Alcoa introduces new aluminum wheel alloy for lighter weight but stronger wheels
20 October 2013
Alcoa, the inventor and global leader of forged aluminum wheels, introduced its most advanced aluminum wheel alloy in 45 years. The new material enables lighter weight wheels at increased strength with the same corrosion-resistant characteristics as the industry standard, also made by Alcoa. Alcoa expects to introduce a new, advanced wheel featuring the alloy in early 2014.
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Unveiled at the American Trucking Association Management Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, the new lightweight alloy, called MagnaForce, is on average 16.5% stronger than the industry standard, Alcoa’s 6061 alloy, in similar applications. Alcoa will use the material to manufacture wheels for commercial transportation, where lighter weight products that increase fuel efficiency are in high demand.
Alcoa invented the forged aluminum wheel in 1948, using an alloy it had developed for the aerospace industry. In 1968, Alcoa set the industry standard again when it launched its 6061 alloy for forged aluminum wheels. Alcoa’s 6061 material provided a strong, durable alloy, resistant to corrosion that is used to this day by all major forged aluminum wheel manufacturers. During that time, Alcoa’s experts have continually met increasing demands for lighter weight wheels, engineering products that today are 10 pounds (4.5 kg) lighter than wheels from 20 years ago, using the same alloy.
Alcoa’s scientists and engineers at the Alcoa Technical Center, the world’s largest light metals R&D center located outside Pittsburgh, invented the MagnaForce alloy following two years of development.
Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products is part of Alcoa’s downstream business, Engineered Products and Solutions. Through the third quarter of 2013, Engineered Products and Solutions contributed 25% of the company’s total revenues.
Every little bit helps.
What you need are wheels which are light, fashionable and also aerodynamic.
I also have the notion of green-rating cars ( as an option, like efficient dynamics).
You would fit narrower, lower rolling resistance tires, and reduce the maximum speed electronically, so while you might have a base car capable of (say 120 mph, it would be electronically limited to 85 or 90 mph) [ acceleration would remain the same] You might be able to close off some vents as you would not be running at max power for very long at a time.
This makes sense as very few people actually drive cars > 90 mph as it is illegal (by a fair margin) in most countries.
Alternately, you could have rain / road condition sensors that would limit you max speed based on weather.
Thus, you could have narrower, more efficient tires without any extra engineering (apart from the speed limiting stuff).
Posted by: mahonj | 20 October 2013 at 03:01 PM
Composites Ultra light wheels together with multiple sensors and effective controls to optimize vehicle performances will all be available (at a price) in about 10 years.
My new AIO PC with Intel i7 Haswell CPU, a Touch 27 inch HD display, Windows 8 etc uses only 50 watts of energy versus 200 to 220 + watts with my older tower PC with a 24 inch display. Four times less energy for much better performance. That's what future e-vehicles will do in the not too distant future?
Posted by: HarveyD | 20 October 2013 at 04:16 PM