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.
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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.
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.
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 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.
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.
A wire rod is a hot rolled wire, which can have a diameter of anywhere from 5.5 to 42mm. A standard quality rod can be made of various materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, and ordinary quality copper. However, stainless steel wire rods offer unparalleled quality with high corrosion resistance and high weldability. Depending upon the technical parameters of the material type, the cross-section of wire rods can be hexagonal, round or square. But the majority production of wire rods is in round cross-section in nominal diameters of 5mm to 19mm.
Wire rods are manufactured by hot rolling billets on continuous rolling mills. It is extracted from hot metal through shafts. The shafts shape and compress the metal from various sides, transforming a piece of metal into a thin, long cable.
The rod needs to be cooled after rolling. This wire is wound on a special winder at the end of the rolling mill for the further cooling process. There are two ways this process can go: by air or rapid cooling. Unlike rapid air cooling, which involves special fans, air cooling happens naturally. The rod is ready for storage after cooling.
There are a variety of applications for stainless steel wire rods, such as aviation, industrial, engineering, and for reinforcing concrete structures. These HRAP wire rods can be used in cold drawing, metal wiring, binding, fastener applications and to make stainless steel wire mesh.
Stainless steel wire rods are mainly used to produce stainless steel wire. In order to manufacture downstream products such as industrial fasteners, springs, medical and dental devices, automobile components, and welding electrodes, stainless steel wire is used.
In India, Aamor Inox is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of premium quality Stainless Steel Wire Rods. We provide exceptional quality stainless steel rods in various AISI and DIN International standard grades and sizes. Our division is well equipped with the necessary machinery and tools where the process of solution annealing is done in a controlled environment. We have expertise in in-house melting operations to produce the best quality annealed stainless steel wire rods.
Based out of New Delhi, India, Aamor Inox exports various stainless steel products to over 60 countries worldwide. Please share your enquiries with us on anand@aamorinox.com, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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