The flow form process allows for a thinner, stronger and lighter wheel that resembles a forged wheel. Flow forming technology has a great number of benefits which you can read more about on the flow forming advantages page. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. Extensive heat and pressure is applied using three individual rollers to shape the aluminum to the rim mold. Flow forming technology involves the application of pressure to the inner barrel of the. Dual rollers press into the wheel as it spins on the mold, flowing the aluminum thinner, and vertically formingthe shape of the. Metal spinning and flow forming can be used to form a variety of materials, and some materials are easier to form than others, both from a dimensional and process control perspective. Hre has been a leader in the wheel industry for more than 30 years. The timeless never ending style of the zs series are our signature set of wheels custom designed and developed over a series of years. Nov 05, 2016 flow forming is arguably the most advanced manufacturing process to be brought into the wheel industry. This is due to the long tool life and the simple mechanical implementation. It is more about a potshaped tool with an incorporated forming shape. As a result of this, hre is one of only very few wheel manufacturers worldwide to receive this quality verification.
Flow forming technology involves the application of pressure to the inner barrel of. Development of a dedicated cnc controller for wheel flow. The key difference between the original cast wheel and flow formed wheels is in the. The vff02 features concave spokes combined with a deepdish lip design.
Chipless spinning and flowforming technology roller offset in the flowforming process 1. Hidden behind the good looks are the hours of engineering spent on perfecting every small detail of this rim. Roh lightweight performance utilises the most advanced flow forging technology to provide you with a range of sophisticated lightweight alloy road wheels. New technologies and new way of seeing things demand a transformation of the existing company. The specifications of the machine are given in table 1. This video gives you a run down of how dst wheels are produced. Cast aluminum wheels were a big improvement over steel wheels, however when it comes to performance, there are other technologies like flow forming or forging that surpass a standard cast wheel. The precise flow forming procedure permits producing these shafts with a wall thickness tolerance of less than 0. Flow forming begins with a preform pressed, turned, drawn or forged being pushed onto a flow forming mandrel held by the main spindle with low tolerance.
We do have optional colors that require a 2 week turnaround time, and are best handled by calling us at 760. The flow forming is based on the rolling roller spinning technology. Hre flowform wheel sets are generally in stock and ready to ship. The arrangement constrains the workpiece material to. Forgestars flow forming technology allows us to manufacture wheels that are both light and strong. Flow forming is one of the most advanced manufacturing technologies in wheel industry. These higher level technologies will allow a reduction in weight while maintaining the stiffness and durability that will improve vehicle performance. For instance, metal spinning aluminum can be quite easy to control, while flow forming aluminum can be much more complex see figure 5. The steel wheel rim manufacturing line mainly includes coiler machine, ac flash butt welding machine, trimmerplanisherend cutting unit, horizontal flaring machine, roll forming machine, expanding machine, valve hole press machine, pressfitting machine, combined welding machine, hydraulic system, control system operating personnel.
Flow forming is one of the most advanced manufacturing technologies to enter the wheel industry. Stresses beyond yield strength of the workpiece material is required. In 2004, neuspeed started using a new manufacturing process called flow forming, years before other wheel companies jumped on the wagon. Leifeld rigorously applies organizational separation of teams working. Vossen wheels is a manufacturer of luxury and performance forged wheels and hybrid forged wheels, using advanced flow forming to make a stronger and lighter wheel. Make audi bmw cadillac chevrolet ford honda infiniti lamborghini lexus maserati mercedesbenz mini cooper porsche scion subaru tesla volkswagen. Metal forming processes indian institute of technology. Designed in san diego using the highest quality flow forming technology. Roh lightweight performance offers significant reduction in unsprung mass yielding improved vehicle handling and fuel consumption. The spokes radiate out from the hub and attach to the rim. There are three different construction types for aluminum wheels.
Groche and fritsche2006 apply flow forming to the production of a wheel with internal gears. Flow forming is arguably the most advanced manufacturing process to be brought into the wheel industry. Heavy duty, two, three and four roller design, and cnc capabilities makes these systems ideal for fabricators looking for cost effective solution to their flow forming needs. Because as ive already covered, with flow forming or forging you can use less material because of the strength of the alloy produced by these methods, so for a cast wheel of the same size to approach the weight of a flow formed or forged wheel, you have to understand that strength and load capacity are most likely being sacrificed. Starting parts are cylindrical rings roundbent from a sheet strip, butt welded, burred and expandcalibrated. This cast flow formed wheel is made with the highest level of design and engineering available in the world today. But the two processes are different, and each is designed to meet different application requirements. Forgestar performance wheels is the leader in lightweight custom flow formed wheels. In flow forming of tubes, the work piece is held on the mandrel, the forming roller moves along the work piece axially to reduce the thickness shown in fig 2. The flow forming process, sometimes called flow forging, rotary forging, spun rim, or rim rolling, begins with a cast wheel that is loaded into a. Flow forming technology wheel manufacturing process and.
Pdf finite element analysis of the tube flow forming process. Casting takes molten aluminum and pours it into a mold that creates the wheel. Explaination of what flow forming technology is and the offerings by konig american. Bbs usa technology through motorsports braselton, ga. A flow formed wheel is the inbetween of forged and cast. Also links to flow formed wheels by konig wheels and advanti racing. The flow forming process, sometimes called flow forging, rotary forging, spun rim, or rim rolling, begins with a cast wheel. Onepiece flow form aftermarket performanace wheels for when you want ligher, stronger wheels for your ride.
This marvelous multispoke wheel is characterized by athletic appearance and a whole lot of style. It offers remarkable utilization of metal, high strength high. Analysis and modelling of a rotary forming process for cast. In that case the machine would have a stationary fold over lip to fold the finseal over before entering the cutting head area. The pressure plate fastens the preform to the mandrel. Flow forming of thinwalled precision shells indian academy of. You can simply purchase on our eshop here or call us monday through friday 8am to 5pm pst at 7605981960 or visit one of our authorized dealers here. Tectran corporation uses high power flow formed machine made by nihon spindle mfg. Different wall thicknesses within a shaft can be implemented easily and material utilization is up to 97 %. An initial casting unique to flow forging technology is placed onto a steel rim and mold and prepped to be processed. The numbers used are approximate and only for general comparison. Aug 09, 2017 flow forming technology is one of the most advanced manufacturing technologies to enter the wheel industry.
In some respects, flow forming can be considered a specialized kind of metal spinning. Concaver cvr1 wheel is a product addressed to drivers emphasizing their uniqueness and dynamism. Flow forming has many advantages over a regular cast wheel. Sep 08, 2017 with flow forming becoming a more widely used technology in the industry, there are also a growing number of lower cost flow formed wheels on the market these days, including the konig hypergrams we equipped our 5 day track build challenge ek civic with and the konig dialin model we equipped our buddy drivermod phils ecotec miata with. The depth of penetration of the jet erosion in a standard period of time is used to determine equivalent wheel.
The result is greater strength with a thinner wall and higher. The flow formed process is started by placing a preheated casted wheel on a specially designed inner barrel mold. Using flow forming technology weve been able to make a wheel that is as reliable as our zs line but have an overall 15% average weight reduction across the line. Flow forming is often used to manufacture automobile wheels and can be used to draw a wheel to net width from a machined blank. Design of experiments doe is used only by five authors, who. The cast wheel is then transferred to the flow forming drum where a combination of heat and pressure applied by three hydraulic rollers compress, stretch and form the wheel barrel to a predefined th11tickness and desired profile. However, this mesh wheel is more than just aesthetics the hybrid forged production process ensures it is lightweight, durable and trustworthy.
What is flow forming technology konig wheels konig wheels. Step two dual rollers press into the wheel as it spins, moving upward to form the lip. In 2006 our new brand miro wheels was formed in order to adapt the ever changing market. Application and modelling of flow forming manufacturing. Jun 15, 2017 flow forming is one of the most advanced manufacturing technologies in wheel industry. Facing the challenge of making the aluminum wheel ever lighter, for years the ronal group has successfully made use of flowforming, a technology that is popular in the oem sector. The process is a relatively new technology where we take a normal cast wheel and then heat and stretch the alloy to make it stronger.
Runge runge 1516 l07 shear forming and flow forming 7. Pabla abstract flow forming technology has emerged as the most advanced metal forming technique due to its manifold advantages over conventional metal forming techniques such as extrusion and tube drawing. In forward flow forming, a tailstock is used to fix the preform to the mandrel. Experimental study of flow forming process parameters on. By building up a pressure cone under the rollers, the material starts to flow in longitudinal direction. This race inspired wheel design features a curved 5spoke y design with a deep outer rim inlay, and weight saving spoke pockets. Flow form wheels are generally 25% lighter than a regular cast wheel. To achieve the desired width, the wheels are stretched and compressed to improve the grain structure of the aluminum. The depth of penetration in a given time is a measure of wheel hardness. Energy and material costs are less whilst the materials characteristics are improved and the process is more environmentally friendly as fewer resources are used than alternative procedures. The flow forming drum is heated and coated before the cast wheel is mounted, waiting to be formed. Parts produced with this technology have to be rotationally symmetric.
Second type of flow forming is backward flow forming figure2 and it is used to form preforms with a continous hole inside. The strength of a flow form wheel on average has a 20% 30% increase in tensile strength over a fully cast wheel. Finite element analysis of the tube flow forming process 231 w ong, c. Flow forming technology involves the application of pressure to the inner barrel of the wheel, while spinning and after it has been casted. The main difference is that the tool is not a roller, which moves along a specific contour. St series flow forming is an innovative production process providing economic and environmental benfits. Below are some visual charts for you to see the drastic benefits as it relates to elongation and tensile strength vs a regular cast wheel. Apr flow formed wheels theapr a01 flow formed wheels are manufactured using the latest strengthening and weight savings techniques to provide an attractive solution ready for the street and track. We are proud to introduce the vfseries manufactured with advanced flow forming technology, a unique approach to wheel manufacturing. Flow forming technology is one of the most advanced manufacturing technologies to enter the wheel industry.
Outline introduction to flow forming elements of flow forming design of mandrel design of roller design of preform lubricants principle of flow forming conclusion. This process stretches and compresses the aluminum, which increases tensile strength. The authors map strain in dependence on mandrels external surface detachment, for different type of reduction ratio. The apparatus consists of a beltdriven lathe driven by a 30 hp motor. In some cases the machine does not have auxiliary fin wheels. True wheel aficionados, and especially those with a performance orientation, will also know theres also a hybrid wheel manufacturing method that produces a wheel that falls somewhere in between cast and forged called flow formed wheels. Two main benefits are weight reduction and strength.
The flow forming according to din 8583 is a manufacturing method of the noncutting technology. Flow forming creates a grain into the metal of the barrel where casting doesnt normally make. Flow formed, flow forming wheel production youtube. The forming operation was performed on a 3 roller cnc flow forming machine make.
Flow forming is a production procedure that turns the wheel or rim section over a special mandrel and three hydraulic rollers using tremendous pressure. The rim barrel then experiences intense pressure, with specially designed hydraulic rollers stretching the cast aluminum wheel. Wheels of destiny forged vs flow formed vs cast part. Flowforming cylinder tube wft winkelmann flowforming.
Flow forming of internally geared wheels is an innovative process that performs very well on low to medium production series. Sep 08, 2017 because as ive already covered, with flow forming or forging you can use less material because of the strength of the alloy produced by these methods, so for a cast wheel of the same size to approach the weight of a flow formed or forged wheel, you have to understand that strength and load capacity are most likely being sacrificed. Our wheels are initially cast using our low pressure heat treated process increasing strength and durability. That casted wheel is then taken to a rolling forming machine that presses out the barrel of the wheel.
Apr flowformed wheels enhancing the driving experience. Our style has been refined, our manufacturing method has been improved, what remained unchanged is. An aluminum wheel is first cast for the face and the initial stage of the process. Flow forming center for the production of weightoptimized. Start by selecting a vehicle, then choose your options. Flow forming machines flow forming equipment manufactured by mjc provides the metal forming industry with a high quality precision solution to metal forming. Tectran corporation uses high power flow formed machine made by. The wheel industry has been evolving in the past two decades. Typically, its not just poured in but also shaken and moved to eliminate air pockets during the forming process. Konig has been producing flow formed wheels since 2010 and is always improving on the process and efficiency to improve the end product.
Numerical investigation of the effect of process parameters during. These methods are used for the rim and wheel production. The elongation of the workpiece during forward flow forming is at the same direction with the relative axial movement of the rollers. The individually shaped rollers fortifies the barrel to the specified width and density allowing for a stronger wheel. Metal spinning and flow forming are similar processes. The ringprinciple is the best tooling concept to date. Flow forming technology has a great number of benefits. First type is forward flow forming figure1 and it is used to form preforms which have a shape with one side is partially closed or fully closed. Friction stir welding can also be used for the production of aluminium. Aluminium wheels can be manufactured by casting or by casting followed by flow forming.
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