Aluminium Casting Alloy Wheels

Aluminium Casting Alloy Wheels

Also called spin-forging or rotary forging, flow-forming combines aspects of casting and forging methods to produce a wheel that is superior to a cast wheel, but less costly to produce than a forged wheel. Flow-formed custom wheels are especially popular with tuner enthusiasts.

During flowforming, a cast wheel is spun on a machine at high speeds while heated. Steel rollers put pressure on the barrel area as the wheel spins, compressing the alloy and stretching the wheel to its desired width and shape. This strengthens the alloy at the molecular level and increases density, improving the wheel's impact resistance and load-carrying capabilities.

Flow-formed wheels are generally lighter and stronger than cast wheels of a comparable size. Due to stretching the alloy, a flow-formed wheel requires far less alloy material to achieve the same tensile strength as a comparable cast wheel. This makes flow-formed wheels great for high-performance applications, where drivers constantly seek ways to reduce their car's unsprung weight.