Soft Annealed Stainless Steel Wire from 201 to 316L, 0.15-12 mm

Grade comes before diameter on a soft annealed wire. Two coils can measure the same and bend the same, yet behave completely differently after six months in service, because 201, 304 and 316L sit at different points on corrosion resistance and cost.

This wire is supplied annealed and soft across the 201, 202, 304 and 316L grades, from 0.15 mm to 12 mm, in bright or soap-coated finish. The tensile band is agreed per grade at order stage: typically 550-750 N/mm2 for 304 and 316L, and 600-800 N/mm2 for 201 and 202.

The intended use is flexible work: soft connectors, braided links, netting and parts that are bent more than once in service. In those applications the wire has to keep elongation after forming, not just pass a bend test on the bench.

Product Specifications

Grade Selection

201 and 202: cost-driven, dry service

Manganese-substituted austenitic grades with low nickel. Suitable for indoor parts and dry handling where the wire never meets chlorides. Not the right choice for coastal air, swimming pool equipment or repeated detergent exposure.

304: the general-purpose soft wire

18% Cr / 8% Ni. Handles indoor humidity, fresh water and normal urban atmosphere, and welds and polishes predictably. This is the grade to default to when the end use is not yet fully defined.

316L: chlorides and marine air

2-3% molybdenum added to the 304 basis. The correct choice for coastal installations, road-salt exposure, chemical splash and food plant washdown. Costs more per kilogram, but replaces the part instead of rusting it.

Applications

Flexible connectors and braided links

Fine sizes braided or looped around cable cores and flexible joints, where the wire is bent to a small radius and then cycled in service.

Netting, mesh and weaving

Warp and weft in 0.15-2 mm, where a soft temper keeps knots and crossings from work-hardening and cracking during weaving.

Parts bent more than once

Hooks, clips and retaining loops that are opened and closed repeatedly. Annealed wire retains elongation at the bend instead of hardening to the point of fracture.

Product Advantages

• Four grades on one specification - 201 through 316L from a single drawing line, so a mixed order shares one diameter basis and one packing standard.
• Low yield point - the annealed structure keeps the force needed to bend and re-bend the part low, which matters on repeated forming.
• Grade boundaries stated honestly - 201 and 202 are quoted for dry indoor work only; where chlorides are present the answer is 316L, not a thicker 201.
• Tensile band fixed per grade - agreed at order stage and held across coils, rather than quoted as a single mill headline value.
• Surface per process - bright for visible parts, soap-coated where the wire passes through guides and dies.
• Traceable lots - heat number on every coil label, with inspection report 3.1 on request.

Quality Control

Rod grade is verified by chemical or PMI check before drawing. Diameter is measured inline and sampled at the coil ends, tensile and elongation are tested per heat per ISO 6892-1, and surface is inspected for die lines and scratches. Coil build and packing are checked before the pallet is closed.

Selection and Ordering Notes

1. State the service environment first: dry indoor, fresh water, coastal or chemical. That fixes the grade before the diameter.
2. Give the smallest bend radius and whether the part is bent once or repeatedly in service.
3. Confirm the diameter band; fine mesh and braided links usually run 0.15-2 mm, frames 3-12 mm.
4. Choose bright or soap-coated supply for your forming equipment.
5. Provide sizes and annual volume for a tolerance and packing review.

Send the grade, diameter, service environment and forming process for technical confirmation and quotation.