An in-depth technical guide of SS Flat Wire
SS flat wire or stainless steel flat wire is made up of stainless steel which is known for its versatility, strength, and smooth surface. It is majorly used across a wide range of manufacturing and engineering applications because of its heat and corrosion resistance benefits.
Talking about the history of stainless steel, it was first developed in Sheffield, England by Harry Brearley in the year 1913. Brearley thought of developing a new steel alloy that can be used for manufacturing gun barrels. When this new alloy was discovered, it was found that it was very difficult to etch into it and it did not rust. The initial stainless steel had 13 percent chromium content. Because of its unique qualities, stainless steel was quickly commercialized and began to use in the manufacturing of cutlery.
The global use of SS flat wire is increasing by around 5 percent each year and the current demand is about 20 million tons per year. Although the grades of SS flat wire are more expensive to buy, the low maintenance, strength, aesthetic appeal, and resistance to corrosion make it an investment for a long time.
SS flat wire is made by starting with a round wire, which is further drawn to optimal sizing. Then it is rolled to a flat cross-section by passing it through a series of processes and using annealing when required. SS flat wire provides close dimensional tolerances with a wide range of edges on narrow widths.
Stainless steel flat wires are found in multiple types, but are mainly classified into four main types. These types are mostly identified by the crystalline structure, and are known as martensitic, ferritic, austenitic, and duplex. Matta Drawing Works is one of the leading flat wire manufacturer providing SS flat wire in mainly 4 grades, namely 316, 303, 304, and ferritic 430 grades. As the matter of fact that these four grades of SS flat wire possess different characteristics, ensuring to choose the appropriate type is highly important for your project. Below mentioned is a quick technical guide of the various grades of stainless steel that are used to make SS flat wire.
Austenitic
Austenitic stainless steel used to make SS flat wire compiles the 300 series containing nickel as the stabilizing element. Because of the face-centered cubic crystal structure, this steel grade is able to maintain the microstructure at all temperatures all through the melting point. Austenitic stainless steel cannot be hardened through heat treatment, but can be hardened by work hardening process and they are they possess non-magnetic properties.
Ferritic
Like carbon steel, ferritic stainless steel also has a ferrite body-centered cubic crystal structure. The ferrite stainless steel used to manufacture SS flat wire has a microstructure that is suitable for all temperatures because of their chromium content. This makes it unable to harden via heat treatment or by work hardening. Due to the addition of molybdenum and chromium, ferrite stainless steel has enhanced corrosion resistance characteristic and is also magnetic in nature.
Martensitic
Martensitic stainless steel used to make SS flat wire is manufactured by a three-way heat treatment process that changes the microstructure from austenitic to martensitic. Martensitic stainless steel is not as corrosion resistant as ferritic steel and is magnetic in nature. Due to the high carbon content, martensitic stainless steel is able to be hardened via thermal hardening treatments for improving the mechanical properties significantly.
Duplex
SS flat wire made out of duplex stainless steel have a microstructure that is part ferritic and part austenitic. This composition is usually a 50/50 mix and sometimes a 60/40 mix for manufacturing some commercial alloys. They have a higher molybdenum and chromium content and comparatively lower nickel content than austenitic grades. Duplex stainless steel is twice as stronger than austenitic grades and have a much higher corrosion resistance.
Uses of SS flat wire
SS flat wire is mostly used in the manufacturing of applications that requires high strength and resistance to corrosion. Among them, the most common applications include nuts and bolts, switchgear components, screws, bearings, bushings, flexible metal hose, aircraft fixings, surgical components, pharmaceutical & chemical processing equipment, shipping drums, springs, automotive equipments, architectural applications, cooking equipments, and many more.
Conclusion
SS flat wire is among the most used flat wires for applications among various industries. The maximum global requirement of flat wires is fulfilled with the supply of SS flat wire by flat wire manufacturer. Engineers and purchasers who are looking to acquire continuous length metallic products prefer SS flat wire for their projects.
Publish Date : 17-12-2021