Buckled Alloy Wheel Repair
Powder Coating Process How We Produce Stunning Wheels Alloy Master offer a full factory refurbishment involving a six stage process:
Stage One
Pre-refurbishment inspection and preparation
If tyres are fitted they are inspected for wear or damage prior to being marked up with the customer identification
(and positioning on car if present).
The tyre is then removed from the wheel together with weights and valve.
Stage Two
Stripping the wheel back to bare metal
The alloy wheel is placed in a chemical solution (unlike some refurbishers we do not use acid which is more aggressive and less environmentally friendly) for several hours to remove all the old paint and lacquer and any accumulated deposits. We do this for every wheel to provide a perfect key for the subsequent paint and lacquer processes.
It is then thoroughly washed to remove all chemical deposits and dirt.
The wheel is then placed into our new low pressure Aqua blaster machine in order to create the best possible surface condition in preparation for the painting process.
Stage Three
Priming the wheel
The wheel is placed on a conveyor system that passes through an oven to remove any trapped air before moving into a spray booth for an application of powder coating primer.
It then goes through a second oven to be baked to ensure curing has been completed.
A quality check is performed before proceeding any further with the refurbishment process.
Stage Four
Applying the paint and lacquer
The wheel is again pre-heated to an optimum temperature before entering a sealed booth.
The wheel is then professionally spray painted.
Immediately after being painted a lacquer is applied to the face and inside (powder lacquers are highly durable) to protect the wheel from salt, brake dust and other elements
The wheel then returns to the oven and once it has cooled a final inspection is performed.
Stage Five
Quality Control
Each wheel is carefully inspected to ensure that the finish is as close as possible to the original factory finish of a new wheel (assuming no underlying flaws in the quality of the wheel we started with) and matches the best industry standards set by Alloy Master.
We don’t let a wheel leave the factory unless we feel that it is 100% ready to go back to the customer.
Stage Six
Refitting and balancing
(wheels with tyres only)
The wheel is matched up to the customers tyre
A new rubber valve is inserted, except where there is a sensor or metal valve which is re-used (where possible) and the tyre is put back on.
The wheel and tyre is balanced, using stick-on weights to the inside of the wheel.
For those customers using our ‘leave your car onsite’ facility the refurbished alloy wheel(s) is put back onto the car and the wheel nuts torqued.