Turbu Pressure Casting: A New Era in Wheel Manufacturing

BMW and Mercedes-Benz are exploring a breakthrough manufacturing method called turbu pressure casting, a process that could reshape how aluminum wheels are made.

Developed by German engineering firm Entec-Stracon with support from the German Federal Environmental Foundation, the method injects molten aluminum into a mold at extremely high pressure. Unlike traditional low-pressure techniques, turbu pressure casting requires lower mold temperatures and completes an entire cycle in just half a second.

Less Energy, Less Waste — More Performance

According to its developers, this rapid-fire approach isn’t just fast: it’s efficient. The process consumes less electricity, demands minimal post-processing, and significantly reduces waste compared to conventional casting. Early tests show that wheels produced with this technique outperform traditionally cast wheels, and because they’re made from aluminum, they can be manufactured using 100% recycled material.

Ralf Bux, an engineer at Entec-Stracon, notes that a single casting machine could generate more than 150,000 wheels per year, highlighting the method’s impressive scalability.

Lighter Wheels for the EV Age

As automakers accelerate toward an electric future, reducing vehicle weight has never been more important — especially with the added mass of EV battery packs. Developers say turbu pressure casting could play a key role in helping manufacturers build lighter, more efficient vehicles, making the method as strategically valuable as it is innovative.