WHAT ARE DIAMOND CUT WHEELS? Nowadays, nearly all cars made past 2010 are supplied from the factory with diamond cut alloy wheels. Some people might call it two tone paint, but they are wrong by saying that, cause shiny and bright shade obtained by cutting the wheel surface. After the paint is applied, the face of the wheel is finely cut on a lathe producing a shiny metal finish. The finished wheel is then lacquered to protect the surface from the environmental impact and the final result is known as a Diamond Cut Alloy Wheel. Why ‘Diamond Cut’? Because the cutting knife inside the lathe has a diamond tip.
CNC machining process Diamond cutting is really precise process and takes longer to reproduce than powder coat refurbishment. Diamond cutting involves removing a thin layer (microns) of alloy from the wheel using special lathing equipment. Before cutting the wheel, they must be 100% straight. Diamond cut wheels can only be refinished just 2-3 times, depending on the wheel structure. Diamond cutting can be applied to all wheel surface, lip or just for desirable spot.
how long does it last? Diamond cut wheels will not retain their finish for as long as a powder coated wheel if it will be damaged on machined places. Any major damage to the lacquer will allow water to fill in between the lacquer and the alloy leaving white spots on the diamond cut finish area, therefore we are using special powder lacquer to secure the machined wheels in perfect condition as long as possible.
HOW to repair DIAMOND CUT WHEELS?
- PAINT - The wheel can be painted to either match the original finish as close as possible or an entirely new color of the customer's choice. Usually this option is handy, when your wheels were machined several times before and it is no longer possible to perform safely procedure of diamond cut.
- POLISH - Using a variety of different grades of abrasive and polishing compounds, the surface is polished to closely resemble the shine of the original diamond cut finish. This way of repair is the cheapest one, but not always possible to do, if wheels have major damages on painted wheel surface.
- RE-CUT - Practically identical to the original finish, the wheel face is cut on a CNC lathe which removes the damage and replicates the same reflective wheel surface.
