Does Automotive Wheel Machining Benefit From a Purpose-Built Wheel Machine?

Wheel machining requires special-purpose machines, says Victor Taichung Machinery Works expert.

Victor Taichung
Machinery Works
, based in Taiwan, makes a wide variety of machine tools,
including turning machines and multi-purpose milling machines, but an
interesting speciality application of the company are wheel machines.

In the video above, we speak with Wayne Hsueh, director of
overseas marketing division at Victor Taichung Machinery Works about the
difference between wheel machines and general purpose multi-axis machine tools.

“The car wheel machine is for clamping the part, because for
the part to be clamped, you need a special chuck,” Hsueh explained.

“Usually for special purpose machines, the chuck is the key
component to reduce setup time and for clamping efficiency. Wheel chips are
also different from steel chips, so even a chip conveyor and the protection of
ball screws are also somewhat different. For special purpose machines, you
should pay attention to the kind of part you’re making, what kind of chips are
produced, what kind of coolant you use and how you dispose of it.”

Hsueh explains that Victor Taichung’s special-purpose wheel
machines are actually modified general-purpose machines – this saves costs for
the company as well as its customers.

“We can mass produce all the machine parts, as 80 percent of
parts are compatible (between machines),” Hsueh said. “We have some customers
that want special-purpose machines only and we pay a lot of attention to them.
If we increase production of our general-purpose machine, the special-purpose
machine would also become cheaper. We like it cheaper for mass production.
That’s why we have a special machine for wheels, but wheel machines are heavy
duty for heavy cutting. You need a very reliable machine base and fortunately
at Victor Taichung Machines, we build the machines this way from the
beginning.”

For more information, visit the Victor Taichung
Machinery Works
website.

Written by

James Anderton

Jim Anderton is the Director of Content for ENGINEERING.com. Mr. Anderton was formerly editor of Canadian Metalworking Magazine and has contributed to a wide range of print and on-line publications, including Design Engineering, Canadian Plastics, Service Station and Garage Management, Autovision, and the National Post. He also brings prior industry experience in quality and part design for a Tier One automotive supplier.