The automation of production processes is important in the production of disc wheels for many reasons.
At each stage of production, the machines automatically take care of the highest quality of all products of the Disc Wheels Department. Already at the stage of metal sheets preparation, the shot-blasting machine, equipped with a special mechanism, removes excess shot, and the automated loading and unloading system eliminates debris on the wheel surfaces. First of all, the use of this type of solution ensures the good preparation of the surface for further processing and the proper appearance of the final product.
The paint coating determines the aesthetics of the wheels. That is why the Disc Wheels Department uses two automatic powder paint shops, which allows us to offer products painted in the entire RAL palette. Each wheel is very well protected against corrosion and adverse weather conditions. This is possible thanks to environmentally friendly cataphoretic painting. It includes two successive processes, each of which consists of several stages.
For proper painting process it is required to control 29 different parameters, whose tolerance fields are very narrow. Thanks to a properly carried out process, obtaining very high corrosion resistance is not a problem. The high quality of products is also determined by use of the spray method in degreasing, activation, phosphating and paint application processes.
One of the most important stages of wheel production is the rolling of metal strips. Our Disc Wheels Department constructors designed a technologically advanced machine for rolling metal strips, which allows to reduce the axial and radial runout of the wheels. First of all, this has an effect on the comfort of using tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery on which wheels are mounted. Thanks to the use of specialized sensors and servo drives, we obtain a very high level of repeatability of technical parameters of products in comparison with the products of many other companies.
To sum up: all these factors increase the durability of the wheel, tyres and suspension of the machine, and this allows for long and damage-free operation even in difficult conditions.
Most our production line devices were constructed by Pronar engineers.
This applies to (among others) a set of profiling machines included in the automatic production line characterized by repeatability and precision of achieved parameters of the highest quality bare rims made of steel with a thickness of 3.0 – 10.0 mm, produced in automatic cycles. Indicators at this level place Pronar among the leading wheel manufacturers in the world.
The latest solution of Pronar specialists is an innovative system for sensory control of the quality of metal winding in real time. It corrects the machine parameters which guarantees high repeatability of the process. The use of servo drives and vision systems together with appropriate auxiliary equipment and communication protocols enabled Pronar to achieve high quality and competitive advantage over other manufacturers.
Recently, Pronar designers have devoted a lot of attention to the difficult and complicated task of reducing the runout level of finished disc wheels. This was achieved thanks to the latest welding machine, which allows precise control of parameters and immediate optimization of their readings. Thanks to the use of specialized sensors, it was possible to introduce automatic control of axial and radial runout in welding machines. This led to reducing the runout.
Especially important for technological processes is the launch of the third generation of automatic testing equipment for controlling wheels assembled with tyres
This machine gives the opportunity to simulate the toughest wheel operating conditions before being released for mass production. Thanks to very fast hydraulic systems, the machine allows you to map the real operating conditions, e.g. sudden turns while driving, falling into holes, rapid wheel braking and side impacts. The research apparatus has been additionally equipped with a whole set of sensors measuring, among others ground pressure and lateral forces on the wheel, tyre pressure and temperature sensors, as well as other parameters needed to monitor wheel and tyre behavior.
Specialists of the Disc Wheesl Department designed and launched a test stand at the Pronar Research and Development Center for checking the impact of welding stresses and deformations on axial and radial runout in the wheel. This test stand gives the opportunity to recognize and improve critical factors affecting the quality of the final product. The use of this knowledge is crucial when designing and improving products, which increases their quality and reduces manufacturing costs.
