Alcoa and SAF-Holland have announced that they are working together to develop a new trailer wheel which can be mounted without a separate hub flange. The lightweight forged wheel weighs in at just 28.5 kilos and its size is 22.5 x 11.75. Maximum load per wheel comes in at 4500 kilos. The offset is 60 mm and the disc thickness is 35 mm.
Alcoa Wheel Products Europe is having a double celebratio. Not only is 2010 the 30th anniversary of the company’s European activities, but July marks the delivery of the firm’s 5,000,000th wheel to an unnamed customer somewhere in Europe. That lucky customer has been rewarded for their fortuity with a free set of Alcoa Dura-Bright forged aluminium wheels for their truck or trailer.
In the years since Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 entered the statute books in 2008, much has been made of the need for companies to risk assess their activities. But did you know that failure to apply a full risk assessment in the purchase of a commercial vehicle wheel can ultimately lead to a corporate manslaughter charge? Surprised? Well you may also like to know that should the item fail and cause a catastrophic injury, prison could even be on the cards, a leading solicitor has warned.
Mike Rainford, head of business crime at leading North West’s criminal practice, Burton Copeland, made the comments following a meeting with John Ellis, managing director of Motor Wheel Service, who has raised his concerns on this matter with Tyres & Accessories before.
Alcoa Wheels, recently won the right to supply the wheel program for the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco in the USA. The Chevrolet team awarded the contract after pursuing a wheel providing light weight performance that would further extend fuel economy for the Cruze Eco. The development team of the wheel focused on design, engineering and production techniques to lower the overall weight of the wheel.
Alcoa Auto Wheels has announced that the company is supplying forged aluminium wheel for the V12 Vantage – billed by Aston Martin as its most exhilarating sports car. "The forging technology behind these wheels enables significant weight savings directly benefiting handling performance, ride quality, acceleration and braking,” explained David Yates, marketing manager for Alcoa Europe, adding: “Our forging process results in a superior metal structure that also improves strength and durability, allowing finer wheel detailing and lighter weight.”
As part of the restructuring of its Engineered Products and Solutions (EPS) business, a measure taken in order to accelerate growth, Alcoa has appointed Olivier M. Jarrault to the new position of chief operating officer, Engineered Products and Building Systems. In this role, Jarrault, who has served as president of Alcoa Fastening Systems since 2002, will lead the Alcoa Fastening Systems, Alcoa Wheels and Transportation Products, and Building and Construction Systems business units.
Cleveland, Ohio-based wheel manufacturer, Alcoa believes it has solved the problem of how to launch multiple new wheel programmes quickly without repeat capital investment. The company says that it has refined a process that generates “an infinite variety of styles from a single forged tool” through variations in design, machining and finishing. Using this process, Alcoa believes it can produce products that are amongst the strongest, lightest wheels available, but with the structural integrity to meet the toughest fatigue requirements. In terms of finishing too, Alcoa’s patented Dura-Bright surface treatment technology allows a wheel to be further differentiated not only by design and structure but also appearance and performance.
Renault Trucks is making a test hybrid propulsion system vehicle for Coca-Cola Enterprises Belgium (CCEB). The vehicle which will come fitted with Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels will “speed up development of the Renault Premium Distribution Hybrys Tech by having it used under actual operating conditions,” according to the company. Alcoa points out that its wheels are not only lighter and stronger than steel, but also easy to clean thanks to the Dura-Bright surface treatment.
Alcoa’s Wheel and Transportation Products business has introduced the "CalcuLighter". Found at http://www.alcoa.com/calculighter, the CalcuLighter is an on-line tool for truck fleet and owner-operators that is designed to provide exact financial data comparing steel and aluminium wheel alternatives. Designed primarily for US based users, site visitors can quickly compare steel duals versus aluminium duals or wide base wheels, or aluminium duals compared to wide base, simply by entering a few specifics regarding their own operational needs.
Turkish bus company, HAS Turizm is claiming increased tyre life after switching to Alcoa forged wheels. The groundwork for the changeover was laid a couple of years ago after a visit from Alcoa’s Turkish distributor Otomotiv Lastikleri Tevzi AS (Oltas), who reportedly explained the benefits of Alcoa forged aluminium wheels. As a result, HAS decided to test the products themselves. “After several months, we realized that the buses, equipped with Alcoa wheels, use around 1 per cent less fuel compared to buses on steel wheels. Another advantage we discovered is the longer life time of the tyres. Today almost all of our vehicles operating in Turkey are equipped with Alcoa wheels. All new vehicles are specified on Alcoa wheels as well.”
Kidderminster-based parts distributor Universal Automotive provides its customers a range of well-known OE quality branded products and parts under its own VECO brand name. In the brakes category this branded range of pads, shoes, discs and drums is complemented by the globally repected Brembo name, for whom Universal Automotive acts as UK logistics partner. Through this arrangement the company is able to supply the complete Brembo programme of top-of-the-range aftermarket discs and drums, including the Brembo Max performance range.
Alcoa chairman, Alain Belda, and CEO, Klaus Kleinfeld, rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange this morning, celebrating Alcoa’s 50 years as part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). Ringing the opening bell also forms part of the company’s year long celebrations – 2009 is the 120th anniversary of Alcoa’s founding.
Alcoa has launched a new 17.5 x 6.75 trailer wheel with 10 bolt holes on a 225 mm PCD. The wheel is comes in sizes 245/70 R 17.5 and 235/75 R 17.5 and will be available in Europe from mid-August. It is suitable for: low deck trailers for transport of heavy and oversized vehicles and loads; trailers and semi-trailers for volume transport; special trailers for transport of passenger cars.
Alcoa Wheels and Renault Trucks collaborated at April’s Intermat show in Paris, showing Renault’s new Premium Lander 8×4 extra-light concrete mixer presented exclusively with Alcoa’s wide base single wheels for drive axles. By converting this vehicle from twelve 22.5 x 9.00 aluminium wheels and corresponding tyres on all axles to four 22.5 x 9.00 wheels and four 22.5 x 17.00 Alcoa wheels and corresponding super single tyres on the drive axles, a total weight of 261 kg is saved, of which Alcoa wheels alone reportedly account for 196 kg.
Compared to a 4-axle vehicle on steel wheels in size 22.5 x 9.00, the weight saving by switching to aluminium wheels, including the four 22.5 x 17.00 wheels and corresponding tyres on the drive axles, is said to be as much as 475 kg.
Alcoa Dura-Flange wheels are available as option choice for Scania Trucks from May. According to the company, they will be offered in sizes 22.5 x 8.25, 22.5 x 9.00 and 22.5 x 11.75 (135 mm offset). Dura-Flange wheels have a patented treatment that provides a protective shield to prevent rim wear. Alcoa Dura-Flange wheels, says the manufacturer are the only wheels on the market that are protected from this type of wear, giving them at least double the life time of other aluminium wheels and four times the life time of steel wheels under the same conditions. Dura-Flange wheels are said to be most suitable for Scania trucks in applications such as liquid food transport, local fuel distribution, heavy hauling such as logging and operations under extreme conditions like mining where shifting loads cause the tyre to rub against the wheel.
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