Wire Heating

Wire has been used for about 5,000 years! In ancient times, metal was hammered into sheets, cut in strips, then formed with a hammer and file. This tedious and labor-intensive method was replaced in the 1200s by a simple version of the modern method of drawing wire.

The metal is pulled (drawn) through increasingly smaller holes until the desired diameter is attained. Until the development of machinery to do the muscle work, drawing wire depended on the physical strength of a wiresmith. Once the telegraph was invented, and telegraph lines became common by the late 1800s, wire production became one of the most important industries of that century.

Sizes and Gauges

The size of a wire is determined by its diameter. The gauge is the number assigned to a wire size. The smaller the diameter, the higher the gauge number. The United States uses the American wire gauge, and the United Kingdom uses the British, or imperial, standard wire gauge. For steel wire, the steel wire gauge (which has several other names) is used.

Wire Heating with Induction Equipment

In continuous heating, induction wire heating equipment provides many advantages: immediate heating, accurate temperature control, and the capacity to match workpiece heat rate with line speed. Whether the materials are copper, brass, titanium, or carbon steel, wire heating with induction equipment can be used for stress relieving, hardening, curing, or coating. Regardless of required temperature, wire material, or wire diameter, induction heating provides advanced technology for wire heating and cable heating.