JP2002513084A - Tin alloy wheel counterweight - Google Patents

Abstract

  (57) [Summary] A suitable axle weight for balancing automotive wheels, having a tin alloy having an upper melting range of less than about 320 ° C. and a hardness of at least about 6 Hv.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the manufacture of weights used to balance wheels of vehicles, including cars and lorries. In particular, it relates to the manufacture of weights made of lead and suitable for replacing those currently in use.

[0002] It will be appreciated that there is increasing pressure worldwide on the use of lead, and in particular lead in auto parts is under surveillance. Environmental authorities and legislators have identified potential obstacles, primarily from disposal systems. End-of-life procedures for disposal of lead are currently under review and demand for reduced lead usage has been increasing. Vehicle manufacturers have responded and are looking for ways to reduce the lead content of vehicles.

[0003] Lead axle weights represent an apparent source of lead, with up to 500g being used to balance the wheels of a car, while larger vehicles use up to 500g for each individual weight. There will be.

[0004] These lead weights are often painted or plated to achieve a brilliant or more metallic glossy finish that better matches the appearance of the alloy wheel. Such a surface treatment would also be used, again for aesthetic reasons, to delay the blackening of the weight by aging. Lead weights have previously been coated with polymers by powder coatings. This is done for a number of reasons: That is,
(I) to prevent corrosion reactions between steel clips and aluminum alloy wheels; (ii) to provide a better surface finish; and (iii) to provide a more environmentally friendly image by encapsulating lead.

[0005] However, lead is still present and has created disposal problems. In addition, recycling is more difficult as special health and safety controls must be adhered to when disposing of polymer coatings.

[0006] Zinc has been tried in the industry, but is not preferred due to a number of factors. That is, (i) the melting point is higher (419 ° C.) than the melting point of lead (327 ° C.), so that it is necessary to improve the performance of production equipment and use additional energy. (Ii) Contamination of lead with zinc can lead to corrosion problems. (Iii) the hardness of the zinc makes it difficult to deform when mounted on a wheel, which makes its application to the wheel dangerous. (Iv) Zinc is sometimes classified as an "environmentally hazardous" metal and therefore does not provide a significant advantage over lead. (V) Zinc easily corrodes and therefore needs to be painted. And (vi) zinc is more difficult to cut and deform to provide the correct size and shape.

[0007] Steel has also been tried for the production of axle weights, but also has a number of disadvantages. (I) Steel corrodes easily and therefore needs to be painted. (Ii) the hardness of the steel makes it difficult to deform when mounted on a wheel, which makes its application to the wheel dangerous. (Iii) Steel is more difficult to cut and deform to provide the correct size and shape. (Iv) its use requires increased performance of production equipment. And (v) it is difficult to cast with clips for attachment to the wheel.

Many polymers have also been tried, but also have a number of disadvantages. (I) they are not dense enough. (Ii) they are difficult to cast with clips for attachment to wheels. And (iii) they require different production equipment.

[0009] Pure tin has also been tried for the production of axle weights. However, while the weights produced were performed in a manner similar to standard lead weights, pure tin proved unsuitable for mass production of cast weights. Tin as a pure metal has a single melting point rather than the melting or paste region, a property of the alloy. This narrow coagulation zone created problems during production as precise control of bath and injection nozzle temperatures was required to achieve acceptable results. The flowability of the molten tin also causes problems, especially during casting around the contours of the mold.

Another proposal to solve the problem of wheel balancing is to inject the polymer into the air space of the tire or polymer composite in such a way that when the vehicle is driven, the imbalance is dynamically suppressed. Based on placing spheres. However,
There are a number of disadvantages associated with this method. This treatment must be applied continuously to account for tire wear, and the synthetic coating prevents tire repair and voids tire warranty. The materials used are dried to avoid the problem of spreading rust, which makes them non-moisture tolerant. Therefore, when inflating a tire, dehumidified air must be used and lubricating oil bearing material with a high moisture content must be avoided. Particles also plug the valve core, requiring specialized tools to apply this material.

Another method of balancing tires uses a balancing ring, a “hula hoop” that is securely bolted to the wheel. They are made of steel or aluminum and are filled with steel globules or mercury. However, the use of mercury due to its toxicity also poses a potential environmental hazard and will be banned in the future.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an axle add-on that exhibits performance characteristics equal to or better than lead axle add-ons known in the art, while avoiding the environmental issues associated therewith. It is.

The present invention therefore provides an axle addendum comprising a tin alloy having an upper melting range of less than about 320 ° C. and a hardness of at least about 6 Hv.

The unit of Hv represents a hardness obtained by measuring Vickers hardness of plastic deformation resistance. In this case, the applied load is 0.5 kg and the size of the depression is related to the hardness using a standard table.

[0015] Two types of axle weight designs are currently in use, which include: (i) an internal configuration of the casting or removably attached thereto;
Mechanically with a "clip-on" weight having a casting block with clips, preferably made of steel, which causes the weight to be clamped to the outer wheel rim, and (ii) a lower adhesive which causes the weight to be mounted inside the wheel "Glue" weights with formed blocks.

[0016] Preferably, the tin alloy used for the clip-on weight has a hardness in the range of 9 to 35 Hv, more preferably 12 to 35 Hv. In this case, greater stiffness is required to limit deformation or damage during mounting. However, some deformation is often necessary when precise mounting cannot be achieved, and therefore the alloy must not be too hard, ie less than 35 Hv.

Preferably, for the adhesive weight, the tin alloy used has a hardness in the range of 6 to 25 Hv. In this case, a lower hardness is preferred, since these weights must be bent around the inside of the wheel when mounted by a mechanic.

[0018] The use of such a tin alloy to balance the wheel in both the clip-on weight and the bonded weight provides a number of advantages. (I) It minimizes the use of toxic or harmful materials such as lead or mercury. (Ii) alloying increases the melting point of pure tin, which gives a melting or paste area,
It also reduces the flowability of the molten metal and these changes in physical properties overcome the production problems associated with using pure tin. (Iii) High tin alloys are easier to plate with a glossy finish, such as chromium, if required, than lead-containing alloys. (Iv) Axle weights can be manufactured from these tin alloys using the same production equipment used for lead. Therefore, minimal equipment changes are required. (V) The alloy is corrosion resistant. (Vi) The alloy is comparable to lead's physical properties in terms of hardness, deformation and cuttability. (Vii) the alloy has a pleasing appearance and can be polished to bright colors. (Viii) The alloy can be made to have a higher impact resistance than lead, thus reducing damage to the weight when mounted on wheels and upon impact, for example, by curbs. (Ix) Alloys are typically cast at lower temperatures, thus reducing energy requirements. And (x) alloys have a higher scrap value than lead, which will encourage recycling and serve the purpose of the proposed EU end-of-life vehicle legislation. Tin alloys have an advantage over polymer or polymer composite based proposals in this regard, as polymers or polymer composites are more difficult or impossible to recycle, and they also limit tire repair .

In the clip-on weight, the tin alloy is also made to exhibit greater stiffness than lead, creating better adhesion to clips and wheels. This also limits deformation or damage during mounting.

This is advantageous because the melting point of tin is lower than that of lead or zinc and the energy requirements for the production of the weight are reduced. A particular advantage of lower casting temperatures is that the life of the casting mold is increased. In addition, the softness of the mechanically formed tin product makes the separation of each weight easier by cutting compared to alternatives such as zinc.

The choice of the optimal tin alloy allows the production of weights with the correct physical properties (depending on the production method), improved corrosion resistance, appropriate melting or mechanical performance, and the design of existing weight designs. Can be used.

Copper can be added to tin to increase hardness, and thus deformation resistance, and provides an alloy suitable for rapid cycle die casting when the alloy is melted. Tin alloys containing about 3% by weight of copper can be used to match the hardness of current lead products, while keeping the melting temperature below 320 ° C. A hardness of around 13 Hv is currently used for weights attached to the outer rim of the wheel. Softer alloys are needed for self-adhesive wheels that provide some flexibility when mounted to the wheel, and for mechanical forming purposes. Alloys containing about 1% by weight of copper are recommended for this application.

Antimony can also be added to tin as an alloying element to increase tin hardness. In this case, it is possible to increase the hardness to a greater extent than with copper, while keeping the effect on the melting temperature small. The limited paste area often required for die casting can be achieved with tin alloys containing up to about 15% by weight, preferably about 10% by weight of antimony. Again, softer alloys with a lower antimony component are recommended for self-adhesive weights.

The individual effects on the hardness of both copper and antimony are greater than the increase in hardness achieved if the two alloying elements are combined. This allows a higher proportion of these elements to be added in the combination and thus achieve greater control of the melting temperature without excessively hardening the alloy.

Bismuth can be used to increase the density of the alloy and improve the efficiency of the wheel counterweight. Unlike other alloy additions, high bismuth content can be used without increasing the melting temperature. However, high bismuth content has a detrimental effect on the mechanical properties of tin, i.e., causes metal embrittlement, and such metals are therefore less suitable for the production of self-adhesive weights, which undergo significant mechanical deformation during manufacture. . Tin alloys containing 0.1 to 10 wt% bismuth, which provide increased density but maintain satisfactory ductility, can be used. A suitable hardness can also be achieved.

Other elements such as silver, zinc and phosphorus can also be used to increase the hardness of the tin alloy to the required level. Other elements, such as indium, will also be added. This gives the advantage that it promotes the alloy to achieve clip wetting in the cast product.

The mixing of the above elements is used to achieve the required physical and mechanical properties for production purposes, as well as adequate hardness and stiffness to ensure reliable long term sticking of the wheel. Will be.

Accordingly, the tin alloy utilized in the present invention has a melting zone within an upper limit of less than about 320 ° C. and a hardness of at least about 6 Hv, and an amount of 0.01 to 10% by weight of copper and / or copper. Antimony and / or 0.01 in an amount of 0.01 to 20% by weight
Bismuth in an amount of from 0.01 to 65% by weight and / or silver in an amount of from 0.01 to 20% by weight and / or zinc in an amount of from 0.01 to 30% by weight and / or from 0.001 to 2%.
It will contain phosphorus in an amount of weight percent and / or indium in an amount of 0.01 to 15 weight percent and the balance tin.

Preferably, the tin alloy is copper and / or 0.05 to 8% by weight.
To 15% by weight of antimony and / or bismuth in an amount of 0.05 to 20% by weight and / or silver in an amount of 0.05 to 10% by weight and / or 0.0
It contains zinc in an amount of 5 to 20% by weight and / or phosphorus in an amount of 0.001 to 0.5% by weight and / or indium in an amount of 0.05 to 10% by weight and the balance tin.

More preferably, the tin alloy comprises copper and / or 0.1 to 5% by weight.
To 12% by weight of antimony and / or bismuth in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight and / or silver in an amount of 0.1 to 7% by weight and / or 0.1 to 1%.
It contains zinc in an amount of 5% by weight and / or phosphorus in an amount of 0.001 to 0.1% by weight and / or indium in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight and the balance tin.

Even more preferably, the tin alloy comprises copper in an amount of 0.15 to 4% by weight and / or antimony in an amount of 0.5 to 10% by weight and / or bismuth in an amount of 0.5 to 8% by weight. And / or silver in an amount of 0.5 to 5% by weight and / or zinc in an amount of 0.5 to 10% by weight and / or phosphorus in an amount of 0.01 to 0.08% by weight and / or 0.5 To 3% by weight of indium and the balance tin.

It will be appreciated that “remaining tin” consists essentially of tin with unavoidable impurities. Such impurities generally do not contain more than 0.5% by weight. Generally, tin is 35 to 99.999% by weight, preferably 80 to 99.999%.
%, More preferably 85 to 99.999% by weight, even more preferably 90% by weight.
To 99.999% by weight.

A particularly preferred alloy for the clip-on weight is copper in an amount of 0.5 to 4% by weight, more preferably 1.25 to 1.5% by weight, and 96 to 99.5% by weight,
More preferably it contains tin in an amount of 98.75 to 98.5% by weight. Another particularly preferred alloy for the clip-on weight is 0.5 to 4% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 4% by weight.
Copper in an amount of 5 to 1.25% by weight, and antimony in an amount of 0.5 to 10% by weight, more preferably 6 to 7.5% by weight, and 86 to 99% by weight, more preferably 91.25 to It contains tin in an amount of 93.5% by weight.

A particularly preferred alloy for the adhesive weight is copper in an amount of 0.5 to 4% by weight, more preferably about 1.5% by weight, and 96 to 99.95% by weight, more preferably about 98.5%. It contains tin in an amount of weight%. Another particularly preferred alloy for the adhesive weight is 0
. It contains antimony in an amount of 5 to 10% by weight and tin in an amount of 90 to 99.5% by weight. Another particularly preferred alloy for the adhesive weight is antimony in an amount of 0.5 to 10% by weight, and copper in an amount of 0.05 to 4% by weight, and 86 to 99.4.
It contains tin in an amount of 5% by weight.

The axle additional weight of the present invention will undergo another treatment or painting. This provides a corrosion resistant and / or aesthetically pleasing finish. In the case of a clip-on weight, such a coating would be applied to the tin alloy block forming the body of the weight, or to the clip, or to both the block and the clip. One possibility is a polymer coating performed by a powder coating method. This is a standard industrial method, and involves applying polymer resin particles to the surface with a custom gun that imparts an electrostatic charge to the particles. The powder coating is then often treated by heating, such that the particles crosslink or melt to form a polymer layer. Another possibility is chrome plating using standard electroplating techniques such as rack and barrel plating. Another possibility is galvanization.

Preferably, the invention relates to an axle addition comprising a tin alloy having a melting or pasting zone of 5 to 50 ° C., more preferably 10 to 50 ° C., even more preferably 14 to 40 ° C., as described above. Supply the weight. That is, the temperature at which the melting of the alloy starts and the temperature at which the melting of the alloy is completed are 5 to 50 ° C, more preferably 10 to 50 ° C.
From 50 ° C, even more preferably from 14 to 40 ° C. As mentioned earlier in the description, the production of cast weights, when the metal used does not have a narrow solidification zone, this is the case for such baths and injection nozzles to achieve acceptable results. It is simplified because it does not require strict management.

The present invention also includes a vehicle wheel assembly, including both a vehicle having one or more axle weights, or a lorry, as described above.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a process for forming an axle weight having the following steps. (I) dissolving a portion of the tin, (ii) adding the required amount of alloying elements to the molten tin, and (iii) maintaining the melt to allow alloying to occur. The time period is temperature dependent, (iv) casting the alloy by transferring the melt to a mold, and (v) remelting and die casting the alloy, or (vi) wire-forming the alloy Extruded to form the required shape, and coated on one side with adhesive tape.

If step (vi) is employed, preferably said punching and coating steps are performed simultaneously.

Before the metals to be alloyed are placed in the molten tin, it is necessary to flux treat them, sometimes by dipping them in a suitable flux. 10% HCl in glycerin
Is a preferred flux for this purpose, but it will be recognized that other fluxes have a similar effect.

The tin is preferably melted using an induction furnace, although other types of furnaces can also be used. The addition of elements alloyed with tin will be performed at temperatures ranging from 250 ° C. to 700 ° C., depending on the melting points of these elements. When phosphorus is an additional element, it is preferably introduced as a tin-5% phosphorus alloy.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the axle additional weight has a body (1) formed by casting a tin alloy in a suitable mold. One surface (3) of the body (1) is shaped to provide a close fit with the rim of the wheel. The internal component clip (2) is attached to the body (1) and is shaped to provide a tight fit as well when attached to the rim of the wheel.

Referring to FIG. 3, an axle additional weight is shown mounted on the rim (4) of the wheel. The shape of the surface (3) and the internal configuration clip (2) is shown to provide a close fit to the axle weight of the rim (4).

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in order to create an elongated bar (5) with a series of protruding portions (6) of the size indicated by the desired weight for each portion, a flat-type weight is created. Formed mechanically from a tin alloy. The protruding portions (6) are spaced along the elongate bar (5) a sufficient distance to allow separation of the portions using a suitable cutting instrument. The elongated bar (5) is coated on its lower side with adhesive tape (7). The adhesive tape (7) is further coated with a protective layer (8) which is removed immediately before fixing the weight to the rim of the wheel.

The invention will be further described with reference to the following example, which illustrates the production of a cast block axle weight.

Examples 1 to 5 alloys were made with the required combination of elements. Tin was first melted using an induction furnace, and then the exact amount of the required elements was added to form the alloy.

The tin temperature was raised to about 650 ° C. before the addition of antimony and copper.

Prior to injecting the alloy metals into the molten tin, it was preferred to treat them with a flux. The flux used was 10% HCl in glycerin, but other suitable fluxes would have a similar effect. After the alloying conditions were established, the melt was left for a few minutes for complete alloying to occur. The casting was then transferred from the holding temperature to a heated mold. The cycle time for die casting was about 5 seconds, depending on the size of the weight.

Vickers hardness (Hv) values at 0.5 kg load were obtained for each example immediately after production and again after 13 days of artificial accelerated aging at 125 ° C. The following table details the alloys of Examples 1 to 5 made in this manner.

[Table 1]

[Brief description of the drawings]

 The present invention will now be further illustratively described with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a cast block type (ie, “clip-on type”) axle additional weight.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a cast block (ie, “clip-on”) axle add-on weight.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cast block (ie, “clip-on”) axle weight attached to a rim of a wheel.

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a mechanically formed planar (or “adhesive”) weight.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of a mechanically formed planar (or “adhesive”) weight. These drawings are only illustrative of possible weight designs and do not limit the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated that many design forms can be used.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Internal composition clip 3 Surface 4 Rim 5 Elongated bar 6 Projection part 7 Adhesive tape 8 Protective layer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE ), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR , BY, CA, CH, CN, CU, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS , JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW (72) Inventor Jeremy Arthur Pierce United Kingdom, S.L. 0.9 R.P., Buckinghamshire, Iver, Leeds Drive 131 (72) Inventor Harvans Cowl Aruvaria UK, Ubi 3.4 Eighty, Middlesex, Haze, Bushy Road 31

Claims (30)

[Claims] 1. An axle additional weight comprising a tin alloy having an upper melting range of less than about 320 ° C. and a hardness of at least about 6 Hv. 2. The alloy comprises copper in an amount of 0.01 to 10% by weight and / or 0.1 to 10% by weight.
Antimony in an amount of 01 to 20% by weight and / or Bismuth in an amount of 0.01 to 65% by weight and / or Silver and / or 0.01 to 20% by weight.
Having zinc in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight and / or phosphorus in an amount of 0.001 to 2% by weight and / or indium in an amount of 0.01 to 15% by weight and the balance tin. Item 2. An axle additional weight according to item 1. 3. The alloy according to claim 1, wherein said alloy comprises copper and / or copper in an amount of 0.05 to 8% by weight.
Antimony in an amount of 05 to 15% by weight and / or bismuth in an amount of 0.05 to 20% by weight and / or silver and / or 0 in an amount of 0.05 to 10% by weight.
. Characterized by having zinc in an amount of from 05 to 20% by weight and / or phosphorus in an amount of from 0.001 to 0.5% by weight and / or indium in an amount of from 0.05 to 10% by weight and the balance tin. The axle additional weight according to claim 1 or 2, 4. The alloy comprises copper and / or 0.1 to 5% by weight.
To 12% by weight of antimony and / or bismuth in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight and / or silver in an amount of 0.1 to 7% by weight and / or 0.1 to 1%.
Claims 1 to 5 comprising zinc in an amount of 5% by weight and / or phosphorus in an amount of 0.001 to 0.1% by weight and / or indium in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight and the balance tin. Item 4. The axle additional weight according to any one of Items 1 to 3. 5. The alloy comprises copper in an amount of 0.15 to 4% by weight and / or 0.1 to 4% by weight.
Antimony in an amount of 5 to 10% by weight and / or Bismuth in an amount of 0.5 to 8% by weight and / or Silver in an amount of 0.5 to 5% by weight and / or 0.5 to 1%
Characterized in that it has zinc in an amount of 0% by weight and / or phosphorus in an amount of 0.01 to 0.08% by weight and / or indium in an amount of 0.5 to 3% by weight and the balance tin. Item 5. An axle additional weight according to any one of Items 1 to 4. 6. An axle additional weight according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a tin alloy having a melting or pasting zone at 5 to 50 ° C. 7. An axle additional weight according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a tin alloy having a melting or pasting zone at 14 to 40 ° C. 8. The axle additional weight according to claim 1, wherein the weight is a cast block type which is clamped to an outer rim of the wheel. 9. The axle additional weight according to claim 8, having a hardness in the range of 9 to 35 Hv. 10. The axle additional weight according to claim 8, wherein the casting block has an internal configuration clip. 11. The axle additional weight according to claim 8, wherein the casting block has a clip detachably mounted. 12. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the clip is made of steel.
An axle additional weight according to claim 0 or claim 11. 13. The alloy comprises copper in an amount of 0.5 to 4% by weight and 96 to 99% by weight.
. 13. Axle weight according to any one of claims 8 to 12, comprising tin in an amount of 5% by weight. 14. The alloy comprises 0.5 to 4% by weight of copper and 0.5 to 1% by weight.
An axle additional weight according to any one of claims 8 to 12, having antimony in an amount of 0% by weight and tin in an amount of 86 to 99% by weight. 15. The axle additional weight according to claim 1, wherein the additional weight is in the form of a mechanically formed block with a lower adhesive. 16. The axle additional weight according to claim 15, having a hardness in the range of 6 to 25 Hv. 17. The alloy comprises copper in an amount of 0.05 to 4% by weight and 96 to 9% by weight.
15. The method of claim 14 or claim 1 having tin in an amount of 9.95% by weight.
6. The axle additional weight according to 5. 18. The alloy comprises antimony and 9-9 in an amount of 0.5 to 10% by weight.
16. Axle additional weight according to claim 14 or claim 15, comprising tin in an amount of 0 to 99.5% by weight. 19. The alloy comprises antimony in an amount of 0.5 to 10% by weight and 0 to 10% by weight.
. 16. An axle additional weight according to claim 14 or claim 15, comprising copper in an amount of 05 to 4% by weight and tin in an amount of 86 to 99.45% by weight. 20. The axle additional weight according to claim 1, wherein the surface is further treated and / or coated. 21. The axle additional weight according to claim 20, wherein the surface is coated with a polymer or plated with chromium or zinc. 22. (i) dissolving a portion of the tin; (ii) adding the required amount of alloying elements to the molten tin; (iii) maintaining the melt to allow alloying to occur; The duration of this step is temperature dependent, (iv) casting the alloy by transferring the melt to a mold, and (v) remelting and die casting the alloy; or (vi) 10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: extruding the wire into a wire shape, punching to form the wire into a required shape, and coating one side with an adhesive tape. 20. The process for producing an axle additional weight according to any one of 15 to 19. 23. The process of claim 22, wherein said coating and stamping steps are performed simultaneously. 24. The process according to claim 20, wherein the tin is melted using an induction furnace. 25. The process according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein step (ii) is performed at a temperature in the range of 250 ° C to 700 ° C. 26. The process according to claim 22, wherein the phosphorus component, if added, is added as a tin-5% phosphorus master alloy. 27. The process according to claim 22, wherein the elements to be alloyed with tin are treated with a flux before introducing them into the molten tin. 28. The process according to claim 27, wherein the flux is 10% HCl in glycerin. 29. A method for manufacturing an axle additional weight, comprising using a tin alloy having an upper melting range of less than 320 ° C. and a hardness of at least about 6 Hv. 30. A vehicle wheel assembly comprising one or more axle additional weights as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21.