The wheel hub is an important driving component of a car. To put it more vividly, if the tire is a shoe, then the wheel hub is the foot. With the growth of China's automotive parts industry, the wheel hub industry has gradually developed and strengthened. According to the "2013-2017 China Automotive Hub Industry Market Outlook and Investment Strategy Planning Analysis Report", since 2010, macroeconomic policies focused on stimulating domestic demand have provided a foundation and guarantee for the steady development of the automotive industry.
The history of wheels can be traced back to 6000 years ago, but they were first made of stone or wood as materials. Nowadays, wheels made of magnesium alloy as raw material are the most advanced, and they bear an important part of the load during the driving process of the car. What transformation has it undergone to achieve today's wheels? Now let me lead everyone to explore this mysterious history together:
Wheels made of stone and wood as materials
Stone has a special position in ancient times, as it is the main tool for moving objects. Later, it was discovered that wooden pile rolling can be used to move heavy objects, which saves a lot of trouble and has a more obvious effect. So it became more stable, smooth, and easy to control. In the 1st century BC, the Romans used wooden strips to support wooden wheels. Especially the carriages of the royal and noble families are particularly blue and narrow.
In 1887, the British used iron bars as support, combined with inflatable rubber tires, to bid farewell to bumps and discomfort. At this point, bicycles became a popular means of transportation. With the development of society, humans have used great wisdom to manufacture motorcycles with spoke wheels, making them wider, thicker, and more aesthetically pleasing. Compared with bicycles, they have higher strength, better toughness, energy saving, and wider adaptability in the wild.
In the earliest days, the wheels of automobiles inherited spokes, and the dense spokes were the main characteristics of the wheels during this period, radiating from the wheels to the wheel steel.
With the development of technology, steel wheels that we are very familiar with have emerged. The first steel wheels were completely bare, but they looked heavy and simple, and their appearance was not beautiful. However, their advantage lies in the metal hardness, which is suitable for rough and bumpy roads.
Further development is the aluminum alloy wheel hub, which has obvious advantages such as light weight, high heat dissipation efficiency, superior and stable shock absorption, and also very beautiful.
Magnesium alloy material is a lightweight material with a density ranging from 1.74 to 1.85 g/cm3, which is about 2/3 of aluminum and less than 1/4 of cast iron. During the casting process, a large pouring pressure injection force is used; Its elastic modulus is 45 GPa, approximately 2/3 of that of iron and 1/4 of that of cast iron. It is prone to significant deformation under external forces and can prevent excessive stress concentration in the load-bearing components, resulting in more uniform stress distribution; The cutting resistance is about 1/3 of that of cast iron and 1/2 of that of aluminum alloy, resulting in low mold consumption and high production efficiency during processing.
So, the advantages of magnesium alloy die-casting magnesium alloy wheels include the following:
1. Comfort of forward driving
Magnesium alloy wheels have the characteristics of absorbing vibration and rebound force, and are processed by CNC machine tools with high dimensional accuracy, small runout, and good balance, making the journey of the car smooth and comfortable.
2. Safety of forward driving
The heat dissipation coefficient of magnesium alloy wheels is two to three times that of ordinary wheels, and combined with the structural characteristics of magnesium alloy wheels, the heat generated by the braking system is simply transmitted to the air. Even if continuous braking is applied during long-term driving, the braking system can maintain a lower temperature, ensuring driving safety.
3. The beauty of advancing the entire vehicle
The appearance of magnesium alloy wheels is exquisitely planned, with diverse designs and the beauty of the entire vehicle. Together, in the planning, they highlight the distinctive and luxurious feeling.
4. Stability of Forward Driving
The widening of the tires enhances grip, braking function, and useful forward driving maneuverability and driving interest.
5. Forward acceleration time
The use of magnesium alloy casting wheels effectively reduces the overall weight of the car and reduces acceleration time.
6. Forward and fuel saving skills
The lightweight of magnesium alloy wheels reduces the rolling inertia of the wheels, the acceleration of forward cars, and together, reduces the energy demand for braking, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
7. Ability to Advance Environmental Protection
Reducing fuel consumption with wheel weight reduction is of great significance for the environment, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions is of great significance for environmental protection.
8. Forward Economy
The weight reduction of cast wheels can reduce fuel consumption by 2% to 6% compared to cast wheels, which has significant economic benefits.
The above is the development history of automobile wheels, describing the different wheels used in different eras, as well as the shortcomings and advantages of various wheels. Up to now, magnesium alloy wheels have various advantages. I believe that in the future development trend, the application of magnesium alloy will continue to be applied in various fields, strengthening the introduction of new energy!