Alloys | Material The material dreams are made of

The FUCHSFELGEN consist of 97 percent pure aluminum. The remaining three percent of the wrought alloy makes a significant contribution to influencing the desired properties of the material for the ideal wheel. In addition to the main component aluminum, the alloy contains one percent each of magnesium and silicon as well as a few other components such as manganese and titanium (which ensures a finer grain). 

The better properties of forged wheels compared to cast wheels result not only from the material mix, but above all from the forging process. This is carried out with enormous process forces of up to 7,000 tons in order to compact the material and ensure a finer grain and very high strength - properties that cannot be achieved with cast wheels. Forging also reliably avoids blowholes, gas bubbles and pores, which would otherwise reduce the strength of the material. Yield strength, tensile strength, flexural fatigue strength and toughness are consistently better with forged wheels. 

Thanks to the high strength of the structure, cross-sections and wall thicknesses can be reduced. This allows us to realize rim wall thicknesses of up to 1.9 mm.  

The result: a forged wheel is at least 15 percent lighter than a cast wheel, in some cases even 20 percent. This lower weight naturally also means less unsprung mass - an aspect that dynamic drivers in particular appreciate, as less unsprung mass has a positive on the car's handling. 

TECH-FACT Yield Strength: 
The yield strength is a measure of the elasticity of a material. The tensile strength indicates how high the forces can be before the material tears. It is determined in a tensile test (link to surface & tests). Elasticity is also a characteristic value that allows conclusions to be drawn about the elastic properties under the influence of forces. It is around three times higher for forged wheels than for cast wheels. 

TECH-FACT Wall Thickness
We can achieve a wall thickness of 1.9 mm in the wheel's drop center. This area is located in the middle between the rim flanges and corresponds to the tire seat. 

To illustrate this better, let's do a little experiment: take a standard piece of paper with a density of around 80 g/m². Fold the paper four times, and you will notice that it becomes about 2 mm thick! This illustrates how thin and yet stable the wall thickness is in the drop center of the wheels.