Taikan Machine's Advanced Wheel Hub Machining Solution for the Automobile manufacturing

The rapid global expansion of the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry has placed unprecedented demands on the manufacturing precision and efficiency of core automotive components. Among these, the wheel hub stands as a critical safety and performance element, directly impacting vehicle stability, safety, and driving range. This challenge is intensified by the fact that NEVs are typically 0.5 to 1 ton heavier than their internal combustion engine counterparts, mandating wheel hubs that simultaneously achieve exceptional strength and significant weight reduction.

I. The Triple Challenge in NEV Wheel Hub Production

Modern wheel hub machining confronts three fundamental hurdles:

1.  Advanced Materials & Complex Processes: NEV hubs commonly utilize aluminum alloys produced via integrated die-casting or semi-solid forging. This demands extreme material density uniformity alongside inherent lightweight and high-strength characteristics. For instance, hubs from low-pressure precision casting, while offering superior surface finish, are prone to deformation from internal stresses during machining—a challenge requiring high-rigidity equipment to suppress vibration effectively.

2. Multi-Process Integration & Precision Control: Automotive parts machining of a wheel hub involves over ten processes, including rough milling, finish milling, drilling, and tapping. The CNC finish milling of the brake drum mount and bearing seat is especially critical for safety, as traditional multi-step machining with repeated fixturing often leads to cumulative errors. Simultaneously, achieving an excellent surface finish during CNC machining is non-negotiable.

3. Balancing High Efficiency with Machine Stability: The explosive market growth demands a massive increase in production capacity. However, sustained high-intensity wheel hub machining pushes the stability and reliability of machining equipment to its limits.

II. The T-V870W: Taikan Machine's Purpose-Built "All-Rounder" Solution

With two decades of CNC manufacturing expertise, Taikan Machine has developed a targeted solution to these industry pain points. The T-V870W CNC vertical machining center is the core of a systematic approach, delivering high efficiency, supreme accuracy, and unwavering stability for wheel hub manufacturing.

Engineered as a specialized platform, the T-V870W excels in three key areas:

1. Unmatched Structural Rigidity: Built on a fixed-column, cross-slide design, its core components are made from high-strength, integrally cast iron. A massively solid base and a high-rigidity, wide-span A-column work in concert to withstand intense cutting forces while ensuring long-term stability. This robust construction guarantees consistent precision and maintains smooth motion at low speeds, even during prolonged high-speed cutting cycles—ideal for the demanding environment of high-volume wheel hub production.

2. Dual Advancement in Speed & Precision: Equipped with high-precision linear guides and ball screws, the axes achieve rapid traverse speeds of 36/36/30 m/min (X/Y/Z). Paired with a BBT40 direct-drive spindle (12,000 rpm), it enables high-speed machining of aluminum alloys. The seamless synergy between this powerful spindle and a 24-tool arm-type automatic tool changer results in superior surface finishes and significantly higher throughput for finished hubs.

3. Expanded Process Adaptability: Offering travels of 850/720/650 mm (X/Y/Z) and a generous 1000 x 650 mm worktable,  this vertical machining center can accommodate batch processing of wheel hubs up to 26 inches. It supports quick mold changes, making it perfectly suited for flexible, small-to-medium batch production of multiple hub variants.

III. Technology-Driven Innovation for Sustainable Mobility

The evolution of NEV wheel hub machining hinges on synchronized innovation in materials, processes, and equipment. The Taikan Machine T-V870W, with its core strengths of high rigidity, high precision, and high efficiency, establishes itself as a pivotal machine tool in this sector.

Looking ahead, as integrated die-casting converges with intelligent control systems, Taikan Machine remains committed to pioneering the future of automotive parts machining. We are dedicated to advancing wheel hub manufacturing towards greater lightweight design, integration, intelligence, and efficiency, providing a solid foundation for the next evolutionary leap in the global new energy vehicle industry.

Discover the Taikan Machine advantage for your production line. Contact us to learn how our precision CNC machining solutions can optimize your wheel hub manufacturing process.