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HIGH STRENGTH STEELS HELP TO REINVENT THE WHEEL
The new design, which is believed to be the first product of this kind to utilise HSS, is 30% thinner and 30% lighter than a conventional wheel disc, as well being more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly. One of the major drivers behind the development of the new wheel disc has been the increasing specification levels of agricultural, construction and other off-highway vehicles over recent years. Manufacturers have made big advances in engine power, speed and in-vehicle equipment, such as satellite navigation, to meet the increasing demands of end-users. At the same time, manufacturers have been putting increasing pressure on suppliers to reduce costs and weight in order to off-set the impact of rising specification levels on these critical areas. David Eastham, Sales & Marketing Director for GKN Wheels, said: 'We worked on the principle that the biggest gains were not to be made by trying to take cost and weight out of existing products but by ensuring that it wasn't there in the first place. Essentially, this meant starting afresh and looking at the wheel disc design and manufacturing process to identify how we could develop a lighter and more cost-effective product without compromising performance and safety.' The availability of new advanced high strength steels offered a potential solution. For several years, Corus Service Centres has been at the forefront of developing the UK market for these products. Alongside high strength steels from Corus, it offers a range of materials from other leading European manufacturers including SSAB Swedish Steel. Paul Taylor, Technical Services Manager for Corus Service Centres said: 'The use of the latest high strength steels, plus advanced CAD design and modelling techniques, has enabled us to produce a wheel disc that is 30% thinner and 30% lighter than a conventional component. We have also succeeded in reducing total supply-chain costs which provides a significant competitive advantage that is difficult to ignore.' David Eastham added: 'The work to date has shown the major advantages of closer co-operation throughout the supply-chain and the involvement of key supply partners at the concept stages of projects. This has huge benefits for all parties, including most importantly, the end customer who gets a product that helps to improve the performance of his vehicle. We are now looking to engage the support of the remaining members of the supply-chain in order to realise the true potential of this project and bring the new disc into full production.' The high strength steel wheel disc prototype is being unveiled at the Agritechnica 2003 exhibition at the Hanover Exhibitions Grounds, Germany from 9th to 15th November.
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