What is Stainless Steel Wire Used For?
We need to start this edition of the BS Stainless blog with something of a disclaimer: we're not going to be able to answer the question of what stainless steel wire is used for! At least, we won't be able to answer it in all fullness. The reason for this is that stainless steel wire is perhaps the most versatile form that the alloy takes and is used for so many applications that a complete, comprehensive list of all its uses would fill a book.
Instead, let's take a whistle-stop tour through just some of the common sectors in which stainless steel wire is used.
Construction
The myriad properties of stainless steel, from its famed corrosion resistance to its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, are all present in stainless steel wire, making it an invaluable resource in the construction industry. A key use is for reinforcing concrete structures, giving the concrete improved tensile strength. Another is for providing unrivalled support for things like roofs and bridges.
When using pre-stressed concrete, stainless steel wire adds compressive strength, reducing the potential for cracking and enhancing the concrete's capacity for load-bearing. Stainless steel wire can be formed into numerous fixings and fastenings like screws and nails as well as being used to craft wall ties and lintel supports. It is also an excellent material for welding with.
Manufacturing
Stainless steel wire can be woven together to create a mesh, another component that has countless uses. One of these is to facilitate many manufacturing industries that use conveyor belts. Stainless steel mesh is an ideal material for making conveyor belts, delivering excellent positive drive and light transfers, which makes the processing of orders much faster and more efficient.
Stainless steel is an extremely hygienic material and can be cleaned and maintained easily, making it perfect for manufacturing food products and pharmaceuticals. Even when used in especially high or low temperature environments, the performance of stainless steel is unaffected. As stainless steel mesh conveyors have a low belt mass, they result in marked reductions in energy usage which both lowers costs and causes less environmental impact.
Medicine
Stainless steel wire is widely used to create a vast array of medical and surgical products from sutures and staples to syringe needles and bone screws. It is also used in an especially-fine format to facilitate endoscopic procedures.
Stainless steel wire is becoming increasingly important in the field of orthodontics, used to create a range of devices including brackets and braces. In fact, the largest dental caps ever created (which hold the official world record!) were made from stainless steel wire; they weighed in at 13kg and measured 50cm x 13 cm. Why were they so big? Because they were made to repair the tusks of an elephant!
This article is already getting rather long and we have only just begun. See, we told you that we wouldn't even begin to scratch the surface! We're going to leave it there for now but please subscribe to our newsletter for an upcoming article about more uses for stainless steel wire, along with lots of other news and updates.
In the meantime, please browse the BS Stainless website to find out more about this fascinating, crucial and indispensable material.