Wire rod is commonly used in industries just as the other spheres. To conclude, it is mainly used in the field of energy sector, manufacture, and construction.
Dislike other steel products, wire rod can be classified by the carbon content as well as other chemical analysis. Being classified by the different uses of the products is also another possibility.
The manufacture of Wire Rod
The diameter of the hot-rolled wire usually ranges from 5.5 to 42 mm. The rods are made of ordinary-quality carbon steel, aluminum, and copper. The cross-section of the rods can be many different shapes, such as round, square, semicircular, or hexagonal. The material of which the rods are made of will determines their technical parameters.
Here is how wire rod is made: the hot metal is drowned through shafts, which form and compress it from sides to sides, forming it into a long, thin piece of metal wire. Before all processes are finished, the wire will be wound on a special winder that will help the rod to be rolled into skeins and get cool. Though being hot-rolled, the metal is heated only when it passes through the shafts.
The rods are then cooled. There are two ways to achieve the purpose, one is to go through the air while the other applies accelerated cooling. Air cooling is a natural way while accelerated cooling requires to set special fans. The rods can not be stored before it is completely cooled.
Different applications lead to different requirements for the quality of the wire rod. For example, further wire production will require the rods to be free of burrs as well as other deformations. However, other purposes will allow the existence of them.
One factor that may reduce the strength of the wires could be the appearance of voids and bubbles on the surface of them. Another factor that may influence the quality of the wires adversely is the decarburization, which mainly occurs in the process of heating of the material.
Mechanical defects that may happen to the wires lead to various influences, some only raise the prices of the wires, but the other could make the wires totally unusable. That’s why the production of the products must be strictly controlled, and need quality checks at every stage of manufacture.
Usage of Wire Rods
Take the manufacture of the reinforcement cages as an example, assembly clamps of various shapes including round, square, and rectangular are all made from wire rods. They help with reinforcing parts of the cage including monolithic columns, cross-tops, and other important structures.
Except from the reinforcement cages, monolithic structures like screeds and concrete floors are also applications of the wire rods for reinforcement.
Steel wire rods can also play the role of reinforcing the structure when being put into the layers of mortar during the process of constructing concrete walls. Thus, the masonry gets enhanced in its overall strength.
Being the raw material for wire drawing units, wire rods can also be used in the manufacture of wire ropes, wire mesh, and many other products.
