Two of the four new forged aluminum wheels from Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products have higher maximum per-wheel loads than comparable steel wheels. The four wheels, which are up to 44 percent lighter than their steel equivalents, were developed to support the move to higher-load-capacity tires in commercial trucks and trailers facing stricter carbon emission regulations.
Alcoa introduced the wheels at the 64th International Motor Show Commercial Vehicles conference in Hannover, Germany. The two wheels that beat comparable steel wheels' maximum load capacity are an improved version of an Alcoa global trailer wheel and the first aluminum 45mm offset trailer wheel for inloader trailers.
This Alcoa 45mm aluminum wheel for offset trailers is 37 percent lighter than a steel equivalent and has a maximum load per wheel of 5,000kg. (Source: Alcoa)
The improved global trailer wheel has a maximum load of 5,500kg per wheel -- almost 6 percent more than the previous Alcoa model -- but is 2.1kg lighter. It's also 22.8kg lighter than a steel wheel of comparable size. The aluminum 45mm offset trailer wheel for inloader trailers is 37 percent lighter than its steel equivalent and has a maximum load of 5,000kg per wheel. Inloaders transport concrete parts and architectural glass plates.
Alcoa's other two new wheels are the 135 FrontRunner and an 80mm offset trailer wheel. The 135 FrontRunner is a 135mm offset truck wheel with a maximum load of 5,000kg per wheel. It can be used on the front axles of Scania, DAF, and Inveco trucks and are 44 percent lighter than steel wheels of equivalent size. The 80mm offset trailer wheel has a maximum load of 4,500kg per wheel. It's designed for use with SAF Holland's new lightweight SAF 80 One axle.
A peer-reviewed lifecycle assessment study concluded that Alcoa's forged aluminum wheels would cut the carbon footprint of commercial vehicles in North America and Europe. In North America, replacing 18 conventional steel truck wheels with Alcoa aluminum wheels would cut carbon emissions by 16.3 metric tons over the wheels' lifetime. In Europe, replacing 12 steel wheels with aluminum ones would cut carbon emissions by 13.3 metric tons.
The study, conducted by PE International Inc. and Five Winds Strategic Consulting, analyzed the cradle-to-grave production process of commercial vehicle wheels, from the mining of bauxite through wheel manufacturing and service to its end-of-life phases, including recycling and disposal in landfills. Alcoa provided primary data for aluminum wheel production at five of its facilities. PE International provided upstream data on fuels, raw materials, and manufacturing processes, including primary metals and chemicals. According to Alcoa, the study is the most comprehensive and transparent comparative LCA on aluminum and steel truck wheels.
We've reported on the use of aluminum as a lightweight alternative to steel for everything from pistons for automotive diesel engines to brake rotors. BMW has adopted Federal-Mogul's aluminum piston for use in its M550d xDrive sedan. The piston meets the strength and thermal performance requirements of newer, very high-power diesel engines without the risks associated with steel, such as engine oil cracking and carbon deposit formation.
A prototype aluminum composite brake rotor developed by the metal matrix composite maker REL could last three times as long as cast-iron rotors and weigh 60 percent less. It may also be cheap enough for use in high-volume automotive manufacturing. REL and co-developers at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University say the rotor's weight reduction will cut about 30 pounds overall from the average midsized sedan.
There are a lot of differences between numbers and real life like you mention Dave. another is steel has to be bigger because of rust over it's life.
A similar thing happens with CF and medium tech composites where CF looks much stronger but ends up only 5-10% lighter once in place.
In looking for lightweight rims for my lightweight EV's because unspunng weigh ratios are much worse than a heavier car, I measured about 15 each of alum and steel and was surprised to find both were about equal in weight average.My biggest problem so far has been keeping unsprung weight down at a reasonable cost.
for trcks this lighter weight will pay for itself in either better mileage or higher loads/thus profit so unless too much more costly the Alum is the way to go. The only downside is the rims get damaged more esily in potholes, etc and maybe getting the tires changed problems.
The nice forged aluminum wheels may certainly offer a good weight reduction, which will reduce fuel consumption, and so from that point it will be a benefit to all. BUT there is a tradoff to be reconed with, which is corrosion. Here in Micchigan where there are many tons of salt dumped on every roadway each winter, I have experienced rim leaks with my aluminum wheels, on every car. Not a tragedy, but certainly an inconvenience, since they must either be repaired, or air added to the tire frequently. I never had that problem with steel wheels. Another challenge is damage to the wheels, I have seen broken aluminum wheels, which must be replaced, while I have hammered bent st=eel wheels back into shape right on the vehicle. Hammering is much faster and cheaper than replacing.
My point being that it is not a one-sided contest.
My question is how can corrosion of aluminum wheels from concentrated salt water exposure be prevented? Is there a method that is demonstrated to work?
You are a moderator on Design News and are asking about the modulus of elasticity for steel and aluminum? Compressive strength is usually relevant to concrete not aluminum.
Dave, thanks for the feedback. I agree about the greenwashing/PR angle of many corporate sustainability programs. However, it seems to me that doing LCAs is better than not doing them, and having such programs is better than not even paying attention to the subject. The better, more complete LCAs and actually results-producing programs stand out from the crowd. And some actual good can be done along with the PR when the LCA results are used. This is the case in many human endeavors, especially those that require big changes, so I say don't throw the baby out, too.
William, funny you should ask that question. I just filed an article--it should publish soon--on a new non-toxic substance for preventing salt corrosion on wrought aluminum–zinc–magnesium–copper AA7000 alloys commonly used in aerospace and automotive apps. Inorganic and organic corrosion inhibitors already exist, but they tend to be either toxic or potentially toxic. Stay tuned.
@Ann: Looking forward to seeing your new article. Replacing chromate conversion coatings with less environmentally-harmful alternatives is a topic that is very important to me.
We are currently transitioning from a traditional chromate to Alodine EC² to protect aluminum die castings from corrosion. It's a great coating, but, like everything, it has some limitations. One of the biggest is that, since it's an electrodeposited coating, it's very difficult to coat internal passages.
I've often thought that an LCA comparing the environmental impacts of chromate vs. EC² would be interesting. Chromating creates a hazardous waste stream -- but the large amounts of electricity required to apply electrodeposited coatings like EC² don't come without environmental costs, either. It would be interesting to see how they balance out.
(By the way, now that you mention it, Alcoa's LCA for the aluminum wheels doesn't include the environmental impacts of the chromating process, either).
Mydesign, I'm not sure I understand your question. There was no discussion of changing either the number of wheels or trailer dimensions. The point of the aluminum vs steel wheels, as we state in the article, is that they both weigh less and are strong enough to support tires that can bear heavier loads. This is all part of CAFE-type regulations for commercial vehicles for lowering carbon emissions. Does that answer your question?
Ann, my guess is that any coating at all will add to the cost and therefore not be added tp OEM wheels on passenger cars. But some fancy appearance treatment would probably be added if it was not too expensive. I have not seen any originally applied coating on Chrysler product aluminum rims since they have been making them, which is quite a few years. It seems that the management does not accept that corrosion exists. Of course, for Chrysler upper management, vehicle problems don't exist. Cars serviced daily seldom suffer problems.
I tend to think that quality consists of remaining able to meet the service specifications of a product, while it seems that to many others quality equates to the number of features. "What we have here is a failure to commu8nicate", it seems. Unfortunately the marketing wonks all seem to follow those who seek features, regardless of how useless they are.
So it sounds like the available coatings are not being applied by automotive OEMs. Considering how long the salt problem has been going on, and how well publicized it's been, you'da thunk by now it would be common--and cheaper.
Ann, for many years steel wheels were painted inside and outside because that was the cheapest possible way to make them look good for a while. They would rust when the paint was scratched off, but there were very seldom any leaks due to corrosion.
Today I had to take the new tire on it's rim back to Belle Tire as it had gone flat overnight. The problem was that they had not properly cleaned and sealed the rim on the aluminum wheel. So the problem is alive and well today.
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