Wheel and rim manufacturing equipment
Single machines or complete automated rim lines for automotive, truck, agriculture, construction and ATV wheels, with continuity from Berkeley-Davis, Federal Machine, Swift-Ohio and Hess Industries.
- About 600/hr
- Passenger car rims, automated robotic line
- 300 to 400/hr
- Truck rims, depending on size
Preparation line
Decoil and cut-to-length lines uncoil the steel, level it, optionally condition the slit edges, and shear strips to a pre-programmed length. Coilers then form hoops with a short flat on each side of the gap for the weld dies.
Rim welding
Heavy-duty hydraulic welders run A.C. flash, D.C. flash or D.C. butt welding under the Assurance Plus control. Weld trimming, planishing, edge nip trimming and re-rounding follow.
Forming and assembly
Flare press, typically three roll formers, and an expander press shape and size the rim. Spin and flow forming machines and rim-to-disc assembly presses and welders complete the wheel.
New product
The all-electric servo roll former
This wheel rim roll former runs on fully electric servo drives in place of hydraulics. The result is faster, cleaner and more precise forming that saves energy and uses less floor space.
As far as the company knows, no all servo electric roll forming machine of this size had been built before. It is automated, so it needs fewer man-hours.
Line layout
Stations in a complete rim line
Every station is available on its own or linked by automation for transfer from machine to machine.
- Decoil and cut to lengthMandrel or cradle decoiler, leveler, optional edge conditioning, hydraulic shear, stacker and destacker.
- CoilingFlat strips become hoops. A rotary part marking system sits at the infeed.
- Flash or butt weldingA.C. flash, D.C. flash or D.C. butt, with 1-phase A.C., 3-phase D.C. or 3-phase MFDC power.
- Weld dressingWeld trimming, planishing, edge nip trimming and re-rounding.
- Flare pressHorizontal press with automatic load and unload starts the profile.
- Roll formingTypically three machines form the rim progressively to shape.
- Expander pressSizes the finished rim.
- Edge conditioning and leak testFlange edges get a radius, then the weld zone is leak tested.
- Valve holeThe sized rim transfers to the valve hole machine.
- Rim-to-disc assemblyAssembly press and welder, single or multiple torches, dedicated or robotic automation.
Common questions
Can you supply one machine instead of a whole line?
Yes. Solutions range from one machine to a complete line, and each station is available as a stand-alone machine.
Which wheel types do your lines make?
Passenger and light truck, commercial heavy truck, motorcycle, ATV and off-road, construction and agriculture wheels.
Do you rebuild wheel equipment from other makers?
Yes. Existing wheel equipment can be remanufactured, and parts are stocked for Hess Industries, McKay, Wean United, Kieserling-Albrecht and Schlatter wheel machines.
Get a quote: Wheel manufacturing equipment
Prefer to talk? Call (217) 446-9500, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST.
- What you need: a new machine, a rebuild, service or parts.
- The part and process: material, size and production rate.
- For parts: the machine's description, model number and serial number. Photos help.