Heat treatment of wheels

[WaLLy863]

Hello! I have a question regarding the heat treatment of wheels for cars. May someone please describe the process or link me to sites that would help enlighten me on the process of heat treating wheels. Thanx

 

[TVP]

Aluminum alloy wheels used in the automotive industry are generally castings produced in permanent molds. The alloy used is 356 or A356 (Aluminum Association designation). They are usually given a T6 heat treatment, which means that they are solution heat treated, then quenched, then artificially aged. A typical heat treatment schedule would look like this:

Solution heat treat at 540 C for 4-12 hours
Quench into hot water: ~ 65-100 C
Artificial aging treatment is usually 155 C for 3-5 hours

 

[AdamEve]

WaLLy,
Automotive wheels are made in different materials: Steel, Aluminum Alloys, Magnesium Alloys etc.
Heat-treatment is done differently for different Alloys. Can you be more specific as to which Alloy you are referring to?