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HomeNewsWhat is the difference between wheels manufactured by casting process and wheels manufactured by forging process?

What is the difference between wheels manufactured by casting process and wheels manufactured by forging process?

2024-10-08

The differences between wheel hubs made by casting process and those made by forging process are as follows:

Manufacturing principle
- Casting wheel hub
  - Casting is pouring liquid metal into a specific mold cavity. After the metal cools and solidifies, a wheel hub of the required shape is formed. This process is a bit like pouring liquid into a specially made container. When the liquid hardens, the product is obtained. In the casting process, according to the pressure situation, it can be divided into gravity casting and low pressure casting. Gravity casting fills the mold cavity by the gravity of the liquid metal itself; low pressure casting makes the liquid metal fill the mold more smoothly and evenly by applying a certain low pressure.
- Forged wheel hub
  - Forged wheel hubs are obtained by applying huge pressure to solid metal blanks to make them undergo plastic deformation and thus obtain the required shape and performance. It is like "pressing" a piece of metal into the shape of a wheel hub with great force. This process will change the grain structure inside the metal and make it more dense.
Material characteristics
- Casting wheel hub
  - Due to the fluidity and solidification characteristics of the molten metal during the casting process, there may be some tiny pores or loose areas inside the casting wheel hub. These defects will affect the strength of the wheel hub to a certain extent, making the material strength of the casting wheel hub relatively low.
  - However, with the continuous improvement of casting technology, such as adopting advanced refining and degassing processes, pores and other defects can be effectively reduced and the material quality can be improved.
- Forged wheel hub
  - The forging process makes the metal material undergo intense plastic deformation, making the internal grain structure more refined and uniform, and eliminating defects such as pores and looseness that may occur during the casting process. Therefore, the material density of forged wheel hubs is higher, and both strength and toughness are excellent. Its strength is usually much higher than that of casting wheel hubs and can withstand greater impact force and load.
Mechanical properties
- Casting wheel hub
  - In terms of strength, casting wheel hubs are relatively weak. When subjected to large dynamic loads (such as high-speed driving, frequent braking or driving on rough roads), they are more prone to deformation or even rupture.
  - The toughness of casting wheel hubs is also poor, and the fatigue resistance is not as good as that of forged wheel hubs. For example, during long-term use, especially under frequent stress in complex road conditions, the possibility of fatigue cracks appearing in casting wheel hubs is relatively high.
- Forged wheel hub
  - Forged wheel hubs have high strength and good toughness and can effectively resist deformation. Under extreme driving conditions, such as high-speed cornering, sudden acceleration and sudden braking in racing competitions, forged wheel hubs can maintain good shape and performance to ensure the safety and handling of the vehicle.
  - Its fatigue resistance is excellent. Even under long-term high-intensity use, it can maintain stable performance and reduce the risk of damage caused by fatigue.
Appearance characteristics
- Casting wheel hub
  - In terms of appearance, the casting process can relatively easily manufacture wheel hubs with complex shapes and exquisite designs. Various patterns and shapes, including some three-dimensional patterns and complex styles with multiple spokes, can be achieved through mold design.
  - However, the surface quality of casting wheel hubs may be slightly worse. There may be some casting marks, such as sand holes and uneven surfaces. Although it can be improved by surface treatment such as polishing in the later stage, it may still be inferior to forged wheel hubs in details.
- Forged wheel hub
  - Forged wheel hubs usually have simple and smooth lines in appearance, giving people a delicate and high-end feeling. Because of the characteristics of the forging process itself, its surface is relatively smoother and the texture is better.
  - However, due to the relative difficulty of the forging process in forming complex shapes, the shape of forged wheel hubs may be relatively simple, generally dominated by simple designs.
Weight and cost
- Casting wheel hub
  - In terms of weight, casting wheel hubs are usually heavier. This is because its material density is relatively low, and in order to ensure a certain strength, more materials may be retained in the design. Heavier wheel hubs will increase the unsprung weight of the vehicle, which has a certain negative impact on the handling and fuel economy of the vehicle.
  - In terms of cost, the casting process is relatively simple, the equipment requirements and production costs are low, so the price of casting wheel hubs is relatively affordable. It is a wheel hub type widely used in most ordinary family cars.
- Forged wheel hub
  - Due to the compactness of its materials and efficient design, forged wheel hubs are lighter in weight. Lightweight wheel hubs can reduce the unsprung weight of the vehicle and improve the handling performance of the vehicle, such as faster acceleration, shorter braking distance, and more sensitive steering.
  - However, the production cost of forged wheel hubs is high. This is because the forging process requires large forging equipment, complex molds and high-precision processing processes, and the material utilization rate is relatively low, so the price is relatively expensive. Generally, it is used in high-performance cars, luxury cars and racing cars.