Maxion bringing aluminum wheels to market

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LAS VEGAS, NV – Maxion Wheels, long known for steel wheels, will bring its first forged aluminum wheels to the heavy-duty marketplace this spring.

The cornerstone of the product line – available in a standard machine finish or optional polished surface — will be the 45-pound 22.5×8.25 wheel. Offerings will also include a 24.5×8.25 wheel weighing 56 pounds, a 17.5×6.75 weighing 30 pounds, and a wide-base 22.5×14 that weighs 56 pounds.

By comparison, the company’s five-hand-hole steel wheel weighs 68 pounds.

The new wheels are designed to exceed industry standards in material, rim contour, radial and rotary fatigue, mounting configurations, and FMVSS 571.120 markings, the company says.

It’s all about acquiring new business rather than convincing customers to switch from steel to aluminum. “We view this a big step forward, a complementary addition to our existing product line,” says Donald Polk, president – Americas. “There has been a move in the market to more and more application of aluminum wheels. Fleet owners and owner-operators are looking to have the visual appearance. They’re also looking for a lighter product.”

The company estimates that the North American wheel market is now split evenly between steel and aluminum.

“Undeniably, aluminum is the future,” Polk said.

The new wheels will initially be built by a third-party manufacturer in Asia, although Maxion has production facilities in the U.S., Mexico and beyond.

While the brand has established a presence in North America over the last five years, Maxion has a 100-year history in the wheel market. One in every six Original Equipment wheels in the world are made by the company, which produced 56 million of them last year. It has a presence in 12 countries across five continents.

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John G. Smith is Newcom Media's vice-president - editorial, and the editorial director of its trucking publications -- including Today's Trucking, trucknews.com, and Transport Routier. The award-winning journalist has covered the trucking industry since 1995.


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