Accuride Corporation – a supplier of components to the North American and European commercial vehicle industries – announced the introduction of its ProFinish steel wheel refinishing service for the North American commercial vehicle aftermarket.
Now in full operation, ProFinish will refinish all steel wheel makes with Accuride’s advanced Steel Armor coating that delivers corrosion protection and carries a 12-month warranty against rust damage. Accuride is the first commercial vehicle wheel manufacturer to refinish wheels for the aftermarket using the same advanced system used to apply its original-equipment wheel coating.
“Accuride launched ProFinish in response to the concerns fleet and aftermarket customers had with the coating quality and durability of their refinished wheels. ProFinish gives them the advanced corrosion protection of Steel Armor coating on their refinished steel wheels," Accuride Wheels President Scott Hazlett said. "Our ProFinish refinished wheels will stand up to the toughest road environments in North America and deliver a level of quality and performance other wheel refinishers simply can’t match.”
The wheel coating process is critical to ensuring the correct paint thickness on the mounting surfaces of wheels. There is a well-defined correlation between wheel nut torque loss and excessive paint thickness. The ProFinish process achieves consistent filiform coating thickness under the 3.5 mils required by OEM standards. Accuride’s new wheel refinishing service operates at the company’s Henderson, Kentucky, steel wheel production facility using the same coating line that applies the Steel Armor powder coating to its original-equipment wheels.
Exacting ProFinish Refinishing Process
The ProFinish refinishing process begins with a quality inspection to exempt wheels containing cracks and other flaws that compromise structural integrity. Next, the wheels undergo a shot-media blast that removes 100 percent of the paint, regardless of coating type. The clean wheels then undergo Accuride’s proprietary three-phase Steel Armor coating process:
- Zinc Phosphate – The process begins with the application of tri-metal zinc phosphate to prepare the metal for maximum adhesion.
- Epoxy E-coat – Next, Accuride applies its best-in-class proprietary formula cathodic epoxy electrocoat (e-coat), optimized for sharp-edge and overall corrosion protection.
- Powder Coat – The final step is an exacting application of premium powder coat, formulated exclusively for Accuride to meet the tough demands of the heavy truck environment.
Eligibility and Ordering
Most wheels of the following sizes are eligible for ProFinish refinishing: 19.5 x 7.50, 22.5 x 7.50, 22.5 x 8.25, 22.5 x 9.00 and 24.5 x 8.25. Customers should contact their Accuride sales representative for program and ordering process details.
ProFinish Warranty
Accuride Wheel End Solutions warrants ProFinish steel wheels to be free of rust damage for 12 months from the date of refinishing indicated on the wheel. Review the complete warranty to understand the coverage and ensure qualification for ProFinish warranty eligibility.
