal method is to wipe it with active compound medicinal oil, which can achieve unexpected results. If the vehicle is wet or near the coast, clean the hubs to avoid salt corrosion on the aluminum surface. After cleaning, wax the hub if necessary to maintain its lasting gloss.