About ADVANTAGE EXACT Full Forged Wheel
["The pinnacle of riding supported by technology]
■First of all, ADVANTAGE approach was deeply studied as a motorcycle wheel, but they focused on the requirements from F-1 (Formula One) and proceeded with the development, and the full forged wheel (full specification) was completed with the wisdom of all Japan.
■ADVANTAGE has been particular about the fact that the press is one of the best in Japan, with a capacity of 8,000 tons
Of course, the product can be commercialized with 6000t press, but it is meaningless for EXACT unless it is 8000t press.
Pressing aluminum and magnesium at 8,000 tons tightens their component densities and makes them more rigid, and also dramatically changes their microstructures, making them tougher and more supple.
Microscopic magnification of the cross-section of a material reveals the state of its microstructure.
Material not pressed at 8,000 tons has a point-like knotted structure.
Such a state is hard, but it can cause cracking under a large impact, and it is inferior in terms of bearing capacity as indicated by elongation.
A motorcycle has 4 wheels, not like a car. It is naturally susceptible to cracks or, in the worst case scenario, a fall.
That's why ADVANTAGE insists on an 8,000 ton press.
In the material pressed at 8000t, the microstructure changes from point-like to linear and is connected.
This condition is also called the fiber flow effect (forge line).
It is very important not to remove these as much as possible.
The fir streamline will create flexibility and turn hardness into strength (physical strength).
It flexes flexibly and absorbs shocks to prevent breakage.
In order to enjoy many of these advantages, an 8000t press + cleavage spinning machine is required.
In the past, forging was used to make Japanese swords, and in recent years it has been used to make important components for the aircraft industry. The goal is to create a lightweight, dense and strong wheel.
The reason why ADVANTAGE EXACT advocates full forged wheels (full spec) is because it is the best way to ignore various costs.
There are various forging methods to produce EXACT, depending on the model and material factors.
[Processing method (1) Forging (hot punching)]
■With the process of hot forging and hot cleavage spinning, conventional forged wheels are completed after forging and painting, but EXACT is not a finished product.
Spinning is also a very important process.
Advantage can say that sping is the technique that makes the most use of the effect of forging, and Advantage cannot find any other effective one.
Forging is the process of stretching a beaten object.
The reason why Advantage has chosen to use such a forging technique is to ensure absolute safety.
Some of them adopt a method called "split-open forging", which is named from the fact that the rim is formed by ripping open a disc-shaped material pressed at 8000t from the side.
This technology is an excellent answer to the difficult problem of how to form a strong rim while reducing weight.
While the rim is stretched by spinning, in cleavage forging, the rim is ripped and the open part is folded and stretched.
This folding and stretching process requires a much stronger force than spinning.
Therefore, the component densities at the rim become even closer, and consequently, the stiffness is higher than that of spinning alone.
This is one of the most notable advantages of cleavage forging.
In addition, pay close attention to the heat.
Heat is required to process the material, but if the material becomes too hot, it may become too soft and deformed after processing.
Heat is also required for cleavage.
■Spinning is similar to the process of spinning a potter's wheel on a potter's wheel, but while spinning the wheel, the material is slowly stretched and shaped to fit the rim mold while applying heat.
Since the forging is done by pressing with a large roller, the rigidity is increased by the pressure, but a more remarkable phenomenon occurs in cleavage forging.
When spinning, a clean line extends inside the microscopic world.
This line is called a fiber flow (forge line), and since the microstructure of the material that has undergone the 8,000-ton press and cleavage is extremely linear and tight, this forge line becomes more beautiful and extended, resulting in a more rigid rim.
Japanese swords have been forged since ancient times by swordsmiths who forged and kneaded the iron to create the Japanese sword.
In the case of EXACT aluminum forged wheels, the quenching temperature is approximately 520 degrees.
In fact, it is a very severe process, in which heat of 520°C is applied and then cooled.(Not applied to magnesium considering what it is.)
The sword is forged by a master swordsmith, and the steel is heated to the point of turning crimson, and then immediately cooled with water for the so-called quenching process.
This kind of heat treatment stabilizes the material and increases its rigidity.
This is the kind of forging that many great swords have undergone while being forged by swordsmiths, and it is this forging that Advantage's EXACT is given.
Since there is a possibility of thermal deformation due to rupture, it is cooled with water at once to prevent this.
In addition, spinning is applied in order to make the form more precise.
[Processing Method (2) For aluminum forged wheels, in some cases we use a 6000t press and in other cases we use an 8000t press]
■ADVANTAGE uses them in different ways to get the best characteristics of each.
These wheels are subjected to rigorous testing outside the company and are tested by ENKEI TEST AND LABORATORY, which undertakes only testing for ENKEI CORPORATION, the top wheel manufacturer in Japan.
Just as a great sword was made by a master swordsman, the ADVANTAGE EXACT has been made with the utmost care and attention to detail to meet the ever-changing needs of the machines on the circuit.
There is no such thing as an absolute.
[Change that is always multi-responsive to change is the hallmark of ADVANTAGE EXACT]
■In addition to refining our technology, ADVANTAGE has repeatedly focused our development and feedback on four-wheeled vehicles, which have completely different conditions from those of two-wheeled vehicles.
ADVANTAGE is a wheel that is designed to be safer without breaking.
It should be noted that the parts that make up a motorcycle, such as disc rotors, brake calipers, front forks, etc., are specially designed with an advantage to maximize their features in a total package.
The most important point of Advantage is that you can simulate and confirm the design.
In addition, the tire mounting radius of the rim is made of a unique and ideal arc.
Advantage focuses on the air cushioning between the rim and tire.
This shape is used to determine the expansion rate and volume of the air, and to create an ideal space.
As the temperature rises, the thermal expansion of the air has a significant effect on the grip of the tyre and can also cause abnormal tyre wear.
Advantage has designed the system to mitigate those fatalities.
The recent trend of advantage over wheels is not lightness.
If you want a light wheel, there is a 0kg wheel, if you install it, it will make your bike unstable and nervous.
Have you ever heard of the earth piece? It is a gyroscopic piece that keeps spinning and spinning without falling down.
Therefore, ADVANTAGE has already entered a different era from the era of lightness competition.
■ADVANTAGE focuses on the balance of rotation and the flex and rigidity of the wheel.
The flexure of the rim and the wheel itself has an important meaning to provide better information to the rider in the continuous running, turning and stopping.
It is a wheel that is ripe for a smooth dialogue with the rider
It is notable for its unique and stoic design.
The design is shapely, with no extravagance, and the emphasis is on being used for racing machines, ensuring absolute safety on the street.
■Which do you recommend, forged aluminum or forged magnesium wheels?
Advantage is often asked this question, but of course magnesium is more expensive.
However, magnesium is lighter, but it is also more shock absorbent and more comfortable to ride.
Aluminum has the strength, but the image of cast magnesium of a long time ago has been accelerated and it is said that it will be broken or weathered, so it may arouse the anxiety of customers.
The durability of the current ADVANTAGE EXACT full forged magnesium wheel is no longer comparable to the magnesium products of the past.
Especially, the advantage is in the front and rear hubs and the rim.
When the hub part is forged, a fist allowance is forged in the center of the hub part (like the same part of a drum) to increase the strength of the hub.
The maintenance parts that ADVANTAGE has received many inquiries about are the hub damper rubbers.
ADVANTAGE hub damper rubbers are made from proven SHOWA / KYB hub damper rubbers, so even though it has been almost 10 years since they were first sold, only 5 units have been sold in the ADVANTAGE shop due to the amazing durability of the hub damper rubbers themselves.
This is a proof that the material and design of the damper rubber is alive and well.
■The damper rubbers attached to the upper and lower end eyes of the rear suspension are approx. 5mm-10mm thick, and the thinner ones are approx. 3mm thick even in the liter class. In fact, how many of you have replaced the end eye rubber of your motorcycle rear shock?
Recently, some racers say that fan-shaped damper rubbers are required to catch the power, but Advantage uses fan-shaped damper rubbers with an outer diameter of Φ36 because they cause more backlash.
In the past, 6 damper rubbers were used for endurance races, but since they do not wear out significantly, the design has been shifted to 5.
There is also this happy misadventure.
■The sprocket is a special product for EXACT of XAM JAPAN.
In Suzuka 8 hours endurance race, 525 and 520 size are supporting the machine's legs in JSB1000 class.
[Regarding the maintenance of wheels (especially magnesium)]
■As for the characteristic of magnesium itself, it is easy to be oxidized without coating, so there was a time when it was said that it was hard to take care of when it first appeared, but if it is ADVANTAGE EXACT produced with modern technology, you don't have to worry about it.
If the paint is peeled or rubbed off and you can see the surface, you should touch up the paint immediately and keep it clean.
When you wash your car, you can use neutral detergent.
■Originally, chromate treatment with high corrosion prevention effect is applied as a base treatment before painting.
Chromate is also known as: Chromate treatment, chromate film treatment, chromate is a chemical film treatment for the purpose of corrosion resistance of aluminum alloy, magnesium, and the base of paint, is safe for a long time.
By immersing the material metal in a solution containing hexavalent chromium and passivating it, a self-healing film can be obtained and chemical polishing can be performed at the same time.
Currently, hexavalent chromium is regulated as an environmentally destructive substance and is replaced by trivalent chromium.
Immediately after treatment, the surface of the metal is gelatinous, but when dried at about 60°C, it becomes a film with corrosion resistance and self-healing properties, and is ready for final coating.