When it comes to wheels, the RAYS TE37 is an iconic and timeless design that fits with everything from Fords to Ferraris, making it a legendary status in the car community. RAYS put out a video showing the full manufacturing process from start to finish.
Each TE37 starts as a solid aluminium cylinder, also called a billet, made of RAYS’s proprietary Aluminum 6061 alloy that focuses on strength. The billet is then heated to make it more workable for the forging process.
The forging process is a 3-step process that involves preliminary forging die, a secondary forging die that refines the shape of the spokes, and the final step of forging that shapes the hollowed-out channels into a U-profile for strength and rigidity while maintaining a lightweight.
After the forging process, the wheel undergoes a heat-treating process of quenching and tempering to optimize the aluminium’s tensile strength, proof stress, and elongation. Once this process is completed, the wheel is ready for mounting processing, which involves performing various CNC operations to achieve an even surface finish, balance the wheel, and add the mounting/valve stem holes. These operations require an extreme level of precision due to the tight tolerances.
The remaining burrs from the machining process are removed, which makes the wheel look better and allows for better adhesion of paint and corrosion-resistant coatings. Once the manufacturing process is complete, each wheel is subjected to a radial load fatigue test to determine how the wheels hold up over a multitude of rotations. The wheels that meet RAYS’ standards undergo polishing, shot-blasting, degreasing, and powder-coating, followed by diamond-cutting and painting for the final surface finishing.
Automated engravers and painting machines add the necessary details to the finished product before a final human inspection and strength testing certify the wheels to be shipped out to customers. The Rays TE37 wheels are not just a set of wheels; they are a piece of art that has been crafted with precision, care, and attention to detail. These wheels are a testament to the Japanese craftsmanship and engineering that has made RAYS a leading brand in the automotive industry.
