Aluminium Wheels

The heat treatment of aluminium parts

A large number of lightweight aluminium components are manufactured from heat-treatable aluminium alloys. In order to achieve optimum mechanical properties for these components a heat treatment is performed. This usually comprises the three process steps of solution annealing, quenching and ageing. 

With our tailor-made industrial furnaces, we can achieve the optimum heat treatment of your workpieces. Tight temperature tolerances just below the melting point are, therefore, no problem.

More information about the processes solution annealing, quenching and ageing can be found >>here.

The heat treatment of aluminium wheels

Plant engineering with the roller furnace

Roller furnaces from ONEJOON are an optimal choice for the heat treatment of aluminium wheels.
The wheels are transported on roller conveyors over several levels through the entire plant. All drives and bearings of the rollers are located outside the furnaces in an easily accessible location. Baskets to transport the wheels are not required.

ONEJOON´s standard design for roller plants is characterised by a space-saving construction: An ageing furnace and solution annealing furnace are arranged one above the other and the quenching basin is located below the solution annealing furnace outlet. We have also delivered many concepts with a solution annealing furnace and ageing furnace at ground level in line one behind the other, or at ground level next to each other. When feeding the plant with different wheel sizes, a wheel size recognition system at the inlet ensures a corresponding setting pattern with a different number of wheels per row.

Our customers reliably produce their wheels with our systems.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 50 weeks a year.
And this with systems that still function perfectly after 20 years.

Arrangement of the furnaces according to on-site conditions:

• one above the other
• side by side
• one behind the other

Quenching media:

• water
• polymer/water mixture

Optional plant components:

• gas or electrically heated furnaces
• cooling zone after ageing furnace
• rinsing device for polymer quenching

Plant engineering used in the push-through plant

We have developed a push-through plant especially for the production of wheels with a reference size of 20 inches and larger. It is characterised by a large loading width (3,650 mm) and lower energy consumption.

In the push-through plant, the wheels are transported through the ovens on stackable product carriers. The special feature of this is that only the wheels are quenched after solution annealing, but not the product carriers. This means that the product carriers are not subjected to quenching stress and the thermal energy contained in them is used for heating the ageing furnace. After quenching, the wheels are tilted to allow the water to drain off. When quenching with polymer, this minimises the rinsing effort.

A robust pusher system is used as the conveyor system for the solution annealing furnace. The transport through the ageing furnace is carried out by means of a slat conveyor. If required, the wheels can be cooled down for subsequent production steps after ageing.

Arrangement of the furnaces according to on-site conditions:

• one above the other
• side by side
• one behind the other

Quenching media:

• water
• polymer/water mixture

Optional plant components:

• gas or electrically heated furnaces
• cooling zone after ageing furnace
• purging device for polymer quenching

Individual furnace systems for each aluminium component

Selected references

We have delivered our heat treatment plants to over 20 countries worldwide.