Wire rods are semi-finished steel products, typically produced by hot rolling billets on a wire rod mill. They serve as the raw material for a vast range of downstream products created through drawing, forging, or machining. The sizes of wire rods are standardized but can vary significantly based on the intended application and regional standards (like ASTM, EN, JIS, ISO, or SAE).
Commonly, wire rods are produced in diameters ranging from 5.5 mm (approximately 0.217 inches) up to 19 mm (approximately 0.75 inches), although some mills can produce sizes outside this range, sometimes going up to 25mm or even larger for specialized applications. The most frequently produced and traded size globally is often 5.5 mm and 6.5 mm, particularly for grades like SAE 1006 and SAE 1008 used for general-purpose wire drawing.
The specific size tolerance is also critical and defined by standards. For instance, standard tolerances might be +/- 0.3 mm or similar, depending on the diameter and the standard being followed. The selection of the wire rod size is crucial as it impacts the efficiency of subsequent drawing processes and the final properties of the wire product. Different steel grades will also be available in various size ranges to meet diverse industrial needs, from construction to automotive manufacturing.