trailer world issue Two 2010

Dossier Issue Two 2010 25 doors, fa- cades and skylights and meanwhile advanc- ing to become one of the largest international suppliers in the solar industry. In 1978, Fuchs bought up the US company Weber Metals, a supplier for the aerospace industry, and at the end of the 1990s it acquired a wheel production plant in Hungary. Since it was founded 100 years ago, the company has remained in the hands of the Fuchs family. At present it is run by the personally liable partner Dr. Hinrich Mählmann. “We are known above all through the Fuchs wheel for Por- sche”, says Ludwig. In July, the company reissued the legendary Fuchs wheel to mark its 100th an- niversary. “Time and again, Porsche fans keep on asking us about it, now we have reinterpreted our classic wheel”, says Ludwig. In time, the forged wheel underwent further on- going de- velopment for many different cars. The success of the wheel in the 1960s soon boosteddemand. More than 15 years ago, they started to de- velop forged light wheels, producing them in bulk as part of the basic package for many cars. Today the noble forged alloy wheel is made in six complicated production steps from the rough cast block. These light wheels are to be found not only in environment-friendly cars such as the Audi A2 and the 3-litre Lupo by VW but also in vehicles by Jaguar, Audi, Mercedes and BMW. In addition Fuchs also offers the individual high-end forged wheel for smaller quantities, for example for AC- Schnitzer who customises cars for BMW or also for Rolls Royce. Not many know that Fuchs is mean- while the world’s largest manufacturer of airplane wheels. Prac- tically every airplane or helicopter is fitted with parts by Fuchs. For four years now, the company has also been pro- ducing forged wheels for motorbikes. The latest coup: the forged alu- minium wheel for heavy commercial vehi- cles. Fuchs now makes wheels exclusively for trailer axles by BPW (see interview). This »No one else is capable of producing the five-tonne aluminium wheel in bulk.« Jörg Ludwig, Otto Fuchs Innovation

trailer world issue Two 2010

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