How Many Times Can the Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels Be Repaired?

Diamond cut alloy wheels have become the car fashion statement to style various modern cars. So, what is meant by diamond-cut alloy wheels? The diamond-cut wheels are first put on a lathe, and a part of the wheel or the wheels’ entire painted surface is machined off the diamond cut alloy wheels to achieve a bright shiny alloy finish. Then, the wheels are lacquered for preventing the wheel’s corrosion.

It can be simply said, whether an alloy wheel has been diamond cut, but it is difficult to notice whether the alloy wheel is old or did suffer from corrosion. Looking closely at the wheels, and noticing the little cut lines from the cutting machine, it can be told easily.

Can the Diamond Cut Wheels be Repaired More than Once?
In general terms, your diamond cut alloy wheels can be repaired from one to two times. Nevertheless, the specifically trained and certified technicians working on diamond-cut alloy wheels repair can accordingly advise you by assessing and checking each diamond cut alloy wheel individually for determining whether the wheels are eligible to be recut and repaired.

What is the Production Procedure of the Diamond Cut Alloys?
The Diamond Cut Alloys, as a part of its finishing process, diamond cut alloys are having a material layer shaved off of them through the application of machine lathe. Now in the whole process, it gives rise to a much faint grooved effect on the alloy wheel, thus leaving a much greater shiny effect that is much similar to a DVD.

Which Manufacturers Are Using The Diamond Cut Alloys?
The top-end manufacturers, like the BMW, Mercedez-Benz and Audi include the diamond cut alloy wheels as standard on their vehicles. It is because these brands are perceived as “prestige brands”. When the new cars have diamond-cut alloys, then it adds both value and WOW factor to the cars.

What is the Difference in the Diamond Cut Alloy Repairs?
The diamond-cut alloy wheel repairing experts always attempt at repairing and refurbishing, and if not necessary, then they will advise which service is necessary. Even sometimes repairing the diamond cut alloy wheels become difficult, and then the professionals make a careful study to frame the better solution.

So, the diamond cut alloy wheels require a machine lathe for being repaired. Due to the nature of the work, unfortunately, it can be done only twice so the wheels can be saved from suffering internal cracking and damages.

So, whether you are driving Audi, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW, Seat, Citroen, Toyota, Subaru or a Mini – the certified technicians will always have the solution for repairing their diamond-cut alloy wheels when they are needed. Assessing the wheels’ damage is the first step, and repair appropriateness is needed. The diamond-cut alloy wheels repairing process provides a long-lasting and superior finish over the alternative options like Cosmetic Repairs and Powder Coating.

Prep Works Needed To Apply Powder Coating on Alloy Wheels

Almost like the ceramic coatings, correctly done prep works have a vital role in influencing the powder coating applications process. Now, the powder coatings get electrically bind to the surface it is striking, and so it is extremely effective in removing brake dust, road grime, dirt, grease and all sorts of ground-level contaminants from the set of wheels that promote adhesion.

Powder coating is equally strong in removing the “roach rash”, blemish from the alloy wheel surface, even if the car or the motorbike has been driven by a substantially skilled driver, and has encountered the rogue stone chip or the unexpected scuff.

Despite the damages appearing new or ratty looking – the wheels have to be properly prepped for powder coating, so they have to undergo the necessary prep stages.

The Chemical Soak
In the first prep procedure, the alloy wheels have to be soaked in a specialized heated and agitated chemical stripping solution. After being stripped of contaminants and residue, the aluminium alloy underside of the wheels will be exposed, after it has been rinsed.
Since the professionals are handling the process, so they are aware of using non-toxic chemicals, which will neither be harmful to human health nor the environment. Being efficient powder coaters, they make sure to use earth-friendly systems.

Blake and Blast
Now for exposing the stubborn spots, which the chemical dips might have missed, the alloy wheels are placed in the kiln, once they have been rinsed off. It further helps to expedite drying times. Next, it is shifted on to blasting, the process typically involving aluminium oxide spray using a high-pressure hose for removing the lifted debris to the surface.

In the blasting process, the professionals just use aluminium oxide. The other organic media that quickly get embedded in the softer alloys, like the aluminium, are the walnut shells, and silica or sand beads.

Manual Rash Removal
Blasting removes the most stubborn contaminants from the wheel surface, but it will not work for the deeply grained corrosion and pitting. Neither will blasting impact the rock chips or curb rash. So, the experts use a polishing wheel for shaving off the rough edges, unpleasant accidents and imperfects. Next, the wheels are given milder buffing round.

Tape Time
After buffing and deburring are completed, the thermal tape is applied to the areas for protecting them as they are not to be powder coated. The professionals avoid spraying the whole wheel. They mask off the flat face bolting to the hub for guaranteeing wheels are properly seated.

Before the wheel servicing experts apply powder coating, they ensure removing the dirt, debris and old paint. They use the special solvent for removing chipped and old paint. The total time taken for powder coating is dependent on a few factors, and the wheels’ condition is the chief determinant. Clean and damage freewheel will take about 1 – 2 hours to powder coat each wheel. In case, additional sandblasting and cleaning are needed, then the process will take from 2 to 3 hours.

How Long Does It Take For Wheels Powder Coating?

Powder coating is remarkably advantageous over painting the wheels. The process might be time-consuming, compared to the painting jobs, but it is all the way better and long-lasting.
So, how long does powder coating the wheels generally take?

3 C’s of Wheel Powder Coating Process
For having a clear and better idea about the needed time, understanding the process is very important.
i. Cleaning
After the valve and tyre are removed from the very wheel, it is cleaned thoroughly. The best method to clean and get rid of residue and dirt is pressure washing. Sometimes, sandblasting is used for ensuring the wheel is completely debris-free.
Next, dipping into a chemical solution, the old paint layers are removed. Once the paint has been removed, the wheel will need extra cleaning and drying so it is ready for receiving powder coating.
ii. Coating
A compressed air gun is used for powder coating. The professionals force the materials through the nozzle and acquire a positive charge. For attracting positive particles, the wheel is grounded.
iii. Curing
After the powder coating is applied, then it will need heat processing for a fusion of particles and adherence to the surface. Then the wheel is sent to the curing oven, and some time is given for cooling down.

Each step mentioned above does not go above 40 minutes for being completed. The total time, accordingly taken for applying the powder coating a wheel is a total of 2 hours. So, one day is enough for powder coating all the four wheels of a car, even if the powder coating specialist works on one wheel at a time.

Influential Factors of the Application Time

Sometimes, the powder coating process might not be as smooth as discussed above. There are other factors that affect powder coating the car wheels’ time and cost. Let us look into them.

i. The Wheels’ Condition

The wheels’ condition instructs the cleaning time. While some wheels need extensive sandblasting and paint removal, there are other wheels, which could be ready to be powder coated right after a simple power washing.

ii. The Material Type

Different materials could take different times for curing, and the metal thickness could even determine the curing time. Nevertheless, usually, the difference in time is insignificant and does not go beyond more or less than ten minutes.

iii. Curing Equipment

The curing time is even based on the equipment being used for the powder coating process. For instance, convention and infrared ovens take a lot of time for curing other than laser cutting methods. Also, for the wheels, the time difference is hardly substantial.

iv. Powder Coating Service

Availability is the chief factor affecting the delivery time. As the demand is often high, so powder coating might take one day extra for being completed. As powder coating is highly popular, so you have to choose the right service and make an advance appointment to ensure timely completion.

Alloy wheel powder coating, for the alloy wheels, is a superb decorative finish. Like the traditional paints, it is sprayed on. However, it gets settled on the surface dry other than the liquid. Till the coating is heated and treated, then the paint does not flow out of the coating to form a gel over the wheel surface. Like the standard e-spray, car scratch repairs, and car bodywork repairs, the wheel powder coating process has to be lacquered on the top for protection against UV damages, pollution, light scratches, and wash swirls.

What Do Smart Car Repairs Mean and How Do You Benefit From Them?

Denting or scuffing the cars is indeed painful. As you have had made years of saving for buying a car and drive it being extremely carefully only for building up your No Claim Discount. Then, you should have to spend a huge amount of money for fixing the damages or else make a claim in your insurance. The best decision ever to take is choosing Smart Car Repairs.

Since the last 10 years, the Smart Car Repairs have become much popular – SMART indicates Small and Medium Area Repair Technique. It has helped in reducing the necessity of always visiting a car bodyshop to get done light repairs. A few SMART repairs might be done at the bodyshop, but most others have to be done by the SMART car repairers who often are mobile and can visit you to get done the necessary repairs.

SMART Car repairs are fruitful in solving a wide range of problems like small dents, scratches, bumper scuffs, and kerbed alloy wheels.

Why Should You Choose SMART Repairs?
SMART Car Repairs is advantageous as they are generally cheaper, compared to visiting a bodyshop as a small area needs repairs. But be careful not to be carried away by the low price as it does not state you will be given a low-quality job. SMART Car Repairs are by nature cheaper. You need not pay for the entire side of the car’s body panels for being painted due to a dent in the door or a scratched bumper.
SMART Car Repairs are generally faster and if mobile SMART Car Repairs Service is used, then they will visit you and fix your car at your given place, so the inconveniences are absent. SMART Car Repairs are completed on that very day when they have been started.

Another significant benefit of SMART Car Repairs are is because of the lower cost, you could opt for not making a claim through your insurance. It indicates you are not going to lose your No Claim Discount. The right time when you can make proper use of SMART Car Repairs is at the time of selling your car. You could live with either a scuff or two, but it is going to harm your car’s resale value. If the potential once spots the presence of dents or chips in the paint, then they will be put off.

How Do the Smart Car Repairs Work?
The car’s damage will determine the work, which must be done. For the small dents but the paint not being affected means, paint-less dent removal is necessary. In this case, the damaged area is manipulated gently without having to use any paints or fillers.

If the paintwork is damaged, then paint and fillers are necessary. Sanding the damaged area, the repairers fill them before they use a heater for drying it up. They rub down the entire area before they spray paint, lacquer it and polish it up for it to look brand new. SMART Car Repairs use paints virtually identical to the existing car’s color. It indicates you need not repaint the entire car which could cost you a huge amount.
A damaged car is often covered by Insurance. You have to check your Insurance Certificate and Policy Documents for exactly finding out what you are exactly covered and in what circumstances. The insurers will be paying either the repair cost to the car only if it costs less than your car’s value, or else pay you your car’s value subtracting any excess if it is not economical in repairing the car.

Smart Car Repairs prove to be a good alternative while undergoing a dealership or for making payments for expensive bodyshop services. When the damages encountered by your car are to be sorted out, then a good idea is to weigh up the options you have and choose the right one befitting your finances.

How Can The Old Alloy Wheels Be Repaired?

Now almost all the new cars are fitted with aluminum alloy wheels since they are the choiceable wheels for them customizing their older car. Different from the steel wheels, the alloy wheels are available in different styles and colors, and can its hue can be matched with ease. The alloy wheels are eye-catching additions for the cars exuding styles and class, which retain their value for years, but they even need some care and attention.

What Are the Alloy Wheels?
The term alloy wheels refer to the motorcycle and car wheel cast out of certain aluminum alloy grades. First devised in 1948 by ALCOA, the alloy wheels were constructed of different non-ferrous materials which including magnesium alloy and so the term “mag-alloy wheels”.

Now magnesium wheels are rarely used because of the cost issues and the wheels’ vast majority are composed of different aluminum alloy compositions that offer the right combination of durability, cost, and mechanical properties.
Never are the alloy wheels left unfinished. They have substantial proactive lacquer and paint layers for preventing them from deterioration too fast. Alloy wheels are different steel wheels due to the wheels being of different materials, like aluminum alloy wheels as opposed to steel wheels, which are the alloy of carbon and iron. Compared to the steel wheels, the aluminum wheels are generally more ornate. Steel wheels have plastic wheel rims fitted for making them more attractive. Aluminum wheels have a protective paint layer, and if this is damaged then the aluminum underneath the car will begin corroding, further, the layer from underneath is destroyed. With this condition, it is possible to refurbish the wheels.

Alloy Wheel Refurbishment With the damaged aluminum wheels, and for the ones that start to look fatty, then the professionals can repair them. Damage takes place if the wheels abrade against the kerb or are struck with a sharp object and eventually it breaks through the lacquer. For these cases, the damages should be rectified as the earliest for preventing further aluminum alloy deterioration under the top coating.

Alloy wheel refurbishment normally starts after the lacquer coating is completely removed for exposing the aluminum alloy present underneath. To get this done, the entire wheel is first immersed in a chemical bath that attacks the lacquer and then removes it and leaves the wheel’s aluminum untouched.

Once the wheel is completely free of its protective lacquer coating, then the alloy wheel refurb technician checks on the entire wheel for its dents and cracks. With the wheel being cracked or containing a dent in the rim’s particular areas, it may slowly cause the air to leak and cause the tyre to run flat.

Generally, the cracks indicate, the wheels cannot be used, since they determine the wheels’ integrity and strength. However, it is possible to repair a few dents using a special filler containing aluminum powder that gets dried up for looking much similar to the wheel’s aluminum alloys. The aluminum powder toughens the alloys, and the technicians can file and polish them into the wheel’s shape, leaving an indistinguishable form from the wheel’s real metal, with a new lacquer layer being applied to the entire wheel.

With the repairable damages being fixed once, and the technicians being contented about no cracks being evident, they roughly wash the wheels and dry them. Next, the technicians prime the wheels for painting. The alloy wheels are checked once again. After that, they paint and bake the wheels at just under 100C before they are finally lacquered and again baked at around 110C. Then it is rechecked to be refitted to the car once they are okay.

The aluminum alloy wheels create a different and classy look of the car, only if they are kept in the topmost condition. So, does not matter how minor the scratch or dent is, do not ignore them. The professional alloy wheel refurbishment technician is always ready to take great care of your alloy wheels and restore them to their former working conditions.

5 Common Driving Mistakes That You Should Avoid

Most of the road accidents occur due to some small and common mistakes. As a driver, not only you obey the traffic rules but also you need to avoid any kind of driving mistake. A small ignorance can create a major accident. So, don’t be casual too much.

 Here are 5 common mistakes that you should avoid while driving.

Using a mobile phone while driving

Using mobile phones while driving is one of the common mistakes. Several road accidents occur every year due to this little mistake. To avoid this, do not take calls or use your mobile when you drive. In case of an emergency, you should stop the car at the roadside and then pick up your phone.

Drive with a damaged wheels

Car wheels can be damaged due to many reasons. They might get bent on the potholes or hit by the curb. Stones, road chips and other solid particles can create scratches on the car wheels. Many people avoid this problem but driving with damaged wheels is a big mistake. If your car has such damaged wheels then surely you will opt for an alloy wheel repair & refurbishment service in London. Alloy wheel experts will restore the original look of your car wheels by advanced refurbishing techniques.

Drive under low tire pressure

Drive under low tire pressure is another common driving mistake. You should check regularly tire pressure indicator on your car dashboard. If it is low then don’t drive your car at this condition. The tire pressure indicator saves you from any accident. You should fill the pressure into the tire at the gas pump as soon as possible.

Not adjusting the side mirrors of your car

Improper adjustment of the side mirror of your car may lead to many accidents. Side mirrors play a vital role while driving. It is highly essential to ensure that the side mirrors are in perfect position. Proper adjustment helps to see the rare portion and side of your car. So, always make your position the mirrors properly before you drive.

Not using the turning indicators

Last but not least, not using the turning indicators can lead to major accidents. Many drivers do not use the indicator lights while turning but it is a big mistake. This is also very dangerous because there is no proper indication. If you do not use these lights then you may face problems while changing lanes.

So, these are the common driving mistakes. Apart from that, there are many mistakes that you are not aware of. Be careful while driving. Small mistakes can make your life risky.