Our Factory
After three years of research and development, Vossen is proud to be one of the few companies in the world manufacturing forged wheels entirely in-house. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Vossen’s state-of-the-art, TUV Verified facility features a comprehensive array of brand new machinery.
Machining Department
The Vossen Forged Factory uses ten brand new CNC machines to manufacture wheels. Vertical lathes use gravity to achieve superior concentricity and runout while mills with high rigidity and spindle speeds reduce cycle time and produce smoother surface finishes. An internal network is used to store and distribute CNC programs, accessible from any machine.
Hand Prep Department
The Hand Prep Department is responsible for prepping the wheel for its final surface finish. Wheels with brushed or polished finishes undergo an additional amount of hand prep, creating a very artisanal look that can only come from an educated hand.
Finishing Department
Vossen’s manufacturing facilities include a wide array of finishing options, such as ceramic polishing, hand-brushing, and powder coating. By bringing every facet of wheel production in-house, Vossen has full control of the finished product, guaranteeing that every wheel that ships is of exceptional quality and precision.
Design
Many forged wheel manufacturers utilize the simplest and most common machining techniques to increase production volume. The Vossen Forged lineup, particularly the Precision Series, does not compromise its exclusive and complex features for manufacturing ease.
Design Process
The design process begins with identifying the end goal. Gaps in both our product line and the market help guide the direction of new designs. We try to see what’s missing and fill in the blanks from there, typically beginning with a 3D model.
Infini-lip
The signature feature of the Precision Series is the Infini-Lip barrel, embodying simplistic elegance and purity of design. Without the utmost precision throughout the entire manufacturing process, a seamless and unobstructed transition from the wheel face to barrel would be impossible.
Vehicle Optimized Aesthetics
Every car make and model has different parameters and clearances as well as different general aesthetics. Utilizing our extensive measuring process and Vehicle Tailored Engineering, Vossen Forged wheels are optimized specifically for each vehicle, maximizing concavity and perfecting overall fit.
Engineering
Precise fitments are achieved by taking measurements from over 100 different data points around the car. Those measurements lead to CAD models that are tested using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to ensure SAE and TUV compliance while maximizing concavity. Each wheel is specifically made for each vehicle make and model.
Testing
Every Vossen Forged wheel design is physically tested in compliance with SAE and TUV standards. Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software each wheel undergoes simulated cornering, radial, and impact testing specific to the vehicle.
Measurements
Over 100 measurements are collected from each vehicle, including the weight rating and distribution, to determine each wheel’s minimum material requirement. Exclusive to the Precision Series, the center drop, hub, and mounting surface diameters are specific to the bolt pattern of the vehicle, allowing for further weight reduction.
Vehicle Tailored Engineering
Vossen’s Vehicle Tailored Engineering ensures that your vehicle will attain its optimal style and performance. Every Precision Series wheel is engineered to be superior to the OEM wheel it is replacing and the ultimate fit is achieved by considering the maximum width, offset, and concavity that the car’s dimensions will allow.
Manufacturing
Vossen Forged wheels utilize a manufacturing process developed to achieve the most uncompromising design and quality standards for forged wheels. In order to produce the most precise wheels in the industry, Vossen has developed a proprietary eight-step machining process.
Material
Manufacturing the best wheels in the industry begins with nothing but the finest raw materials, made in California. Vossen Forged wheels are made of aerospace-grade 6061-T6 aluminum forged into a proprietary forging design. Heat-treated for additional integrity, these monoblock forgings yield quality equal to and sometimes greater than the raw materials used by the world’s top OEM automakers.
Programming
Once engineered, each wheel’s CAD model is programmed for machining using computer-aided manufacturing software (CAM). The program, or G-Code, is developed using CAM to guide each machine’s tool paths while ensuring that the final wheel precisely matches what the engineered CAD model intended.
Initial Lathe Turning
The second step in manufacturing a forged wheel is lathe turning. The raw forging is lathe-turned inside, then flipped 180-degrees and turned outside, creating the rough profile of the final wheel. In this step over 70% of the original material is removed.
CNC Milling
In this phase of production the wheel’s design is revealed while the CNC machines remove as little as 0.02” of material per pass to achieve the utmost precision.
An array of exclusive and intricate milled features characterize the Precision Series, while other Vossen Forged series have similar details echoed throughout.
Lightening
Once the face design is complete, the wheel is rotated 180-degrees for additional milling. The lightening pockets are milled into the back pad of the wheel, shaving weight wherever possible.
Engraving
The specifications of each wheel, such as serial number, vehicle application, size, offset, and load rating, are engraved on the inboard lip, marking each new wheel as a genuine and individualized Vossen Forged product.
Final Lathe Turning
The last step of the machining process is the final inner and outer lathe turning, the most critical in achieving the highest overall precision. The wheel is centered within .001” of its spindle axis and all remaining excess material is removed. The final runout of the wheel after lathing will be less than .01” and the wheel’s roundness is within the thickness of three sheets of paper overall.
Quality Control
Precision requires consistency and consistency requires control, which is why Vossen meticulously inspects every wheel during every step of the process. Vossen machinists conduct inspections on every wheel to ensure precision before proceeding to the next step.
The quality control team confirms every critical dimension according to detailed engineering schematics. Runout, a measurement of a rotating wheel’s roundness, is the most critical measurement. Vossen Forged wheels are checked to confirm that the runout is within tolerance.
Finishing
Vossen’s in-house finishing facility utilizes state-of-the-art equipment to produce only the highest quality finishes. From ceramic polishing to powder coating, all Vossen Forged wheels maintain industry-leading quality by monitoring every step of the process with the utmost scrutiny.