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Alcoa unveils its most durable aluminum wheels at MATS

June 5, 2015
ALCOA rolled out its most durable, easy-to-maintain commercial truck wheel, the Dura-Bright EVO at the Mid-America Trucking show in Louisville, Kentucky.

ALCOA rolled out its most durable, easy-to-maintain commercial truck wheel, the Dura-Bright EVO at the Mid-America Trucking show in Louisville, Kentucky. The company also demonstrated the potential for more aluminum content in heavy-duty trucks.

The Dura-Bright EVO wheel maintains all the benefits of its predecessor, the Dura-Bright wheel with XBR technology, while taking the wheel’s performance to a new level.

It is 10 times more resistant to corrosion primarily caused by road salts and weather elements, and more resistant to chemicals found in the toughest truck cleaning agents. This durability enables the use of a wider variety of cleaning solutions to simplify maintenance, while preserving the integrity and brightness of the wheel.

“Since inventing the forged aluminum wheel, Alcoa has continuously innovated stronger, lighter, and more durable wheels to increase payload and enhance sustainability,” said Tim Myers, president, Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products. “The Dura-Bright EVO wheel is Alcoa’s easiest-to-maintain wheel yet, meaning it can stand up against the harshest weather, road salts, grime and cleaning agents that can corrode and dull standard commercial truck wheels.”

Unlike competitive surface coatings that can crack, peel, corrode and dull quickly, the Dura-Bright wheel allows brilliant shine to last even after years of use, without the need for polishing. Dura-Bright is not a coating, but rather a surface treatment that penetrates the aluminum and becomes an integral part of the wheel, ensuring what happens on the road stays on the road. Regular cleaning with commonly used truck washing products or with just mild soap and water will keep the wheels shiny, even after hundreds of washes and thousands of miles, reducing maintenance costs.

Dura-Bright EVO, the latest generation of Dura-Bright first launched in 2001, now also stays cleaner for longer and washes with less effort. In addition, all Alcoa wheels are made from one piece of forged aluminum, making them lighter and stronger than steel wheels, increasing payload and fuel efficiency.

The Dura-Bright EVO wheel is commercially available in North America for orders shipping in August on Alcoa’s popular LvL ONE® 22.5” x 8.25” and 24.5” x 8.25” wheels. All remaining North American fitments will shift to Dura-Bright EVO in January 2016, extending the innovation to fitments from Class 3 through 8.

Alcoa also showcased its “Art of Saving” campaign during MATS. The campaign highlighted current and soon-to-be lighter, brighter, and stronger aluminum components aimed squarely at boosting the truck owner’s bottom line.

From frame rails to fasteners, Alcoa’s lightweight aluminum technologies can be fully integrated into the truck. When incorporated, these lightweight solutions can generate total savings of up to 2,500 pounds for a tractor trailer combination.

Weight-saving aluminum parts include brazing sheets, wheels, doors, Huck-type fasteners, compressed natural gas fuel tanks, fifthwheels, prop shafts, frame rails, and castings.   ♦

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