Reconditioning by Welding of Rims Manufactured from Nonferrous Alloys

Abstract

At present, in the automotive industry, the trend on the world plane is to fit on the wheels with rims made from nonferrous alloys, based on aluminum, magnesium or titanium. These rims have the advantage that they are lighter than the same rims made from steel, reducing the unsprung mass of the vehicle, and increasing the vehicle performances, that lead to the better handling, the faster braking and the better acceleration. Also, by using the rims made from nonferrous alloys, the increasing of the fuel consumption efficiency and the reducing of the carbon monoxide (CO) emission are obtained. During the traffic, the wheels (rim + tyre) can be subjected to accidental collisions, such as the impact with the pavement, leading to damages of the rims, which must be reconditioned. The paper presents the results of structural examinations and mechanical tests, made on car rims made from nonferrous alloys, degraded and reconditioned by specific welding technologies. The structural and mechanical characteristics determined in the zones reconditioned by welding are at the level of the base metals used to made the investigated rims, that confirm the adequate quality of them, and a low risc to cracking.