What is the difference between three-piece forged wheels and one-piece forged wheels?

Wheel hubs can be classified according to the structure: one-piece type, multi-piece type (two-piece type & three-piece type)

One-piece forged wheel: As the name suggests, the wheel is a whole.

Currently there are two main processes for one-piece forged wheels:

1. Forming forging (also called die forging), the shape of the wheel hub after forging is basically formed. Can greatly save product processing time, the disadvantage is that the early mold investment is high.

2. Milling and forging, that is, buying ready-made forged wheel blanks and then milling the wheel shape through CNC (numerical control machining center).

Due to the relatively low threshold (the production cost is much lower), the past two years have sprung up like bamboo shoots, and suddenly many new forged wheel brands have basically adopted this process.

Two-piece forged wheel hub: 2 components, consisting of a rim (Barrel) and a spoke (Disk). Three-piece forged wheel hub: 3 components. The rim part of the three-piece wheel hub is composed of two parts: inner & outer. Therefore, the three-piece wheel hub is composed of three parts: the front piece (inner), the back piece (outer), and the spokes (Disk).

The following figure shows the difference between two-piece wheels & three-piece forged wheels:

one-piece forged wheels

Having said that, what are the advantages and disadvantages of one-piece forged wheels and multi-piece forged wheels?

Advantages of one-piece forged wheels:

1. The weight is lighter than the multi-piece type, which can achieve the lightest weight.

2. Better dynamic balance

3. Good reliability, no hidden danger of air leakage.

Disadvantages:

1. High initial investment in product development.

2. The shape is relatively simple.

Advantages of multi-piece forged wheels:

1. The rim part can be shared, changing the shape only needs to change the middle plate of different styles.

2. Through different sizes of rims and spokes, a variety of wheel specifications can be matched and combined to meet the needs of individual modification.

3. Since the rim and the center plate are separated, it is convenient to use some complicated surface treatment processes. The shape is more complex and changeable, and more cool.

Disadvantages:

1. The weight is heavier than the one-piece type.

2. Dynamic balance is not as good as one piece.

3. The three-piece wheel rim needs to be sealed with glue, which requires high assembly.