Advancements in Steel Manufacturing Technologies Set to Drive Improvements in the North American Wheel Aftermarket

DUBLIN, Ireland--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c50529) has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report: North American Wheel Aftermarket to their offering.

This research service titled The North American Wheel Aftermarket provides an in-depth analysis of the aftermarket for aluminum, steel, wire wheels, and also a comprehensive analysis on the market for wheel covers. It captures and forecasts the upcoming market trends and presents the unit shipments, revenues, and price forecasts of the mentioned wheel categories for the period 2002-2012. It also defines the key challenges and the opportunities that they present for growth in this market as it passes through difficult times brought about by the heavy fragmentation of the market and inventory over-stock. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following markets/applications/technologies: aluminum wheel manufacturing (casting/ forging, flow-forming, semi-solid forging), steel wheel manufacturing (micro-alloy steel) and finishes (chroming, polishing, painting).

Market Sectors

Expert analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:

- Automotive and transportation

- Wheels aftermarket

Technologies

The following technologies are covered in this research:

- Aluminum wheels

- Steel wheels

- Wire wheels

- Casting

- Forging

Market Overview

Advancements in Steel Manufacturing Technologies Set to Drive Improvements in the North American Wheel Aftermarket

The North American wheel aftermarket is all set to experience changes that are mainly driven by the expected market penetration of styled custom steel wheels. This trend is the result of advancements in steel wheel manufacturing technologies, which allow fabrication of steel wheels to be similar to that witnessed in aluminum wheels. The desired benefits in terms of low weight and lesser production costs are expected to be significant.

The demand for wheels that offer style without compromising on quality and fuel efficiency due to low up-sprung weight is expected to propel continuous sales in the market, states the analyst of this research service. This scenario is anticipated to offer suppliers with a wide range of opportunities to manufacture innovative products at competitive prices, thereby leading to their growth in the market.

Increasing Penetration of Off-shore Wheel Enterprises Offers Resistance to Aftermarket Wheel Sellers

Currently, venturing into the aftermarket has become easy for companies having adequate resources to purchase wheels from offshore manufacturers. This has led to further fragmentation of the industry, consequently increasing the competition. Certain wheel manufacturers have survived in these conditions by concentrating on niche markets - such as high-end consumers and racing applications - where the focus is high on quality and brand recognition.

However, the general consumer in the North American wheel aftermarket demands greater visual appeal at a lower cost and is less concerned about the quality aspect. In addition, the quality offered by low-cost offshore imports is significantly improving, and it is estimated that by 2010, the quality offered by these units would be equally good and in certain instances, even better than those sold by the average aftermarket wheel manufactures, says the analyst.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c50529