Solingen, Germany - September 16, 2022 Accuride Wheels, one of the leading suppliers for the global commercial vehicle market, has revised parts of its product portfolio and will present the innovations at the IAA commercial vehicle show in Hanover from September 20 to 25, 2022.
Globally, Accuride is one of the major suppliers of wheels for the commercial vehicle industry. The company has successfully completed its restructuring program and continues to drive its technology developments in the areas of wheel design, weight optimization and sustainability. At the IAA 2022 in Hanover, the Accuride team will provide comprehensive information on the new products at Stand E47 in Hall 26.
The lightest 22.5x11.75 steel wheels in the industry
Accuride has introduced a new range of weight-optimized 22.5x11.75 steel wheels for trailers and trucks. These wheels are currently the "benchmark" with the lowest weight in Europe. This technical innovation saves up to four kilograms of weight per wheel compared to previous wheel types; on a typical tractor-trailer combination, the weight is reduced by up to 32 kg. The lightweight wheels make it possible to save fuel without compromising on performance and service life. The weight savings are made possible by a combination of a stress-optimized rim contour, the full use of high-strength low-alloy steels and a revised wheel design. Accuride produces these commercial vehicle wheels at its Solingen plant.
Weight optimization meets sustainability
Just in time for the IAA 2022 in September, Accuride will present a 32 kg truck wheel size 22.5x9.00 based on HSLA steel. By using precise simulation tools as well as the use of higher-strength steel, the wheel geometry has been further optimized and the wheel weight reduced by 2.5 kg. This results in a weight reduction of 15 kg on a standard semitrailer tractor. The wheel is available immediately in series production.
Accuride is also breaking new ground by offering this wheel for the first time in conventional steel or alternatively in steel with a reduced carbon footprint. The version with reduced carbon footprint uses "bluemint® pure", a high-quality flat steel from thyssenkrupp Steel. By using bluemint® pure, two thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions can be saved in the production of the wheels compared with conventional steel; compared with aluminum wheels this figure is as high as 90 percent.
The climate-friendly effect is achieved by using HBI, already reduced sponge iron. Less coal is thus needed for the reduction process in the blast furnace. Looking at the total CO2 footprint over the complete life cycle of the product (1.2 million km), CO2 emissions can be reduced by over 10%. This puts a bluemint® pure 32 kg wheel in a better position than significantly lighter aluminum forged wheels of comparable size - this is a significant step towards "sustainability".
New wheel-tire concept 24.5x9.00 -325/90R24.5 (tubeless technology)
Also new in Accuride's range is the 24.5x9.00 wheel in combination with the 325/90R24.5 (TL) tire dimension, which will replace the 24x8.5 (one-piece) and 24x8.5 (multi-piece) products in the future. The current one-piece 24x8.5 wheels are complex in terms of tire fitting and are only partially compatible with the tire pressure sensors (TPMS) that will be required in the future. The 24x8.5 multi-piece wheels are significantly heavier and, in the case of tubetype tires, require considerably more components (ring system, tube and bead band).
The new 24.5x9.00 ALV wheel size for Europe and the Middle East achieves a significant weight reduction of up to 43.5 kg per wheel. Other advantages over the previous 24-inch wheels include full compatibility with standard tire pressure sensors and simple and safe tire mounting. In addition, the new wheel-tire system features a higher load capacity of nominally 5000 kg.
In cooperation with the world-renowned tire manufacturer Prometeon, a new tire of the Pirelli brand in the dimension 325/90R24.5 (TL) was developed for this wheel to replace the tire dimensions 12.00 R24 and 325/95 R24. The performance of the tire convinces with longer service life, higher mileage, higher load capacity and lower rolling resistance.
More information at www.AccurideCorp.com.
About Accuride Corporation
Accuride Corporation is a leading supplier of wheelset systems to the global commercial vehicle industry and is headquartered worldwide in Livonia, Michigan, USA. The company's products include steel and aluminum commercial vehicle wheels and wheel end components and assemblies; as well as steel wheels for the European automotive market and the global agricultural, construction and industrial equipment markets. The company's products will be owned under the Accuride®, Accuride Wheel End Solutions™, Gunite® and KIC® brand names. Accuride is a portfolio company of Crestview Partners. For more information: www.AccurideCorp.com.
