Forging New Links

When it comes to sourcing forged aluminium wheels, you can count the number of suppliers on one hand. Apart from one or two other suppliers like Motor Wheel Service Group (MWS), which launched a reportedly Indian-sourced 17.5 – 22.5-inch commercial vehicle wheel range in 2005, the market is dominated by multinational aluminium giant Alcoa. One company that has so far kept under the radar, however, is Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang Hongxin Technology Co., Ltd.

Located in Huangyan, Taizhou City in China’s Eastern Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Hongxin says that it is the only forged alloy wheel maker currently producing in mainland China (there are others close-by in places such as Taiwan). But this claim is in itself a relatively recent development.

Despite starting out in this manufacturing direction less than a year ago, Hongxin Technology reports that can already rapidly produce all kinds of forged wheels (including those for bus, truck, passenger car and motorcycle fitments) in sizes ranging from 16 to 26 inches. To put this into perspective, the company started its first pilot production run at the beginning of 2007 and by 18 April that year its 22.5*8.25 wheel had passed a test conducted by Smithers Scientific Services in the USA.

Up till now Hongxin wheels have been sold to businesses in North and South of America, Europe, Australia and Africa. The next target in the company’s worldwide marketing strategy is to supply an OEM in the USA and maintain the distribution relationships it has already established.

2 million wheels a year targeted

Back at home in China, Hongxin Technology is in the process of establishing a second production line that is set to double production capacity next year. Currently the company’s Taizhou City factory produces 500,000 forged aluminium wheel each year, of which 150,000 are bus and truck products; 50,000 are two-piece forged wheels and the majority (300,000) are forged passenger car wheels.

According the company’s expansion plan, by the end of 2009, Hongxin Technology will have increased its production capacity to 1 million forged wheels a year – meaning 150,000 destined for bus and truck; 100,000 two-piece, 250,000 for passenger cars (16-26-inch; and half a million (50 per cent of total production) 16-18-inch passenger car OE wheels.

Then there is the company’s ambitious third-phased target of 2 million wheels a year. Hongxin Technology haven’t set a deadline for achieving this target, but the phase three production breakdown looks like this: 300,000 forged truck and bus wheels; 200,000 two piece wheels, 500,000 16 – 26-inch passenger car wheels and 1.1 million 16 – 18-inch OE passenger car wheels.

While Tyres & Accessories hasn’t visited Hongxin Technology’s factory in person, the company’s promotional literature gives details of some very modern equipment including: German vertical flow forming machinery and multiple rows of Litz, Chevalier and Doosan computer controlled machining equipment for wheels up to 26 inches in diameter. As far as quality control is concerned, the factory uses still more new equipment to test its wheels. This includes dynamic radial load endurance; 13 degree impact resistance; 30 degree impact resistance; dynamic cornering fatigue and an ARL 3460 optical emission spectrometer.

According to the most recent product list T&A has seen, Hongxin wheels are currently being sold in nine truck and bus-orientated 22.5-inch diameter sizes. These are supported by further 18.5-inch commercial vehicle fitments and 18-inch plus passenger car sizes.