Patent ID: 8046900
Filing Date: 2011-11-01
Classification: B21D,B60B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Process for the manufacture of an alloy wheel rim comprising the steps of: (a) providing a rough light alloy wheel rim having a wheel disc and an annular portion, the annular portion including a first bead and a second bead and defining a drop well having a first profile defining a first thickness, wherein the drop well includes a first hump between the first and second beads arranged in the vicinity of the first bead and a second hump between the first hump and the second bead arranged in the vicinity of the second bead wherein the drop well includes an intermediate portion disposed substantially between the first and second humps, and wherein the intermediate portion extends substantially along the entire width of the drop well of the wheel rim between the first and second humps; (b) following step (a), processing the rough wheel rim, by modifying the first profile in order to obtain a second profile having a second thickness which is less than the first thickness of the first profile, only at the intermediate portion of the drop well of the wheel rim, and (c) following step (b), subjecting the entirety of a surface of the intermediate portion of the second profile of the drop well of the wheel rim to a superficial surface finishing operation, the superficial surface finishing operation leaving the second thickness of the second profile obtained during step (b) substantially unchanged.