Cold-Drawn Steel Wire

Cold-drawing changes the steel's shape and size by pulling the material through a carbide die or turks head. Often, steel will go through cold-rolling first and then cold-drawing to enhance its properties for better performance.

At Bekaert, we have single-die, multi-die and turks head capabilities. This variety lets us create cold-drawn steel to your exact specifications. Plus, our process creates minimal scrap, and the cost is lower than it would be to complete the necessary machining yourself.

Benefits of Cold-drawn Steel Wire

Cold-drawing has several benefits compared to other methods such as hot-rolling, including:

Precision: This process can work within closer size and roundness tolerances than other methods. Where hot-formed steel products will warp during cooling, cold-finished steel maintains its precise shape. We can create sharp corner radii down to 0.127 millimeters or 0.005 inches, as well as complex symmetrical and asymmetrical profiles.
Performance: Cold-drawn steel has enhanced mechanical properties. This transformation process has a positive effect on tensile and yield strength and reduces ductility, which make better performance possible. After undergoing this process, steel is stronger and harder.
Surface finish: A smoother surface finish can be used for various applications and eliminates additional machining operations and costs.
Machinability: Cold-finishing enhances machinability, especially with low-carbon steel, and lengthens tool life.

When you choose to source cold-drawn products from Bekaert, your company will benefit from:

Several capabilities: Bekaert has single-die, multi-die and turks head capabilities under one roof.
Cost savings: Cold-finishing is more cost-effective than machining the part yourself.
Less waste: Cold-drawing produces minimal scrap, eliminating the waste of purchased steel stock.

The Process of Making Cold-Drawn Steel Wire

Bekaert uses industry-leading processes to create cold-drawn products for our customers. The cold-drawn steel manufacturing process starts with room-temperature hot-rolled steel stock in wire form. We begin by removing the iron oxide layer on the surface to improve dimensional control and remove superficial imperfections, then lubricate the steel wire for the next step.

Then, we use a powered capstan attached to the steel stock to draw the wire through a carbide die or turks head. Each pass through the die reduces the wire's diameter, elongates the steel wire and alters its shape within a tight tolerance. Extra dies can reduce the diameter even further.

We can draw the wire through the die several times to reach your desired dimensions. The result of the cold-drawing process is a thin rod or wire shape. Once we have the finished product, we wind the cold-drawn wire to your packaging requirements.

Another process we use involves cold-rolling the steel rod to roughly shape the stock. Then, we finish the rod with cold-drawing to enhance the steel's properties and performance. Our in-house metallurgists and engineers can advise you on which steel stock and cold-drawn processes are the best for your application.

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Cold-Drawn Products

Bekaert can produce cold-drawn steel in various shapes and sizes in a bar or wire form. We provide cold-drawn wire in different shapes depending upon the die used, including:

Round
Flat
Square
Hexagonal
Rectangular
Octagonal

We can create cold-drawn wire in nearly any size and diameter since we meet tight tolerances and specifications to give you the exact product you requested. The cold-drawn process creates a smooth finish, making it ideal for numerous applications.

Applications for Cold-Drawn Wire

Enhanced mechanical properties and improved performance encourage many manufacturers to choose cold-drawn steel wire as one of their primary materials. At Bekaert, we produce steel wire to your exact specifications, and the cold-drawing method ensures better precision.

Cold-drawn products are highly versatile and have various applications in industrial and commercial settings. Whether you're in an automotive, industrial or consumer industry, many of the tools you need rely on cold-drawn special steel profiles.

Here are some examples of how companies and their customers use our cold-drawn wire.

Automotive

Cold-drawing provides material for many of the small parts that the automotive industry uses. These applications include:

Retainer rings
Steering shafts
Exhaust clamps
Spokes for wheels
Gears and shafts
Axles
Wheel spindles

Agriculture and Equipment

The agriculture industry uses wire for more than fencing. Our cold-drawn steel special profiles become items such as:

Cables
Structural components
Power springs
Wedge wires
Self-piercing fasteners
Hand tools
Pawls
Wire for fish tape
Auger wires
Rake tines

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous drawn wire products include:

Paper clips
Grating
Shelving
Tilt rods for window blinds
Fasteners
Bolts

Why Choose Bekaert as YourDrawn Wire Manufacturer?

Bekaert is the largest independent manufacturer of wire products. We use the best available equipment, methods, processes and tooling to deliver high-quality cold-finished steel wire for our customers. Our team pairs a global reach with a commitment to individual relationships. We offer personalized service to understand your requirements and provide the solution that works for you.

At Bekaert, we can perform several cold-forming processes, as well as other services. Our team provides expert customer support and has extensive knowledge of many forms of steel rolling and drawing, which we provide using industry-leading equipment. We can advise you on the processes and material grades for your application. What's more, we offer them in-house.

These capabilities benefit you because we can complete your entire order under one roof. When you entrust your business to us, we can reduce lead times, costs and wasted materials. These opportunities make us an excellent development partner for your company.