Steel Wheels With Permanent Trim Quickly Gaining Acceptance in Automotive Market
3 February 2000
Steel Wheels With Permanent Trim Quickly Gaining Acceptance in Automotive Market, Reports Wheels Task Force of American Iron and Steel Institute
Cost and weight advantage over aluminum are key factors
DETROIT, Feb. 2 -- Low cost, lightweight, steel wheels with
permanent trim are quietly and quickly gaining ground over aluminum wheels.
The Wheels Task Force of American Iron and Steel Institute reports that the
use of steel wheels with permanent trim in today's vehicles is increasing at a
phenomenal rate.
"There are more than eight million steel wheels with permanent trim on the
road today, compared with just 600,000 five years ago," said Chuck Gregoire,
chairman, Wheels Task Force. "This growth demonstrates that automakers have
analyzed and increasingly accepted the use of steel wheels with permanent trim
instead of aluminum wheels.
For many automakers, cost savings are the driving factor. Using steel
wheels with permanent trim instead of cast aluminum wheels saves between $20-
$40 per vehicle, without sacrificing styling, appearance and customer value,
Gregoire reports. Examples of current production vehicles using wheels with
permanent trim include:
* GM Astro Van/Safari -- 100,000/year
* GM Silverado/Sierra -- 1,000,000/year
* Ford Explorer/Ranger -- 1,000,000/year
* Ford Expedition/Navigator/F150 -- 650,000/year
* Chrysler Full-Size Ram Van -- 100,000/year
Wheels with permanent trim are defined as base steel wheels with highly-
styled permanently bonded trim. Styling manufacturers such as McKechnie
Vehicle Components and URETECH International, Inc. (members of the Wheels Task
Force) each offer their automotive customers various types of permanent trim
to achieve this styled look, while maintaining affordability.
McKechnie offers three types of cladding for its wheels: DuraClad, which
is a one-piece, stainless steel construction; Multi-Clad which combines
plastic and stainless steel and PlastiClad which utilizes a wrap-around
flange. URETECH uses a treatment known as PermaStyle, which applies a
lightweight urethane structural foam to a steel wheel, resulting in a solid,
integral wheel product that provides advanced styling opportunities with
superior durability characteristics.
For more information on steel wheels with permanent trim, contact Darryl
Martin, senior director, Automotive Applications, AISI at 248-945-4760, or
contact him via e-mail at martind@autosteel.org.
American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) is a non-profit association of
North American companies engaged in the iron and steel industry. The
Institute comprises 46 member companies, including integrated and electric
furnace steelmakers, and 175 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers
to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its
applications, view American Iron and Steel Institute's website at
http://www.steel.org .
The Automotive Applications Committee (AAC) is a subcommittee of the
Market Development Committee of AISI and focuses on advancing the use of steel
in the highly competitive automotive market. With offices and staff located
in Detroit, cooperation between the automobile and steel industries has been
significant to its success. This industry cooperation resulted in the
formation of the Auto/Steel Partnership, a consortium of DaimlerChrysler, Ford
and General Motors and the member companies of the AAC.
This release and other steel-related information are available for viewing
and downloading at American Iron and Steel Institute/Automotive Applications
Committee's website at http://www.autosteel.org .
Automotive Applications Committee member companies:
AK Steel Corporation
Bethlehem Steel Corporation
Dofasco Inc.
Ispat Inland Inc.
LTV Steel Company
National Steel Corporation
Rouge Steel Company
Stelco Inc.
US Steel Group, a unit of USX Corporation
WCI Steel, Inc.
Weirton Steel Corporation
The following organizations participate in the Wheels Task Force of the
AAC:
Accuride Canada Inc.
Accuride Corporation
Bethlehem Steel Corporation
Central Manufacturing Company
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Ford Motor Company
General Motors Corporation
Hayes-Lemmerz International
LTV Steel Company
Lake Erie Steel Company Limited
McKechnie Vehicle Components
National Steel Corporation
Rouge Steel Company
Topy Corporation
URETECH International Inc.