Finer than a hair — and every step has a reason.
The complete process chain of fine wire manufacturing — from wire rod to 11-µm stainless wire.
- Fine wire is created through cold drawing: the wire is pulled without heat through progressively finer drawing dies — 5.5 mm becomes 1.2 mm, and the length grows roughly fivefold.
- Between draws the wire is annealed (recrystallisation): the original structure returns, the wire becomes drawable again — soft or hard, as the customer requires.
- Before shipment the alloy is checked at three points — mix-ups are excluded.
- The group's finest dimension: 11 µm stainless steel, measurable live under the microscope.
- Basic principle: the product is defined by material AND process. The two are inseparable.
At the start stands wire rod at 5.5 millimetres — at the end a stainless steel filament finer than a human hair. In between lies no secret, but a process in which every step has a reason. Whoever understands it also understands why two wires of the same alloy are not the same.
The material is like concrete
Steel is not a homogeneous block. It is structured like concrete: different components in different grain sizes — gravel, sand, cement. An overlooked “stone too big” is a non-metallic inclusion in wire: a predetermined breaking point that, at the finest diameters, decides between crack or no crack. That's why fine wire quality doesn't start at the drawing machine, but with the purity of the melt.
The process chain
- 01
Goods receipt & weighing
Wire rod arrives, is weighed per order and allocated to production.
- 02
Wire preparation / carrier coating
The wire is coated (oil- or salt-/stearate-based) — the rougher the surface, the more coating it absorbs. This layer later carries the lubricant through the drawing die.
- 03
Cold drawing
Through several drawing dies from thick to thin — without applying heat. 5.5 mm becomes 1.2 mm; one metre becomes roughly five.
- 04
Cleaning & annealing (recrystallisation)
During drawing the crystals are deformed, not destroyed — “the wire remembers”. In the annealing furnace the original structure returns; the wire becomes drawable again and is set soft or hard as the customer requires.
- 05
Final inspection & mix-up testing
The alloy is checked at three points. This excludes mixed materials being delivered — a 1.4301 in an acidic environment would be a case of damage, not a cosmetic flaw.
- 06
Laboratory & shipping
If anomalies occur, structural analysis clarifies the cause. Then: weighing, logistics, loading — right up to the overseas container.
Why BenderWire
The group's finest dimension is 11 µm — and we don't just claim it, we measure it: under the microscope, live on request during a visit. Critical dimensions are proven metrologically. The underlying principle: our product is defined by material (chemical analysis) and process — the two are inseparable.
Frequently asked questions.
What is cold drawing?
Forming the wire through drawing dies at room temperature — the diameter shrinks, the length grows, the strength increases.
Why is wire annealed between draws?
Drawing hardens the structure. During annealing (recrystallisation) the original structure returns — the wire becomes formable again.
How fine can stainless steel wire be drawn?
Within the BenderWire Group down to 11 µm — finer than a human hair.
How is a material mix-up excluded?
Through alloy testing at three points before shipment, documented per batch.
Related.
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