Interesting article about Billet vs. Cast wheels

[goodhart]

As far as I have heard, the reason why the billet wheels end to be more efficient is the newer more efficient design of the compressor wheels.

They say they are also easier to be made because cast tooling is expensive, but yet they charge more for the billet wheel. That part I don't understand.

[Super Bleeder!!]

Originally Posted by goodhart

As far as I have heard, the reason why the billet wheels end to be more efficient is the newer more efficient design of the compressor wheels.

They say they are also easier to be made because cast tooling is expensive, but yet they charge more for the billet wheel. That part I don't understand.

Exactly right on your first comment.

On the subject of the second part: setting up a part to be cast is initially expensive but cheap in the long run if the production numbers are high.

However, thats not to say machining wheels is cheap AT ALL. CNC machines are ridiculously expensive and the cutting bits wear out (and they're not cheap.)

[CarPsyco84]

Originally Posted by Super Bleeder!!

Cutting bits wear out (and they're not cheap.)

Depends on the material being cut, Aluminum can be cut for practically forever with the same carbide endmill... Stainless or other high nickel alloys... not so much. The reason the wheels might be expensive is the fact that you need a 5 axis CNC mill to do turbo wheels. And the number of hands the part goes through by the time it gets to the end user. Machining aluminium with the right tooling is like cutting butter with a steak knife.

[Mwolf83]

Originally Posted by CarPsyco84

Depends on the material being cut, Aluminum can be cut for practically forever with the same carbide endmill... Stainless or other high nickel alloys... not so much. The reason the wheels might be expensive is the fact that you need a 5 axis CNC mill to do turbo wheels. And the number of hands the part goes through by the time it gets to the end user. Machining aluminium with the right tooling is like cutting butter with a steak knife.

This isn't always the case either, yes when cutting aluminum the tooling will last longer, but the tooling will not last "forever" and sometimes not long at all. I work in a machine shop where we make aluminum cases for Polaris, Arctic Cat, Yamaha, Honda, etc....and we will end up changing some tooling whether its endmills, drills, facemill/bore head inserts, or whatever the tool may be every couple hundred to couple thousand parts. There are even some parts that may require a tool change ever couple part.
There are hardened steel shafts that get bored out by carbide inserts that can even last as long as a few hundred parts before a change is needed. Many many many factors.