From AutoBlog:
"...a seven-piece wheel: five spokes, a center section, and the carbon fiber rim. Using two Arcam Electron Beam Melting (EBM) machines, GE engineers built up each section using a titanium powder melted into a solid by the electron beam, yielding "stress-relieved components with material properties better than cast, and comparable to wrought material."
"Hand finishing removed the temporary heat and support structures necessary during the build. The leftover bits represented just 5 percent of the total material, vs. the 80 percent from the forging process, and can be recycled. The threads and mating surfaces received CNC machining, then bolted to the rim with titanium fasteners without any powdercoating or clear-coat. HRE didn't divulge the final weights, but when assembled, the front wheel measures 20 x 9 inches, the rear 21 x 21.5 inches."
"...a seven-piece wheel: five spokes, a center section, and the carbon fiber rim. Using two Arcam Electron Beam Melting (EBM) machines, GE engineers built up each section using a titanium powder melted into a solid by the electron beam, yielding "stress-relieved components with material properties better than cast, and comparable to wrought material."
"Hand finishing removed the temporary heat and support structures necessary during the build. The leftover bits represented just 5 percent of the total material, vs. the 80 percent from the forging process, and can be recycled. The threads and mating surfaces received CNC machining, then bolted to the rim with titanium fasteners without any powdercoating or clear-coat. HRE didn't divulge the final weights, but when assembled, the front wheel measures 20 x 9 inches, the rear 21 x 21.5 inches."
