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Wire Manufacturers

Wires are single strands or rods of flexible, cylindrical metal produced through a metalworking process called drawing. During drawing, metal stock is pulled, or drawn, through a series of ever-shrinking dies, until it becomes flexible metal wire. Wire manufacturers serve virtually every industry in existence by taking wires and transforming them into wire forms of all shapes, sizes and configurations. Among others, their customers include those in aerospace, appliance, automotive manufacturing, construction, electronics, hardware, healthcare and sports and recreation.

Before wires can be used to create wire forms, the wires themselves must be produced. Wire manufacturers do so via a process called drawing. This process entails feeding raw metal stock into a series of gradually shrinking dies or draw plates, designed to turn the stock into a flexible wire. Typically, the dies used during drawing are made from diamond, manufactured diamond, tungsten carbide or tool steel. Of these materials, manufactured diamond and tungsten steel are the most commonly selected for die-making. The drawing process is rather similar to the extrusion process, but the two processes are distinct from one another mostly because, while extrusion involves pushing material through the die, drawing relies on pulling it through the die. Most of the time, metal drawing is performed at room temperature, thus classifying it as a cold-working process. However, if wire manufacturers are attempting to reduce forces when drawing large wires, they will perform the process at higher temperatures. If this is the case, they will use cast steel dies and the process is reclassified as hot-working.

When being formed to conduct electricity or facilitate telecommunications, wire may be made into one of three configurations: solid wire, stranded wire or braided wire. Solid wire, also known as single-strand wire or solid-core wire, consists of a single piece of metal wire. It is the least expensive type of electrical/telecommunications wire to make. It is not very flexible, but it does provide mechanical ruggedness. Stranded wire, on the other hand, is made up of several small wires wrapped or bound together to form a larger, more flexible conductor. Stranded wire also exhibits higher resistance to metal fatigue. Last but not least, braided wire is also composed of several wires, but this time, as their name suggests, the strands are braided together rather than bundled together. Braided wire is sound resistant, exceptionally strong and will not break when flexed. Typically, wire manufacturers make wires with circular cross-sections. However, if they so choose, wire manufacturers can also make wires with cross-sections that are square, flattened rectangular, hexagonal or any number of other shapes. This choice can be made for functional or aesthetic reasons. Edge-wound coil springs, for instance, are created from special flattened wire. These can be used in Slinkys. In addition, special wire cross-sections make highly efficient voice coils for loudspeakers.

Some examples of wire formed parts and products include: coils, wire baskets, wire netting, wire rope, wire cloth, hairpins and bobby pins, needles, fish hooks, fencing and window screens. To make diverse products such as these, wire manufacturers manipulate a variety of materials, such as: platinum, silver, gold, steel, stainless steel, brass, bronze, aluminum, iron, copper and, upon occasion, tungsten. To do so, they use a number of processes, including bending, stamping, cutting and heat treating. Bending and stamping alike shape wire into the form a manufacturer intends, using bending machines and presses. Sometimes, wire forms are created via deep drawing, a process that produces forms with deeper depths than other wire forming methods. In addition, wires may be covered in insulating and jacketing materials. Wire manufacturers make this choice when they are manufacturing electrical wires.

Once wires have been formed to a manufacturer’s satisfaction, they often undergo a variety of secondary processes in order to enhance or change their features. Examples of these processes include nickel plating, powder coating, plastic coating, insulating and varnishing. Nickel plating, or, more specifically, electroless nickel plating, is a process by which a layer of nickel-phosphorous alloy or nickel-boron alloy is transferred onto a metal or plastic object. This finishing method is commonly used on products such as printed circuit boards, kitchen utensils, household appliances, doorknobs, office equipment and bathroom fixtures. Likewise, powder coating and plastic coating are processes in which a powder or a plastic are deposited onto a product’s surface to improve its appearance or performance. When matched with a skilled and experienced wire manufacturer, a customer’s options are nearly endless. Find out more by reaching out to one or more wire manufacturer with your questions, concerns and specifications.

Wire Manufacturers Informational Video