What is The Science Behind Wheel Finishes?
The standard wheel finish is a painted process. Painted wheels are powder coated while spraying is a cheap option and tend to wear offquickly. The color spectrum is full although silver is the most common for its gleaming looks in sunlight. The sparkle of a silver wheel reflects in the shades of the owners bring unparalleled joy. To enhance the paint a clear coat is applied which seals the finish.
Machined wheel finishes are distinctive as they produce a rainbow effect. It is easy to discern that the finishing has undergone machining with thin lines (like those on vinyl) on the surface of the aluminum wheel. It's hard to detect the lines when machined on a high precision lathe.
Polished wheels
The polishing process has undergone a revolution. Earlier wheels that were polished tended to be expensive as high-quality materials went into the manufacture. The use of aluminum alloys has changed the face of polish processes. Aluminum truck wheel polishing has become a niche industry in tire workshops and service garages. No more is the task of aluminum truck wheel polishing a laborious task. Today there are modern systems that will polish vehicle wheels without dismounting.
Fleet maintenance employs the use of robotic aluminum wheel polishing machine such as the VIS-Polish system. VIS stands for Vehicle Inspection Systems. They have in-depth knowledge of automotive wheel maintenance that leads to better vehiclesafety. The automated polishing systems save time and labor.
VIS has incorporated intelligent interface in the polishing of aluminum truck wheels technology. They are aware of driverless automation that will become part of the digital transformation in the coming years. Although the new technology is not a threat to present day standards, VIS are not resting on their leadership status. The automotive and heavy transportation sectors are as competitive if not more as other industrial activity. The VIS-Polish systems use the advanced algorithm in determining which area of the wheel requires sanding. The inspection of the bead which often escapes visual inspection is another smart feature of the robotic system.
Chrome wheels are a highly polished process which gives the mirror-like finish. The chroming effect is a result of the wheel dipped into a liquid bath of several metals. Chrome adds weight and is prone to pitting and peeling due to road salt and brake dust. PVD Chrome is a technology in which physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes of sputtering (magnetically enhanced sources) and evaporation (electron beam sources) provide a superior alternative to chroming of wheels. PVD coatings are light. Automotive wheels of luxury cars use hyper-silver painting process to enhance the finish with a deeper and shinier finish.
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