Why Do Wire Rods Make the Best Fasteners?

Fasteners are essential components used in various industries to join or secure materials. They come in different forms, including screws, bolts, nuts, and washers, and are critical in construction, automotive, manufacturing, and aerospace sectors. Their primary function is strengthening the stability and integrity of structure and machinery. Wire rods, a type of long steel product, play a significant role in the production of fasteners. These rods are drawn into thinner wires fabricated into different fasteners. For more industry insights and detailed articles, register now and stay updated!

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The composition of wire rods depends on the intended application and includes different grades of steel characterised by their carbon content and other alloying elements. Typical compositions include low, medium, and high carbon steel and alloy steel grades.

Common grades of low-carbon wire rods

• SAE: this grade is characterised by low carbon content, typically around 0.07%. It is soft and ductile, making it suitable for drawing into fine wires and used in products like nails and wire mesh.

• SAE: with a carbon content of about 0.06%, this grade offers a good balance of strength and ductility. It is often used to make wire ropes, springs, and welding rods.

• SAE: containing approximately 0.08% carbon, this grade is slightly stronger than

• SAE: it is used in applications where moderate strength is required, such as in the manufacturing of screws and bolts.

• SAE: this grade has a higher carbon content (about 0.17%) than the previous grades, providing greater strength and hardness. It is used in applications like cold heading, wire drawing, and the production of structural components.

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Characteristics of wire rods ideal for fasteners

• Fatigue resistance: they exhibit excellent fatigue resistance, which is crucial for fasteners that experience repetitive loading and unloading cycles.

• Cold working: wire rods are highly ductile, which makes them suitable for cold working processes such as drawing, heading, and rolling. This ductility ensures the rods can be formed into various shapes and sizes without cracking or breaking.

• Surface quality: the smooth surface finish of wire rods helps produce fasteners with precise dimensions and smooth threading, enhancing their performance and longevity.

• Alloying elements: wire rods can be alloyed with chromium, nickel, and zinc to improve their corrosion resistance. This is particularly important for fasteners used in outdoor or harsh environments.

• Coatings: they can also be coated (e.g., galvanised) to enhance their resistance to rust and corrosion further.

• Uniform composition: the controlled manufacturing processes ensure that wire rods have a uniform chemical composition and mechanical properties. This consistency is essential for producing reliable and high-quality fasteners.

• Heat treatment: wire rods can be heat-treated to achieve specific mechanical properties, such as hardness and toughness, which are critical for fastener performance.

• Diverse applications: wire rods are available in different grades (e.g., SAE, SAE, SAE, SAE), allowing manufacturers to choose the appropriate material based on the fasteners' specific requirements.

• Customisation: the availability of various grades and specifications enables customisation for specific applications, ensuring that the fasteners meet the exact performance criteria.

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• Enhanced properties: wire rods can easily undergo coatings and plating processes, such as zinc plating or galvanisation, which enhance the fasteners' surface properties, including corrosion resistance and aesthetic appeal.

• Adhesion: the clean and smooth surface of wire rods ensures good adhesion of coatings and platings, leading to durable, high-performance fasteners.

Wire rods are used in various applications such as structural fasteners for joining beams and columns in steel structures, bridges, and buildings, anchor bolts for securing structural elements to concrete foundations, concrete reinforcement with rebar ties, securing roofing materials and siding panels with nails and screws, connecting and stabilising scaffolding components, attaching wire mesh to posts for fencing, engine components in the automotive industry, aircraft assembly in the aerospace industry, device assembly in the electronics industry, and household applications including furniture assembly, home improvement projects, appliance assembly and repair, and gardening and outdoor structures. Their versatility, strength, and reliability make them indispensable. Don't miss out on in-depth guides and tips. Register now to stay ahead in the industry!

Last month, POSCO opened its second overseas automotive wire rod plant in Indiana. The new facility has an annual production capability of 25,000 tons and will supply premium automotive wire rods to its partners in the U.S.

Although wire rods are not always in the spotlight, they are widely used in many parts of a car. Steel wire rods are processed into parts for the steering and suspension systems, tire cords and bearings.

However, not all wire rods are the same, and improvements in production technologies can increase automotive performance, safety and cost-effectiveness. POSCO&#;s world premium steel wire rods provide such solutions to its automotive partners as the global demand for automotive wire rods continues to grow.

Take a look at the video below to see why more and more automakers are choosing POSCO&#;s wire rods, and where they can be applied.

Wire Rods in the Steering System

The steering system is what allows the wheels of a heavy vehicle to move in various directions and angles, with little force exerted by the driver. If the driver were to steer the road wheel directly, he/she would have to apply 16 times more effort. Fortunately, the movement of the steering wheel passes through the steering system of pivoted joints to the road wheels, which minimizes the burden of labor on the driver. The most common type of steering system is the rack and pinion, pictured below.

Traditionally, wire rods used for the pinion shaft, rack bar, ball housing, tie rod and tie rod end of the steering system have to be heat treated twice during production. POSCO developed a way to take out all the heat treatment from the production process, allowing manufacturers to cut costs significantly and reduce unwanted emissions.  

Wire Rods for Springs

Automotive springs are part of the suspension system of a vehicle, which determines the level of control the driver will have, as well as the level of comfort. The spring coils compress and elongate along with the movement of the wheels to absorb shock and keep the car body level.

As such, the wire rods that make up the suspension system have to have high tensile strength and fatigue resistance. POSCO&#;s wire rods for automotive springs are made of ultra-clean alloying steel and have a 2.3 GPa tensile strength versus the average 1.9 GPa of traditional wire rods. When applied to the engine valve springs and coil springs for suspensions and stabilizer bars, it enhances the overall performance, safety and lightweight features of the vehicle.       

Wire Rods for Tire Cords

Wire cords undergo an extensive drawing process to be processed into tire cords, also known as tire belts. Tire cords are important because they act as the chassis of the tire, giving it strength and resistance against punctures. It also allows the tire to stay flat for maximum contact with the road.

The quality of tire cords lies in its strength, elongation and stiffness, and require especially clean and high-strength steel to produce. POSCO&#;s wire rods for tire cords are also highly workable for producing extra-fine wire, meaning car manufacturers get the added benefit of lightweight along with enhanced safety and performance.

Wire Rods for Wheel Bearings

Wheel bearings are under a lot of pressure, literally. It bears the weight of the vehicle so that the wheels can turn as smoothly as possible with little friction. If a car&#;s wheel bearings don&#;t function properly or wear out, the tires can rub against the axle, the rubber can burn due to friction, the wheels can malfunction and cause screeching sounds. It is important for the bearings to be highly wear and fatigue resistant to minimize work hardening, crack and deformation. POSCO&#;s innovative production technology includes numerous tests and quality checks to ensure that wire rods for bearings are in perfect condition.

Recently, Research and Markets predicted a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.50 percent for the global stainless steel wire rod market from to . This is a telling sign that automakers will continue to seek high-quality wire rods in the midst of growing investment in electric and autonomous vehicles. Now with its second overseas facility up and running, POSCO will continue to meet the global demand for world premium automotive materials and provide innovative solutions to its partners.  

Cover photo courtesy of Steel Intelligence.

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