Adaptive Force Compensation® (AFC) works by using a specialized visco-elastic gel to balance rotating wheel assemblies in real-time, adapting dynamically to changes in wheel and tire imbalances. Here's a breakdown of how it functions:

1. Visco-elastic Gel: AFC utilizes a unique gel formulation that behaves as a semi-solid when at rest and becomes more fluid-like under stress. The gel is placed inside a wheel adapter, strategically positioned to balance the wheel assembly.

2. Critical Yield Stress (CYS): The gel has a defined "critical yield stress" threshold. When the forces acting on the wheel assembly are below this threshold, the gel remains in place, effectively "locking in" the balance. The wheel stays stable without further movement.

3. Response to Imbalance: When imbalances or vibrations exceed the CYS (for example, during driving), the gel becomes more elastic, allowing it to flow and redistribute itself within the adapter. This dynamic behavior helps compensate for the imbalance by moving the gel to the areas that need balancing.

4. Migration to Optimal Position: The gel migrates to the locations on the wheel where the imbalance is most pronounced, redistributing itself across the wheel’s circumference. This corrective action is made in real-time, ensuring that the wheel remains balanced despite any changing driving conditions or forces acting on the wheel.

5. Return to Stability: Once the imbalance is corrected, the gel ceases to flow and returns to its semi-solid state, holding the wheel in a stable, balanced position until the forces change again.

In essence, AFC provides real-time dynamic wheel balancing without requiring maintenance, reducing tire wear, enhancing fuel efficiency, and improving vehicle safety. This technology adapts seamlessly to any new vibrations or imbalances, ensuring consistent performance over time.

Other non-static weight-balancing methods rely on centrifugal forces to move the material inside. Centrifugal forces cause the media to "bounce around" and group opposite the "heavy spot" (mass imbalance). These materials function similarly to traditional static metal weights, with the advantage of being able to relocate to a new "heavy spot" and the disadvantage of falling to the bottom when the vehicle slows or stops.

Our Gel's behavior is governed by its visco-elastic properties and the critical yield stress (CYS), allowing it to dynamically and intelligently adapt to changing wheel conditions. As vibrations arise from imbalances, the Gel becomes elastic and moves to stabilize the system. Once balancing is achieved and the forces fall below the CYS, the Gel acts more like a solid, maintaining the wheel in a perfectly balanced state without further movement. This also means that, unlike any other balancing method, the Gel responds elastically to rapid accelerations and is, therefore, not affected when the tire hits a road bump or by the constant accelerations caused by contact with the road.

Adaptability: The Gel responds to imbalances only when necessary; otherwise, it maintains a stable position.

Precision: The Gel's ability to spread unevenly ensures a more accurate balancing response to compensate for the different causes of imbalances.

No Centrifugal Dependency: Unlike other non-static weight systems that rely solely on centrifugal forces to relocate balancing material, our Gel uses its internal stress-response mechanism to adjust dynamically, offering more consistent results and an ability to compensate for the complex forces acting on the tire/wheel assembly.

In short, our visco-elastic balancing gel “intelligently” adjusts its behavior based on the level of vibration or stress within the wheel assembly. Below the Critical Yield Stress, it remains stationary, preserving balance, but when stresses exceed this threshold, the Gel moves to compensate for those new imbalances, redistributing its mass where needed and unevenly, if necessary, to minimize or eliminate vibrations caused by the *complex forces acting on the wheel assembly.

Yes, AFC is designed to be versatile and adaptable, suitable for a wide range of heavy trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles. It integrates seamlessly into existing fleet operations, offering immediate benefits without additional complexity.

Testing has also been carried out by injecting our specially formulated visco-gels inside hollow passenger rims. A collaboration with a world leading wheel manufacturer to develop this opportunity has been initiated.

A unique feature of our Gel is that it can spread unevenly. This is important because wheel imbalances are often irregular, and the Gel's ability to adapt asymmetrically provides precise compensation for the complex forces acting on a wheel assembly, unlike any other method.

The ability to flow unevenly makes Adaptive Force Compensation® more efficient than any other system.

A wheel assembly experiences a range of forces that impact its performance, stability, and efficiency.

Mass Imbalance: Occurs when the wheel's center of mass doesn't align with its axis of rotation, causing uneven weight distribution. This leads to oscillations as the wheel rotates, inducing vibrations.

Eccentricity: Results from the wheel or tire not being perfectly round, causing the axis of rotation to shift slightly with each turn. This leads to cyclic variations in the distance between the wheel and the road surface, causing uneven contact and vibrations.

Centrifugal Forces: As the wheel rotates, centrifugal force acts outward from the center of rotation. This force increases with the rotation speed and can exaggerate any imbalance or eccentricity.

Centripetal Forces: These forces act inward, especially from interacting with the road surface, keeping the wheel in its rotational path. Impacts from bumps and road irregularities also introduce centripetal forces, which can disrupt smooth rotation.

Lateral Forces: When cornering, the tire experiences lateral forces perpendicular to the direction of travel, which can cause side-to-side movement or deformation, affecting stability and handling.

Tangential Forces: Tangential forces occur during acceleration and braking, acting along the wheel's surface. These forces influence tire traction and can lead to skidding or wheel lockup under certain conditions.

Tire Stiffness Variations: Tires are not perfectly uniform, and variations in stiffness across the tread or sidewalls can cause non-uniform contact with the road, leading to vibrations or uneven wear.

Gyroscopic Forces: As the wheel spins, gyroscopic forces arise due to the wheel's angular momentum. These forces resist changes in the wheel's orientation, affecting vehicle handling, particularly during rapid steering inputs.

Coriolis Forces: These forces arise due to the wheel's rotational motion and can influence the wheel's trajectory when it moves laterally or vertically, contributing to complex motion dynamics, especially at high speeds.

Tire Defects: Imperfections in tire manufacturing, such as uneven tread wear or structural anomalies, can lead to cyclic disruptions during rotation, creating vibrations and affecting the wheel's performance.

Road Impact Forces: As the wheel assembly encounters road irregularities (bumps, potholes), forces are transmitted through the tire to the wheel assembly, influencing both the rotational stability and the alignment of the wheel.

Summary

Each of these forces interacts dynamically with others, influenced by factors like road conditions, speed, and vehicle load, making wheel balancing and assembly design critical to achieving optimal performance and safety.