There are different ways to create aluminum wheels. Many times, people interchange these terms, and this simply is wrong. The terms casting and forging are very different and have different qualities and price points. Casting is heating up the metal to liquid form and pouring it into a die or tool. Casting can be done in several ways, however, every one of them is heating up the metal to become molten. Forging is warming the metal and mechanically forcing it into the desired shape. Forging does not allow as much design creativity as casting. However, it does provide higher strength properties.
Casting is less expensive
Casting is far less expensive and offers some great design opportunities. However, you trade strength when using a cast metal wheel instead of a forged one. Forged wheels have much higher strength but a lower ability to create beautiful designs.
The aluminum forging process
When you are working with a forged wheel, it starts with a small round piece of metal called a “billet”. This billet is subjected to heat and pressed into shape by intense pressure. This will then create a raw forging. These raw forging can all be a bit different to have a different end look, however, there are no undercuts allowed in the aluminum forging process.
Forged wheels are better
Once the raw casting is complete, the final touches will begin. These final touches can be CNC machining and polishing. A CNC machine the wheel into its final look and shape. This is labor-intensive, but the end product is far superior to casting. The aluminum forging process allows the wheel to be harder, have better corrosion resistance, and have higher durability than that of a cast wheel. This is due to the molecular structure that is left intact because it was never heated to a liquid state. This molecular structure can only be seen at a microscopic level. However, the benefits can be seen in the end product.
Forging is a process
Due to the process of forging, it takes less overall material to complete the shape of the wheel. According to Queen City Forging the less material means that the wheel is lighter and offers better vehicle performance. Forged wheels are made into a monoblock, which is a traditional one-piece. This provides the manufacturers with some great flexibility in creating unique wheel looks.
Although cast wheels are less costly, they are much lower quality. They do not take the time and effort to produce, which is why they are less costly. They will not add to the vehicle’s overall performance as the cast wheels will.
If you are looking to improve your vehicle’s performance by lowering the weight it is hauling around in the wheels, forged wheels are a perfect choice. These wheels offer excellent performance and good weight destruction, which is important for a wheel. They are a vast improvement from anything that comes standard on any vehicle. Forged wheels are the elite in vehicle wheels.
