Re-inventing the wheel
As the old adage goes, ‘there’s no point in re-inventing the wheel’ – it’s a simple common product that’s been around for centuries? At GKN we think a little differently.
GKN has been designing, developing and manufacturing wheel rims for over sixty years - from those that adorned now classic Aston Martin supercars to the heavy duty units that are fitted to modern large scale agricultural and mining vehicles. In fact, it is in the ‘off-highway’ sector where the largest demands are made of wheel rims and here GKN now directs its expertise, helping customers create vehicles for applications that spend little if any time on the road.
Of course any rim requires a tyre to fulfil its function, and improvements have borne a new generation of low pressure tyres with stiff side walls which are now common place in these heavy duty applications. These tyres in themselves provide new challenges to rim manufacturers and coupled with a relentless desire to run vehicles for longer periods of time ensures the demands put on rims are continually being raised. As the thought leader, GKN is developing new wheel rims which are stronger, lighter and more durable, ensuring the vehicles they are fitted to perform better.
The stiff side walls of new tyres have created a particular challenge in fitting the tyre to the rim while increased workloads can result in failures. By subtly modifying the shape, or profile, of the rim GKN engineers have countered these risks. An innovative new Triple Well design has reduced the stress in the component by around 40%, reducing the likelihood of failure. The new ‘Profi-line’ wheel has a life expectancy over ten times that of a wheel manufactured just five years ago, is lighter and allows easy tyre fitment.
At GKN we’ve been re-inventing the wheel for over half a century and we think it’s going to keep us busy for the foreseeable future.