Can a ceramic treatment make aluminium truck wheels easier to maintain?

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Maxion Wheels is taking a different approach to protecting forged aluminium truck wheels, introducing a new ceramic surface treatment designed to keep corrosion, road grime and other contaminants at bay while making the wheels easier to clean.

The new technology, called Maxion C-GUARD, is being introduced alongside Maxion's latest range of forged aluminium truck wheels. The company says the treatment can provide long-term protection against the harsh conditions wheels face on the road, from brake dust and road salt to grease, mud and chemicals.

For truck operators, that could mean a fairly simple benefit: less time spent cleaning and maintaining the wheels.

A tougher surface for forged aluminium wheels

Maxion C-GUARD is a proprietary ceramic surface treatment designed to form a permanent molecular bond with the wheel surface.

Rather than simply acting as another conventional coating, Maxion says the treatment is engineered to improve the wheel's resistance to corrosion, physical wear and chemical exposure while maintaining a high-gloss appearance.

The treatment combines silicon, zirconium, aluminium, zinc and titanium, with Maxion saying the combination is designed to provide mechanical strength, chemical resistance and UV stability.

That matters because forged aluminium truck wheels can encounter some pretty unfriendly conditions during everyday operation. Road salt, brake dust, grease, mud and other contaminants can accumulate on the surface and make cleaning more difficult over time.

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Could cleaning become easier?

This is where Maxion C-GUARD is designed to offer a practical advantage.

The treatment has both hydrophobic and oleophobic properties, meaning it is designed to repel water- and oil-based contaminants.

In simple terms, Maxion says substances such as road grime, brake dust, grease, road salt and mud should have less opportunity to stick firmly to the wheel surface.

That can reduce dirt build-up and make the wheels easier to clean, potentially reducing the need for harsh chemicals or polishing.

For operators managing commercial vehicles, the appeal is therefore not just about how the wheels look. Easier maintenance could also make routine wheel cleaning less of a chore.

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Protection without losing the aluminium finish

Maxion says the ceramic treatment is also designed to resist chipping, cracking and harsh chemicals, while providing UV stability and maintaining the high-gloss appearance of the wheel.

The company describes C-GUARD as a surface technology platform rather than simply another wheel coating.

“With Maxion C-GUARD, our objective was not to simply create another wheel coating. We set out to engineer a surface technology platform that goes beyond traditional approaches to wheel protection,” said Zeferino Neto, chief technical officer at Maxion Wheels.

The company says the technology reflects its focus on developing products around customer requirements, particularly where durability and maintenance are important.

C-GUARD arrives with a new aluminium wheel range

The treatment is being launched alongside Maxion's new forged aluminium wheel range, initially offered in four sizes:

22.5x9.00

22.5x11.75 ET0

22.5x11.75 ET120

22.5x8.25

The wheels are manufactured at Maxion's new plant in Manisa, Türkiye, and customers will have three finish options: Maxion C-GUARD, brushed and polished.

For Maxion, the combination brings together the lightweight forged aluminium wheel platform with a surface treatment designed to handle the less glamorous, but very real side of life on the road.

And for truck operators, the proposition is pretty straightforward: a wheel that stays protected, looks good and may take less effort to keep clean.

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