Vehicle Wheel Coating Patterning for Multi-Design Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing vehicle wheels with different aesthetic designs require separate molds for each design, limiting efficiency and increasing production costs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle wheel series is manufactured using a metal wheel substrate with a colored coating layer, where the coating is selectively removed to reveal the substrate in specific regions, allowing for different visual appearances while using the same mold, and the wheels are then coated with a clear paint to enhance aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a different mold is prepared for each wheel design, then aesthetic quality is improved, but device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel surface is divided into multiple regions (first region, second region, groove) that can be independently treated. The colored coating layer is applied to the entire surface initially, then selectively removed from specific regions to create different aesthetic designs. This segmentation allows one mold to produce multiple wheel designs by varying the coating removal pattern rather than requiring separate molds for each design.
Solution Approach 2:
The colored coating layer is applied to the entire wheel surface in advance, covering all regions uniformly. This preliminary coating action creates a base from which different aesthetic designs can be derived by subsequent selective removal. Instead of creating different molds for each design, the preliminary coating followed by selective removal allows one mold to produce multiple aesthetic variations.
2Shape
If a different mold is prepared for each wheel design, then aesthetic quality is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
A single mold is made universal by enabling it to produce multiple wheel designs through the colored coating layer system. The same mold can produce wheels with different aesthetic appearances by varying the coating application or removal patterns. This multi-functionality of the mold dramatically improves productivity compared to requiring separate molds for each design.
Solution Approach 2:
The aesthetic design is controlled by changing parameters related to the colored coating layer (coverage area, removal pattern, thickness) rather than changing the mold itself. By varying these coating parameters, multiple designs can be produced from one mold, improving production efficiency while maintaining design diversity.
3Shape
If the colored coating layer is completely removed, then the wheel substrate color is visible, but aesthetic quality decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The colored coating layer is selectively removed only from specific regions (first region, second region) while being retained in other regions (groove). This creates local quality variations where different areas of the wheel have different appearances - some areas show the substrate color while others show the coating color. This local differentiation maintains aesthetic quality by preserving the coating in areas where it contributes to the design while revealing the substrate in areas where it enhances the visual appearance.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle wheel includes a wheel substrate made of metal and a colored coating layer located on a surface of the wheel substrate. An outer side surface of the wheel includes a first region, a second region, and a groove located between the first and second regions. The colored coating layer covering the wheel substrate is located over the groove. A color of the surface of the wheel substrate is visible at least in the first or second region.