Alcoa produces a range of forged aluminum wheels in different sizes and finishes for commercial vehicles The DuraBright wheels for Class 8 trucks are designed to maintain their appearance with little to no maintenance thanks to a finishing process that enhances the aluminum surface so that it maintains its shininess after prolonged service and hundreds of washes without polishing

Alcoa Opens Forged Wheel Plant in China

Dec. 13, 2012
New plant supported by Chinese growth Forged wheels stronger, greener

Alcoa Wheel and Transportation staged an opening this week for a new wheel manufacturing plant in Suzhou, China, it’s first in that country. "With the growth of China's infrastructure and the success Alcoa's wheel products have seen in the Chinese market over the past several years, it was a natural choice to further expand our global manufacturing footprint by building a facility that could manufacture our products locally," stated Tim Myers, president of Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products.

The Suzhou plant machines and finishes forged wheels, which Alcoa produces for commercial vehicles, trailers, and buses at plants in Cleveland, Ohio; Székesfehérvár, Hungary; Naoetsu Japan; and Ciénega de Flores, Nuevo León, México.

AWTP is headquartered in Cleveland, and manufactures components for commercial vehicles, passenger cars, and defense markets. Its forged wheels are marketed as premium products, including Dura-Bright, Dura-Flange, LvL ONE and M-Series medium truck wheels.

Forged aluminum wheels are stronger than cast aluminum wheels, Alcoa maintains, because the solid grain of the metal is less prone to porosity than cast materials. The company also recently invested in research to demonstrate that aluminum wheels have a more favorable environmental impact than steel wheels.

AWTP has been marketing its forged wheels in the Chinese market for eight years, building a sales and distribution network.

"We are thrilled that our new facility is located in Wuzhong, part of the Suzhou municipal district, a city currently seeing enormous growth," Myers added.

About the Author

Robert Brooks | Editor/Content Director - Endeavor Business Media

Robert Brooks has been a business-to-business reporter, writer, editor, and columnist for more than 20 years, specializing in the primary metal and basic manufacturing industries. His work has covered a wide range of topics including process technology, resource development, material selection, product design, workforce development, and industrial market strategies, among others.

Currently, he specializes in subjects related to metal component and product design, development, and manufacturing—including castings, forgings, machined parts, and fabrications.

Brooks is a graduate of Kenyon College (B.A. English, Political Science) and Emory University (M.A. English.)