The process of creating oil-tempered wire involves first drawing steel down to a specific diameter, before heating to extremely high temperatures and then rapidly cooling it through immersion in oil. This results in an extremely durable wire, with an excellent fatigue life and resistance to relaxation. Compared to music wire, another popular steel option, oil-tempered wire tends to be both cheaper and thicker – though of course it’s available in a variety of widths.
What, then, are the advantages of this process? And what sort of products might require oil-tempered wire? We’ve rounded up a couple of the major ones below:
Garage Door Springs
The strengthening effect of the oil tempering process makes this wire extremely hardy and gives it high-tensile properties. It’s quite a popular material for springs – especially those that see relatively constant loads, in contrast with ones that are heavily stressed and frequently cycled. This makes oil tempered wire a perfect fit for garage door springs, which support considerable forces for longer periods of time, with fairly infrequent movement.
Automotive Parts
From combustion engine valves to clutches to transmission dampers, the tensile strength and fatigue life of oil-tempered wire allows for springs that satisfy the extreme demands of precision auto parts. Tempering reduces brittleness and ensures more uniform mechanical properties, compared to wires that are simply cold-drawn, meaning that these ultra-important components on which your vehicle’s life (and your safety) depends are extremely resistant to breakage and very slow to wear down.
Wire Forms
These small, typically custom-made wire pieces fit a variety of applications, and are integral components to all sorts of commodities. When choosing a material to construct your forms from, oil-tempered wire is a serious contender. Its sturdy, resilient properties make it a great general-purpose material and a reliable part of any end product.
For more information about oil tempered wire and other steel products, contact Madison Steel today.