Russian engineers have made a breakthrough in the wheel rims production.
08 February 2025
Russian engineers have come up with an invention that could significantly improve road safety. They've printed a wheel rim that can withstand impacts that would crack cast wheels and bend forged ones. And if mass-produced, the cost would be at least no higher. Our correspondent, Rodion Severyanov, witnessed the testing. Read more in the REN TV report.
Russian engineers have made a breakthrough in the wheel rims production.
A small sun sparkles over the machine's work surface. The contours of a car wheel—seemingly ordinary, yet unique at the same time—are emerging on a large industrial 3D printer.
"The source material is an aluminum-magnesium alloy, a 1.2-millimeter-diameter wire—very soft and pliable, but when exposed to extremely high temperatures of 8,000 degrees, it changes shape and acquires incredible strength," the correspondent reported.
Scientists at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University have developed a technology for arc-printing common everyday objects, such as this disk. This method has undeniable advantages over standard casting.
"What's so special about it for the average person, for the buyer? This wheel weighs less and is stronger, meaning you can drive over potholes without worrying about deformation, breakage, or any damage. The mechanical properties of this wheel are comparable to forged ones," explained Mikhail Motkov, Head of Technology and New Products at the Research and Production Center of Magnetic Hydrodynamics.
The alloy and wire for the new development were provided by specialists from Krasnoyarsk. The printed and tire-mounted wheel was tested at a specialized facility in Tomsk.
A 350-kilogram impact yielded a surprising result. The rim in the printed wheel deflected 4 millimeters less than in a conventional cast wheel, a significant difference.
"13.5 millimeters for the radius, at least—it was a 14th radius. That's quite a large value, well, not even visually noticeable—it's a real abyss. You can literally see that the wheel is on the verge of failure," said Oleg Panchenko, head of the Lightweight Materials and Structures Laboratory at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.
Testers also noted another advantage of the printing wheel: even after deformation, the tyre does not become flat, unlike forged or cast wheels.
"Here, safety itself is ensured by wheel grip, tyre grip, and after testing, we were left with about a quarter of the pressure we set at the very beginning," Panchenko noted.
Но и меньший вес этой разработки означает экономию топлива на трассе. Ученые Политеха пока еще оттачивают новую технологию. Печать одного диска занимает около шести часов, но, если вывести производство на промышленный масштаб, сроки сократятся до двух часов, ну, а стоимость 3D-колеса будет соответствовать традиционному при более высоком качестве.
