Wheel Innovation in ICE to EV Transition

BPK.Efendi, President Director, Pako Group

Automotive wheel designs havegrown for years from the simplest form of wooden wheel to the currentdesign which uses high performance steel and light alloy. It began with the requirement to support andas hub of the vehicle movement mechanism to become part of the vehicle image and style. This designand structural improvementfollowsthe requirement from the automotive industry needs of efficiencyand style that leads to technological breakthroughs in the industry.

Increased demand for faster and safer car design very much influenced wheel design and structureevolution. Further demand for fuel efficiency, lighter vehicle, and futuristic design further enhancewheel design and manufacturing improvement. Usage of aluminum material for mass produced vehiclesallow flexibility in wheel creating wheel design with lighter weight compared to steel material. Furtherresearch in wheel processing methods by casting, forged, and with flow forming process is anotherexample for further technological improvement.

Our company, Pako Group, specializes in automotive wheel manufacturing. We are the biggest wheelmanufacturer in Indonesia which supports steel and alloy wheels to automotive OEMs in Indonesia,ASEAN region, as well to East Asia. 

We were established in 1976 where we have been providing wheelsolutions to our customers.By continuous research and strong relation with our customers, we are able tobetterunderstand their requirements and industrial trends, especially on wheel parts.

With the continuing evolution of the automotive industry, we have seen a significant technological shift inpower units from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to electric vehicle (EV). This change allows for a moreenvironmentallyfriendly vehicle which was triggered by the global warming issue that forced most industries toimprove the production efficiency and reduce dependency toward fossil fuel.  We have been workingtogether with automotive manufacturers to provide wheel solutions for them in facing this change. We areconsistently studying to improve wheel design to meet the requirements of the automotive industry,and we are focusing on 3 key areas of the product as the main point of view to this continuousimprovement.

"By continuous research and strong relation with our customers, we are able to understand better their requirement and industrial trend, especially on wheel part"

Safety – focus on safety for our customers have been one of our focuses in providing our product. We believeproduct safety will provide ease of mind and comfort to our customer driving experience. To ensure ourproduct safety, we are conducting various testing from material to product testing. Mechanical material testing will help to confirm the quality of raw material meets the required standard. We also conduct testing for our wheels according to the maximum load design to this wheel.

Testing method which we conduct simulates the wheel in driving condition with: going through bumpy roads, turning, and continuous driving for hundreds or thousands of miles.

Light wheel – With the current automotive industry shift from ICE to EV, car makers require parts which will result in a car that is lighter in weight and more ecological friendly. 

To meet this requirement, we have conducted research and collaborated with some customers to determine optimum wheel structure, selection of high quality raw material, and wheel design to produce wheels with relatively 25% lighter weight. We also develop wheels with using flow forming technology which could help to reduce weight about 6-7% compared to full casting process. Overall, we are developing a light wheel which was tested in our laboratory without reducing the maximum load the wheel could carry.

Innovative Design – Wheel is not just important as part of car chassis, but also as part of the car outlookitself. Innovative design will be the character of the car. Various methods of design modification couldbe conducted on the wheel, such as paint color, diamond cutting, and sticker and decals application. Weare currently developing innovative designs, such as plastic ornaments, which allow the wheel to have adifferent look and also achieve a requirement of lighter weight. Wheel design with plastic ornamentallows it to have a much more progressive design with much more detailed surface contour, and variousmixtures of color and finishing.

Being part of change toward vehicle electrification allows us to understand better the requirement and act accordingly towards it. We are proud to be part of the green ecosystem and continuous improvement for both ICE and EV. However, continuous effort to further innovate and improve the wheel technology is still required. It is in line with what our customer is expecting, with new requirements, new regulations, and new forms of vehicles which will require new ideas in the future.

Customer support and collaboration in the development activity allow for a more positive effect for customer satisfaction. Pako Group has been conducting as a wheel solution provider.