Brixton Forged Wheels Manufacturing Process
Brixton Forged | Made in California
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
The Beginning
– Design, Engineering, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) & Programming
Each individual Brixton Forged wheel set is entirely conceived and crafted in our California based manufacturing facility. Since the beginning, Brixton Forged has voluntarily chosen to produce locally. As a result, we make full use of the outstanding talents of our Engineers and maintain full control over the quality of our wheels at every stage of the manufacturing process.
Each wheel set undergoes a rigorous design and engineering process; doing so ensures a precise final product encompassing all of the dynamic needs of our client vehicles while infusing their personal tastes, from fitment and configurations to finishes. At this stage, each wheel set undergoes a full Finite Element Analysis (FEA) taking into account curb weight, dynamic cornering fatigue, dynamic radial fatigue and simulated impact testing according to SAE, JWL and VIA standards. Once completed and verified by our Engineers, the final model is sent to programming for lathe profiling and milling operations.
The Perfect Foundation
– APP 6061-T6 Aerospace Grade Aluminum Forgings
Quality begins at the foundation of every product; a strong foundation is the basis for a quality result. Locally sourced and forged, we utilize APP raw forgings throughout the full line of our forged production. APP is the same OEM forging supplier for supercar companies such as Lamborghini and Ferrari.
APP aluminum forgings are made with extreme pressure and temperatures to create a high integrity, multi-directional grain structure. The aluminum remains solid throughout the process as the forging dies press the aluminum into the cylindrical shape of a wheel. The forging is then spun to create the rim section and the resulting radial grain direction places the highest material strength in the same direction as the operating loads. The result is ‘premium strength.’
APP Aerospace Grade 6061-T6 aluminum forgings guarantee the highest quality and predicable grain structure and are TUV and AS9100-C certified. The result is a superior foundation guaranteed to last, and a trustworthy, high-performing product which meets the highest standards of our team.
The Art of the Profile
Each profile offered is a unique combination of lines, curves and radii drawn up by our Engineers. At this stage, the raw aluminum forging is machined to the rough profile of the wheel set ordered and is carefully sculpted to maximize concavity or rim half depth depending on the application. Profiles are uniquely optimized to create tighter machining tolerances which minimizes backspacing and excess aluminum, resulting in a lightweight forged wheel with the highest structural rigidity.
The Aluminum Canvas
Once the perfect profile is achieved, the raw aluminum components reach the HAAS CNC Mill where the Engineers design is converted into complex raw G-Code designed to be read by the mill. This is where designs come to life as the G-Code commands cycle the mill through a series of pre-selected tool sets and milling paths into the face of a solid block of forged aluminum. Using the highest quality CNC mills available in industry today, we are able to achieve extremely tight tolerances, minimizing any rim run out and surface defects.
While industry standard tests runout (how round the final wheel is) to within 0.030″ (30 thousandths), no Brixton Forged wheel will pass QC unless it falls below 0.015″ (15 thousandths). However, we are more consistently testing runouts to within 0.008″ (8 thousandths) to ensure low runout numbers and no wheel vibration at high speeds.
Post Mill
Each section of raw milled aluminum needs to undergo many stages of deburring, hand filing, buffing and polishing before it is ready for coating. A collection of tools allow our craftsmen to file and sculpt each profile to perfection, every edge receives the attention of a few hands before it is prepped for final coating. This is the stage where high-lustre finishes and brushed finishes are achieved; wheels with multiple tones or brushed and high-lustre combinations will pass through the powder coating and metal finishing departments upwards of four times.
The Frame
– Forged 6061-T6 Rim Halves, made in the United States
Each one of our forged and milled centers is mounted to aluminum spun-forged rim halves made from domestic aircraft grade aluminum. Each rim half is heat treated twice and forged until the aluminum reaches full tensile strength ensuring maximum durability and the performance expected in a Brixton Forged product.
Injection of Color / Final Assembly
Until now, the components of each wheel have yet to come together and truly reflect the marriage between a client’s pallet and the Brixton Forged canvas. This is where the fusion of raw metal and paint finish off the pieces before heading to final assembly. Our team utilizes a combination of liquid paints and powder coating processes in order to achieve a specific, and often unique finish to our forged wheel collection. We are always in the process of inventing and investigating new colors or combinations of colors with metal finishes to offer our clients something truly unique.
