A Digital Testing Framework for Design Improvements of Three-Piece Alloy Wheels Through Finite Element Analysis

Three-piece alloy wheels are widely used across the automotive industry, favoured due to their lightweight construction and ease of customisation. Vehicle wheels must withstand forces generated during acceleration, braking, cornering, and impacts, ensuring safety and durability under real-world conditions. Finite element analysis (FEA) plays a crucial role in simulating these loading conditions, thoroughly assessing structural performance prior to manufacturing. This study develops and validates a digital FEA testing framework tailored to low-volume wheel manufacturers, demonstrating that FEA can replace traditional physical wheel fatigue tests where such facilities are unavailable. This research was conducted in collaboration with a UK company specialising in the design and manufacture of bespoke, limited-production three-piece alloy wheels. However, the absence of dedicated structural testing procedures caused many of their existing designs to be overengineered, resulting in excessive material usage, increased weight, and high production costs. In some cases, lack of testing also contributed to wheel failures. This work selected three of the company’s existing wheel designs and subjected them to comprehensive analysis. Using FEA, each wheel was evaluated under industry-standard radial, cornering, biaxial, and impact tests. To verify the simulations, a known case of wheel failure was analysed and compared to real-world values. Once verified, any design issues were addressed. The redesigned wheels achieved substantial weight reduction (up to 25%), while still meeting or exceeding the relevant safety standards and allowing for manufacturability. Ultimately, this work demonstrated that applying digital simulation techniques can significantly improve the performance and safety of custom three-piece alloy wheels.