Wires can be made out of a variety of common metals, including steel, brass, stainless steel, copper, and aluminum, among others. Wires can be manufactured in diameters from 0.5 mm to 6.5 mm, or 1/64th of an inch to a quarter inch, to produce 2 and 3-dimensional wire forms.

There are different types of equipment used to make wire forms, ranging from handcrafted to sophisticated CNC program machines. Coatings and protections are applied to final products to protect them in harsh environments.

Methods Used for Wire Forming

There are several methods of wire forming, but most machines are either manually or mechanically driven. Manual machines include those that are mechanically controlled but are manually loaded or those that are electronically controlled but manually controlled. There are also automatic machines that have computer numerically controlled (CNC) programming and are self-operating.

CNC Wire Bending

Pneumatic or hydraulic CNC wire bending machines can produce rebar quickly and efficiently, bending it to 180 degrees using a single or double wire. The machine straightens the bar prior to bending it.

CNC machines cut wire to precise specifications, with high precision and low volume production. They are slower than other methods, do not require tooling, and are suitable for low-volume production or prototyping. CNC machines can be programmed to manufacture a wide range of wires, including music, hard drawn, basic or coated metals, 300 series stainless steel, brass, and beryllium copper, which have wire diameters ranging from 0.008 into 0.250 in (0.0203 mm to 6.35 mm).

Manual Wire Forming

A hand lever and spindle are used to create wires using manually operated machines. Gears are used to increase the force applied to the wire, which is drawn or rotary die.

Coil Wire Forming

A coil is a spring formed by winding wire around a metal blank. It is used to make electrical coils, where a ferromagnetic core is coated with an even layer of conductive wire. The winding process varies depending on the end product. To make electrical coils, the winding must be more precise than springs, and multiple windings may be required.

Roll Wire Forming

Roll-forming is an economical method for producing flat, round, and other wire part shapes. Undercuts, knurling, chamfering, collars, threads, surface finishes, and grooves can all be manufactured with this process. Roll-formed wire parts have extra strength after being hardened, rounded edges, and prefinished, in addition to having extra toughness.

Bending Wire Forming

There are no limits to the shapes that wire can be formed into, as long as it is 0.4 mm to 16 mm in diameter. It can be easily bent down to 0.016 in (0.4 mm) or up to 0.635 in (16 mm). Since the wire is bent before it is cut, there is no scrap or waste, and no secondary finishing is needed.

Hydraulic Wire Forming

A hydraulic motor drives the shaping rollers in a hydraulic wire-forming machine. A servo motor and a CNC program control the machine to the required configuration. Wire shapes are automatically discharged from the machine after the operation is finished.

Pneumatic Wire Forming

The wire is fed into the straightening machine, where it is formed into the desired shape and cut pneumatically to the desired length.

Examples of Wire Formed Parts

Wire forming is a key manufacturing technology used to create parts for many industries, including HVAC, refrigeration, automotive, transportation, electronics, appliance, construction, medical, and aeronautics.
Oregon Wire offers a comprehensive range of wire form fasteners and retaining parts, including:

• Fanguards
• KeyRings
• Exhaust Guard
• S-Hooks
• V-Hooks
• D-Rings
• D-Clips
• Nursery Stakes
• Fasteners
• Point of Purchase Displays
• Shelving
• Pallet Decks
• Wire Baskets
• BBQ Grids
• Warming Racks

At Oregon Wire, we’re proud to be a solution-based company that can provide custom fabrication of your products. Whether you need a custom product tailored to your budget, an off-the-shelf product that suits your needs, or something in between, our goal is to provide you with American-made products that will serve you well. We partner with suppliers to ensure you’re offered the best materials and pricing available. Read more about the services we can provide, and use the form on our website to get a quote fast. We look forward to creating new and exciting things with you!