DIAMOND CUTTING
THE DIAMOND PROCESS
Diamond cut alloys have become increasingly popular over the last decade, with most marques now offering diamond cut alloys across their entire vehicle range.
Diamond Cut or ‘Diamond Turned’ alloys can be identified by their polished, CD-like finish, normally combined with a painted inner surface.
The Diamond Cut finish is achieved by first applying the desired colour to a wheel before using a diamond tipped lathe to remove an extremely thin layer from the wheel face. You may also hear the technique being referred to as ‘diamond polishing’, or ‘diamond turning’.
We Restore Alloys are proud to be the ONLY wheel restoration company in Scotland operating HAAS diamond cutting lathes.
Used by the worlds leading wheel manufacturers, HAAS diamond cutting lathes are quite simply the best on the market! Providing an extremely accurate diamond cut profile, removing the smallest possible amount of material from the wheel surface.
PRE INSPECTION
Before any work commences, a thorough inspection is carried out to assess the condition of the wheel. As the machined surface is only protected by a layer of lacquer, any small chips or scuffs can result in water penetrating beneath the lacquer, causing a ‘spidering’ or ‘milking’ effect. Diamond cutting involves removing a thin layer from the wheels face, so we need to ensure that the wheel has not been too heavily machined in the past, removing too much material from the wheel. Any extensively deep damage may mean that the wheel is too heavily damaged to be ‘re-cut’
PROGRAMMING
Once stripped and prepped, each wheels profile is mapped and programmed for machining using the markets latest computer-aided-manufacturing software. The program is developed to generate the tool paths that will precisely re-machine the wheel face, whilst retaining the original wheel profile. We Restore Alloys operate 3 HAAS CNC lathes across Scotland, all linked to our central server which allows instant accessibility to over 3000 wheel profiles from all three sites simultaneously.
COLOUR FINISH
With programming complete, we follow our standard refinishing process. After colour has been applied to the wheel, the diamond cutting procedure begins…
INITIAL LATHE TURNING
This is where the real action happens and our HAAS lathes come into their own. Our lathes will remove as little as 0.01” per pass to achieve the highest level of precision. Unlike any other diamond cutting lathe in the country, our HAAS lathes utilise multi-tool turrets. Our multi-tool capability allows us to replicate and alter a wheels outer radius profile – meaning kerb damage can be removed from the wheels outer edge while only removing minimal material from the wheels face.
FINAL LATHE TURNING
The final pass on our lathes will typically remove as little as 0.008” at a spindle speed and tool feedrate that will give the ultimate Diamond Cut Finish, with none of the heavy radial lines found from inferior equipment.
FINISHING
With the diamond cutting process complete, each wheel will undergo a deburring process before it is ready for coating. An anti-corrosive barrier is applied directly to the metal to prolong the wheels life and prevent corrosion. Finally the wheel will pass through our PowderCoating department for a gloss, satin, smoked or candy clear coat.
