10 Questions About Wire Forming to Help You Get the Best ...

10 Questions About Wire Forming to Help You Get the Best ...

If you are considering a wire form product for your materials handling and washing basket requirements, it's natural to have questions regarding the wire forming process. These may involve general inquiries or specific concerns about a customized product.

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As a wire forming manufacturer, Marlin Steel frequently receives various questions from its customers. Below is a concise guide addressing the most common questions about wire forming, helping you gain better insight into the process.

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What Does the Wire Forming Process Involve?

Wire forming is the process of taking wire, either from a spooled coil or a blank length, and bending it into specific shapes. Wire forms are highly versatile, making it possible to create a wide array of shapes and configurations.

Wire forms can be angled, coiled, cut, or bent in multiple directions, making them suitable for tailored projects. From tiny springs used in machinery to large chains designed for heavy lifting, wire forming has various applications.

10 Questions About the Wire Forming Process

Here are some of the most common inquiries Marlin Steel receives from customers, along with their answers:

What's the Biggest Challenge in Making a Wire Form?

The answer is: it depends.

Every client has distinct requirements. Thus, any customer may need drastically different wire forms for their specific washing and parts handling baskets. Selecting the appropriate steel grade, welding methods, coatings, and specific shaping needs for a parts washing basket can vary significantly.

In some instances, achieving the correct bend in the metal is the most challenging aspect, while in others, executing the necessary welds could present the greatest difficulty.

Ultimately, perfecting a wire form design to align with a specific process can be the most demanding challenge. However, with the right machinery and a skilled operator who knows how to program them, this challenge can be consistently met.

For instance, piercing steel wire is one of the more challenging operations in wire forming. This process involves creating a small opening in a piece of steel wire to permit another object to pass through. This is necessary for steel wire baskets intended to be mounted on a corkboard or peg wall, where certain wires must be pierced for attachment purposes.

Because the steel wire is generally quite hard and small, it requires significant force to puncture without deformation. Marlin Steel addresses this challenge by utilizing a high-tonnage steel press to puncture steel wire without heating it, resulting in a precisely shaped hole without post-punch deformities.

How Much Does Wire Forming Cost?

Costs in wire forming are influenced by the components involved in creating the product and its intended application. Factors such as wire materials, labor, volume, machine use, and shipping contribute to the final price of wire forming products.

Materials vary in expense; for instance, some materials are costlier due to their ability to withstand high temperatures. Inconel® is one such material that can endure extreme temperatures but is among the most expensive wire-forming options.

To ascertain the cost of your wire forms, it's advisable to consult an expert. They can help you identify the best materials for your application and provide a precise cost estimate.

What Types of Wire Forming Machines Are Used in the Process?

Marlin Steel distinguishes itself from competitors by offering 'Quality, Engineered Quick®' products through a combination of skilled employees and advanced automation technology. Some of the wire-forming machines employed by Marlin Steel engineers include:

Rouselle 8SS40 Double Crank Straight Side Press

This automated machine is used to flatten, swage, pierce, and coin stainless steel wires for various applications, including wire forms. For example, it can flatten a wire to enhance a weld joint, ensuring secure attachment of two wires.

At peak performance, the Rouselle 8SS40 operates at 75 strokes per minute, allowing Marlin's production team to create up to 4,500 custom wire shapes per hour with this one machine. In addition to improving efficiency, the side press offers predictable and consistent results compared to manual labor.

The Ultimat UMW-100

This machine serves both welding and wire forming functions, quickly assembling custom wire forms directly from the coil. This not only accelerates the process but also improves efficiency by eliminating extra steps involved in separate bending and welding.

Marlin Steel frequently utilizes this machine for larger frame components of stainless steel wire baskets and trays. Witness the Ultimat in action crafting both round and rectangular frames for baskets in mere seconds!

The IDEAL MFDC Welder

To manufacture complex final assemblies, Marlin Steel employs the IDEAL welding tool. It completes a stainless steel weld in just 2/1,000 of a second, minimizing the chance of blisters, spatter, and other heat-related deformities.

Marlin Steel's engineering team favors the IDEAL welder for custom wire basket welding, thanks to its 3D welding capabilities. Its ability to maneuver along the X, Y, and Z axes enables it to combine intricate shapes independently without operator intervention.

Wire Bending Robotics

Various specialized robots are used for wire bending in wire forming. Some machines use robotic arms to bend one wire at a time, while CNC press brakes can bend pre-welded wires one basket edge at a time, expediting final assembly. Additionally, these robots perform consistently and efficiently, significantly reducing the wear and fatigue experienced by human workers.

What Are the Advantages of Using Wire Forming Products?

Opting for high-quality wire forming products can enhance efficiency, lower costs associated with damaged equipment, and mitigate employee injury risks.

Increase Efficiency

Well-crafted wire forming products provide manufacturing facilities with the necessary tools for swift and efficient operations, thus boosting productivity.

An example of increased efficiency is Marlin Steel's custom-designed IV poles. The engineers produced these poles with extra features for improved medical operations. They incorporate heavy-duty bases with high-quality wheels and custom stands, facilitating rapid transportation between procedures.

Decrease Costs

High-quality wire forms are designed for multiple years of use without breaking. Downtime due to broken products can escalate costs and result in delays. Reliable products diminish the risk of additional costs stemming from manufacturing faults.

Improve Employee Safety

Investing in quality wire forming products enhances workplace safety. Substandard products may break, potentially damaging surrounding equipment or injuring employees. High-quality wire forming solutions are structurally sound, reducing the risk of failures.

Marlin Steel proudly delivers 'Quality, Engineered Quick®' products through automated technology that produces consistently reliable results.

How Can I Select the Right Wire Forming Products for My Business?

Custom wire forms allow engineers to create goods that meet your specific needs. In contrast to mass-produced wire forms, custom solutions are tailored to optimize your applications, including finishing processes. Custom wire forms can address specialized requirements by incorporating unique design elements.

Moreover, custom products are typically built to endure the stresses of various finishing operations, offering greater longevity compared to stock options. The right custom wire forms can save your business time, money, material, and labor in comparison to standard products.

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What Is the Hardest Shape to Form?

Generally, the most challenging shape to produce consistently is one featuring a compound bend.

A compound bend includes two adjacent bends with no straight segment between them. These bends are challenging because the wire feeding process occurs continuously, complicating the shaping task.

Typically, a length of wire 1 to 1.5 times its width is required to initiate a bend. For instance, a 0.2" wire would need a length of 0.2-0.3" to start the bending process. While this rule of thumb is not absolute, it serves as a useful guideline.

Creating such complex shapes reliably requires a skilled operator who is adept at using the machinery.

What Kinds of Materials Should Be Used for Wire Forming Projects?

A variety of materials can be used in wire forming projects. The optimal choices depend on the wire form's application. Here is a brief list of suitable materials:

Grade 304 Stainless Steel

This austenitic stainless steel alloy features high corrosion resistance and a tensile strength of 621 MPa (90 ksi), making it suitable for heavy loads and mild corrosive environments.

Grade 316 Stainless Steel

More corrosion-resistant than grade 304, 316 stainless steel excels in resisting chlorides such as salt, making it ideal for hostile caustic environments.

Grade 434 Stainless Steel

This ferritic alloy exhibits exceptional pitting resistance. Although less chemically resistant than 304, it still surpasses plain steel in resisting oxidation and corrosion.

Polyester TGIC Powder Coat

This specialized coating protects wire forms from harsh chemicals and high temperatures. It is highly resistant to abrasion and chlorides.

Epoxy High Solid Coat

Similar to the polyester TGIC coat, epoxy coatings offer strong resistance to marring, staining, chipping, humidity, and various solvents, providing excellent protection.

Plastisol (PVC) Coat

Plastisol is a flexible coating whose properties vary based on applied plasticizers and methods, making it ideal for chemical protection.

Inconel®

Inconel® is an alloy series designed to endure temperature extremes of up to 1,093.3°C (2,000°F).

Grade 330 Stainless Steel

This alloy is also formulated for high-temperature applications, capable of withstanding prolonged exposure to 1,037°C (1,900°F).

What's the Difference Between Forming Plain Steel and Stainless Steel?

The primary distinction lies in the numerous variables that affect the forming behavior of different stainless steel grades. These include:

• Surface finish.
• Elongation properties.
• Residual drawing compounds.

Surface finish is particularly critical in stainless steel shaping. Proper tool polishing is essential to prevent marks that can degrade the material's quality. If not executed correctly, these imperfections can affect the material's integrity.

How Has Technology Impacted the Wire Forming Process?