24 March 2014

Alcoa, the inventor and global leader of forged aluminium wheels, is investing USD 13M to expand its wheel manufacturing plant in Europe, to meet growing demand for its lightweight, durable, low-maintenance aluminium truck wheels. The expansion of the Székesfehérvár, Hungary facility will enable Alcoa to produce twice as many Dura-Bright EVO surface-treated wheels in Europe by early 2015, compared with current production levels. 

“Demand for Alcoa’s forged aluminium wheels continues to grow in Europe”, said Tim Myers, President, Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products. “Additional capacity at our manufacturing facility in Hungary positions us to capture this growth.” Alcoa’s new Dura-Bright EVO surface-treated wheel maintains all the benefits of its predecessor, the Dura-Bright wheel with XBR technology, while further improving the wheel’s performance. The Dura-Bright EVO surface-treated wheel is 10 times more resistant to corrosion primarily caused by road salts and weather elements, and up to three times more resistant to chemicals, including hydrofluoric acid, found in the toughest truck-wash cleaning agents. 

Construction on the production line expansion began in January 2014, with completion expected in early 2015. The Hungarian Government will contribute USD 4.4M toward the construction through its Regional Operative Programme.