Stainless Wire 0.15-12mm, Diameter Tolerance Control
Stainless Wire 0.15-12mm
,Stainless Steel Annealed Wire
,Diameter Tolerance Control Wire
Stainless Steel Wire Diameter Tolerance and How It Is Measured
Diameter is the one number on a wire purchase order that both sides assume is understood, and it is also the one that causes most disputes. A tolerance band quoted without a measuring method can be met by one instrument and missed by another, on the same coil.
This wire is supplied from 0.15 mm to 12 mm, annealed at 550-750 N/mm2 in 304 and 316L, with three things written into the order before production: the diameter band, the point on the coil where it is checked, and whether out-of-roundness is counted separately.
Tolerance matters differently by process. On a loom it moves the aperture, on a coiler it changes the feed clearance, and on a fastener line it changes the shank diameter after heading. The band should therefore be set from the process, not copied from the previous order.
Product Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product | Annealed stainless steel wire, diameter controlled |
| Material grade | 304 / 316L |
| Wire diameter | 0.15-12 mm |
| Diameter tolerance | Band agreed per size; typically tighter at the fine end |
| Ovality | Measured on two axes; limit agreed with the band |
| Measuring method | Inline laser gauge plus micrometer check at coil ends |
| Inspection frequency | Continuous inline; sampling at both coil ends before packing |
| Temper | Annealed, soft |
| Tensile strength | 550-750 N/mm2 |
| Surface finish | Bright, or soap-coated for forming |
| Coil weight | 5-250 kg; spool on request |
| Reference standard | ASTM A580 / GB/T 4240 |
| Packing | VCI paper, PP film, wooden pallet |
| MOQ | 500 kg per size |
| Certification | ISO 9001; mill test report 3.1 per EN 10204 |
What the Band Actually Controls
Aperture in woven mesh
The opening is the gap between two adjacent wires, so the wire diameter enters the calculation directly. At 0.5 mm wire a 0.02 mm shift is 4% of the diameter, and that percentage carries straight into the open area of the roll.
Clearance in dies and guides
A coiler, a straightener and a heading die are all set to a clearance around the wire. If the upper limit of the band is wider than the clearance, the wire will not pass, even though every coil is inside the stated band.
Weight per metre and coil yield
Weight per metre follows diameter squared. At the fine end a small band keeps the metre-count per kilogram predictable, which matters when the order is priced by weight and used by length.
Why the Measuring Method Decides the Result
Contact versus non-contact
A micrometer measures over a defined anvil area and a defined contact force; a laser gauge measures across a shadow. On soft annealed wire, contact force compresses the surface slightly, so the two instruments can read differently on the same wire.
Where on the coil it is measured
Diameter is measured at both coil ends and inline during drawing, because the ends are where a drifting die shows up first. A single check at the coil start can report a band that the coil end no longer meets.
Ovality counted separately
A wire can sit inside the diameter band on one axis and fall outside it on the other. Measuring two axes at 90 degrees is what separates a round wire from an oval one, and the limit should be stated with the band.
Applications
Woven mesh and filter cloth
Warp and weft from 0.15 mm to 2 mm, where a narrow band is what allows an aperture to be quoted as a value rather than a range.
Spring coiling and wire forming
Feed rolls and forming pins set to a clearance, where the upper limit of the band is the figure the tooling is actually built around.
Mesh and machine guarding panels
Panels and guards from 0.5 mm to 3 mm, where uniform wire diameter keeps the panel flat and the weld pattern even.
Product Advantages
- Band agreed per size, not per grade - the tolerance is written against the diameter the customer actually runs.
- Measuring method stated - instrument, anvil or laser, and contact force are named, so buyer and mill read the same number.
- Ovality measured on two axes - out-of-roundness is reported separately instead of being averaged into one reading.
- Inline gauge plus end sampling - the drift that appears at coil ends is caught before packing, not after delivery.
- One range for coarse and fine work - 0.15-12 mm from a single drawing line, so mixed orders share one inspection basis.
- Traceable lots - heat number on every coil label, with diameter and tensile results on the mill test report 3.1.
Quality Control
Rod grade is verified before drawing. Diameter is measured continuously by inline laser gauge and checked with a micrometer at both coil ends, ovality is measured on two axes, and tensile and elongation are tested per heat per ISO 6892-1. Wire that drifts outside the agreed band is diverted before packing.
Selection and Ordering Notes
- State the diameter band and the process it is set for: mesh, coiling, heading or welding.
- Say which instrument will be used for incoming inspection, so the method matches on both sides.
- Confirm whether ovality needs a separate limit for your process.
- Give the coil weight and pay-off arrangement so packing suits the line.
- Provide sizes and annual volume for a tolerance and packing review.
Send the diameter band, application and inspection method for technical confirmation and quotation.
