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Trade Show Coverage:

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wire 2024...64

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STRAIGHTENING & CUTTING..P. 76
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 Table of of
Table Contents
Contents
Spring
Fall 20072024 Vol. 27, No.
Vol. 10,2No. 4
www.wireformingtech.com

Feature Articles
WFTI EMPHASIS: Feature Articles
Dealing with
hydrogen
Rebuild & Upgrade 38-44embrittlement 14 WFTI Technical Achievement Awards – Class of 2007
30 USPTO Wire
Second Product
Annual Patents
Wire Forming Technology International Technical Achievement Awards, given out
in spring annually to spring making or wire forming industry individuals for major technical developments
36
steel....20 Second Annual
related “Spring
to equipment, &accessories
materials or Grinding Days”
for making springs or wire formed parts.
Brian Davi - An event designed to provide attendees with the latest information related to
16 “How
current Re-Engineering
and upcoming My Wire Forming
technological developments in the spring and wire industry.
Business Saved it from Extinction”
...46-59 38 Rebuilding & Upgrading
Drew Greenblatt ofstrategy
- A multi-pronged CNCresulted
Jig Welders
in growth and return to profitability.
Clive White - A fully rebuilt machine can be a good choice with an attractive ROI, considering
20theHydrogen
that cost of a newEmbrittlement
machine could be of Spring
triple Steel
the price.
Richard D. Sisson, Jr. - A review of the physical metallurgy of hydrogen embrittlement of
40 As Good as along
spring steel New:
withRetrofitting Existing
a discussion of mitigation Machines
methods.
Simone Schumacher - Time
23 Composition for a general
Effects overhaul?
in Carbon A retrofit can be a good alternative to
Steel
purchasing a new
Dr. Roger N.wire processing
Wright machine.
- Part 6 of the multi-part series, The Strength of Steel, dedicated to the
...64-74 metallurgy of spring making and wire formed parts manufacturing.
Drum washer 42
for springs and Rebuild & Upgrade?
wire formed parts...30 24 Coatings
Constantine for
Grapsas the
- Be 21 Century
prepared
st
to answer important machinery questions.
Kirtan R. Dhami - A look at high-performance and corrosion-resistant fluoropolymer/PTFE
46 Securing
coatingsBrilliant Wire
for springs and Connections
wire formed parts.
A preview of WAI’s Wire Expo 2024, June 11-12, 2024, Uncasville, CT, USA.
26 Stress Peening – A Practical Application
60 Simulation
Dr. EckehardofMüller
Shot Blasting
- Stress Machines
(shot) peening can be usedand Processes
in making auto suspension coil springs
for better material utilization via higher hardness resulting in reduced material used/reduced weight.
Compact Lower costs and improved sustainability for shot blasting operations.
mesh 30 Heat & Surface Treatment Roundup
welding cyl- 62 Spring Coiling
Editorial Roundup
Staff - Suppliers have responded to our call for the state-of-the-art in heat
inder...36 WFTI Editorial Stafftreatment
and surface - The state-of-the-art
equipment. in spring coiling machines, tooling and technology.

64 “Straight
36 More From Theand
Flexibility Show” Newsfor
Versatility & the
Images from wire 2024
Wire Worker
Report Dorothee
of wire 2024, held April
Jungeblodt 15 - of
- A range 19, 2024,
mesh Düsseldorf,
welding machinesGermany.
is being offered to wire workers,
and when set up by a well-trained worker, the downtime can be less than 30 minutes.
76 Spotlight on Straightening & Cutting
38 McNulty
Mike Machines
- A lookfor Producing
at the Wire Hangers
relevant machines, materials, services and trends.
Retrofitting existing machines Sonia Vitari - Versatile wire hanger forming and other wire processing machines offered
...40 globally with after-sales support and engineering.
Columns
39 CASMI Scholarship Awards Reach Total of US$463,000 in 2007
Excerpted from the CASMI CONNECTION, a publication of
21 TalesCASMI
From The Association
(Chicago Lighter Side
of Spring Manufacturers, Inc.), Naperville, IL, USA.
Randy DeFord - All Things Springs
44 Wire Rod & Coating Supplier Consolidates
22 CASMI Its SpringWorld Right Around
Activities in Venezuela & Columbia the Corner, CASMI 2024
Versatile system for producing
wire hangers....38 Scholarship Award
Jacques Anckaert Recipients
- Company intends to tapAnnounced in market
the developing growth June, WAFIOS
in Latin America.

Spring & Grinding

45 Company Profiles Days Highlights, Event Highlight: Annual
Images from wire 2024...72 Golf Outing Returns to Cog Hill, 2024 CASMI Events...
Information of value to the international spring and wire formed parts industry.
Denise Harris - CASMI News & Events Update
Industry Events
24 Spring Design Training Program Grows, Training Overview,
37 Straight
Failure Analysis FromProgram,
The Show2024 SMI Annual Meeting...
Images and facts from wire Southeast ASIA 2007, held October 16-18, 2007, in Bangkok, Thailand.
C. Richard Gordon - SMI Technical Update
Departments
26 Education Opportunities, Educational Fair, Webinar,
SMI Training, Policies, Events... Next Issue: Winter 2008
Wire Forming Events ..................................................4
Lucas Karabin - NESMA News Update
Top Products of 2007
Editorial.......................................................................6
28 Rudimentary Mechanical Testing Procedures
News Wire ..................................................................8 wire 2008 Preview
Alan Thomas - Spring & Wire Formed Parts Testing
Product Showcase....................................................40 Roundup: Materials
Cooling and parts collecting
Advertisers’ 35 Damn These Eggs!
Index .....................................................63 Spotlight: Mesh Welding
systems ...78 Dr. Roger N. Wright - It’s Not Funny!!!!
Editorial Index ...........................................................64
Departments Next Issue: Summer 2024
Fall 2007/Wire Forming Technology International 3

Wire Forming Events ........................................................................4 SprINg World 2024 preview

Editorial.............................................................................................6 Wire Forming & Bending roundup
News Wire ........................................................................................8
Product Showcase..........................................................................78 Springs & Wire Forms roundup
Advertisers’ Index ...........................................................................79 Spotlight: Heat Treatment
Editorial Index .................................................................................80

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 3

 WIRE FORMING EVENTS
Table of Contents
Fall 2007 Vol. 10, No. 4
May 21 – 22, 2024 November 27 – 29, 2024
2024 WFA Spring Meeting & Car-Anth wire India 2024 Feature Articles 1741 Akron Peninsula Rd,
Manufacturing and True Manufacturing Mumbai, India Dealing with
Akron, OHof44313 USA
14 WFTI Technical Achievement Awards – Class 2007
Plant Tours www.wire-india.com
hydrogen

annually to spring making or Tel: +1 industry

330 864 2122 • Fax:
technical+1 330 864 5298
embrittlement Second Annual Wire Forming Technology International Technical Achievement Awards, given out
in spring wire forming individuals for major developments
St. Louis, MO, USA www.mdna.com steel....20
www.wireformingtech.com
related to equipment, materials or accessories for making springs or wire formed parts.

www.wirefabricators.org 16 “How Re-Engineering My Wire Forming

January 30 – February 1, 2025Business Saved it from Extinction”
Drew Greenblatt - A multi-pronged strategy resulted in growth and return to profitability.
June 11 – 12, 2024 2025 WFA Winter Meeting 20 Hydrogen Embrittlement Chip Lippincott, President and Publisher
of Spring Steel
Richard D. Sisson, Jr. - A review of the physicalchip@wireformingtech.com
WAI Operations Summit & The Carribean - details to follow metallurgy of hydrogen embrittlement of
spring steel along with a discussion of mitigation methods.
Mike McNulty, Vice President and Editor
Wire Expo 2024 www.wirefabricators.org 23 Composition Effects in Carbon Steel
mcnulty@wireformingtech.com
Dr. Roger N. Wright - Part 6 of the multi-part series, The Strength of Steel, dedicated to the
Montville, CT, USA metallurgy of spring making and wire formed parts manufacturing.
May 13 – 15,Drum2025
washer for springs and
Stherrim “Sterrin” Raymond
www.wireexpo24.com 24 Coatings for the 21 Century
wire formed parts...30 st

Interwire 2025 Editorial & Production Specialist

Kirtan R. Dhami - A look at high-performance and corrosion-resistant fluoropolymer/PTFE
coatings for springs and wire formed parts.

September 18 – 19, 2024 Atlanta, GA, USA 26 Stress Peening – A Practical Application sterrin@wireformingtech.com
Dr. Eckehard Müller - Stress (shot) peening can be used in making auto suspension coil springs
for better material utilization via higher hardnessDipl.-Ing. Konrad
material Dengler
2024 WFA Fall Meeting & www.interwire25.com
Compact
resulting in reduced used/reduced weight.
European Correspondent, KDengler@t-online.de
WireCrafters Plant Tour
mesh 30 Heat & Surface Treatment Roundup
welding cyl-
Septemberinder...36
17 – 19, 2025 Editorial Staff - Suppliers have responded to our call for the state-of-the-art in heat
and surface treatment equipment. Alex Lippincott, Marketing Representative
Louisville, KY, USA
wire Southeast Asia 2025 36 More Flexibility and Versatility for alex@wireformingtech.com
the Wire Worker
www.wirefabricators.org Dorothee Jungeblodt - A range of mesh welding machines is being offered to wire workers,
Bangkok, Thailand and when set up by a well-trained worker, the downtime can be less than 30 minutes.
Pete McNeil, Sales Representative
38 Machines for Producing Wire Hangers
September 25 – 28, 2024 www.wire-southeastasia.com Sonia Vitari - Versatile wire hanger forming andpete@wireformingtech.com
other wire processing machines offered

wire China 2024 www.mdna.com

globally with after-sales support and engineering.

39 CASMI Scholarship Awards Reach Total of US$463,000 in 2007

Shanghai, China INTERNATIONAL SALES
Excerpted from the CASMI CONNECTION, a publication of
November 12 – 13, 2025 CASMI (Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc.), Naperville, IL, USA.
www.wirechina.net 44 Wire Rod & Coating Supplier ConsolidatesCHINA
PARTS FINISHING
www.mdna.com Versatile system for producing Ringier Trade Media
Its Activities in Venezuela & Columbia Ltd.
Karlsruhe, Germany
wire hangers....38 Jacques Anckaert - Company intends to tap the developing growth market in Latin America.
China: Maggie Liu maggieliu@ringiertrade.com,
45 Company Profiles
October 2 – 4, 2024 www.parts-finishing.de Information of value to the international spring and wire 86-20-2885-5121
formed parts industry.

2024 SpringWorld Expo Hong Kong: Octavia octavia@ringier.com.hk

Industry Events
April 13 – 17, 2026 +852-2369-8788
and Symposium
wire 2026, Düsseldorf, Germany 37 Straight From The Show
GERMANY
Rosemont, IL, USA Images and facts from wire Southeast ASIA 2007, held October 16-18, 2007, in Bangkok, Thailand.

www.wire-tradefair.com Alex Lippincott, Marketing Representative

www.springworld.org Departments
Next alex@wireformingtech.com
Issue: Winter 2008
www.mdna.com
Wire Forming Events ..................................................4
Editorial.......................................................................6 Top Products INDIA
of 2007
News Wire ..................................................................8 Kapil Suri, B wire
- 4/5,2008
Vasant Vihar, New Delhi - 110057
Preview
Product Showcase....................................................40 India, +91-9810248458, kapshan@hotmail.com
Roundup: Materials
Advertisers’ Index .....................................................63 Spotlight: Mesh Welding
ITALY
Editorial Index ...........................................................64
Casiraghi Global Media srl
Diego Casiraghi, Oliver Casiraghi
Fall 2007/Wire Forming Technology International 3

Tel: +39 031 261407

info@casiraghi-adv.com
JAPAN
Sakura International, Ken Myohdai
Tel: +81 6 6264 3900 or +81 3 5646 1160
Fax: +81 6 6264 3901 or +81 3 5646 1161
info@sakurain.co.jp
TAIWAN

Don’t Settle For Seconds

Worldwide Services Co. Ltd. Karl Smith
Tel: +886 4 23251784 • Fax: +886 4 23252967
global@acw.com.tw

At Admiral Steel, we understand that your product is your Publisher's Notice: We assume no responsibility for the
validity of claims in connection with items appearing in
reputation. That’s why we take pride in specializing in Wire Forming Technology International magazine. Ad-
dresses are given to facilitate further inquiry.
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Call us at 800-323-7055 or email sales@admiralsteel.com of a company engaged in the manufacture of springs, wire
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4 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 EDITORIAL
The Human Factor
My anticipation and expectations for last April’s
staging of the biennial wire Düsseldorf trade fair were
pretty high. I was certainly looking forward to seeing
and experiencing the
record-breaking num-
ber of exhibits, but my
overall enthusiasm was
slightly tempered by
what to expect in terms
of visitor quantity/qual-
ity and the actual level
Above and below image credit: of busyness; in other
Messe Düsseldorf / ctillmann
words, would we ex-
perience sustainable
foot traffic to the fairly
overwhelming number
of exhibitor stands in
multiple exhibit halls?
Well, I am pleased to re-
port that wire 2024 was
simply excellent on all levels, and anyone that was there
could attest to the massive scale and professionalism of
this world-class trade fair and our industry as well as
to the incredible quality of technology, products and
services on display, not to mention the fantastic and at-
tractive exhibits themselves and the knowledgeable and
welcoming people on hand to greet and educate visitors.
As usual, the technical themes revolved around pro-
cess and product innovations, and this year there was
a strong emphasis on sustainability as well as robotic
and AI solutions to overcome labor shortfalls and limi-
tations, but I was struck mostly by the human factor
present everywhere, at the show and in the city. This
may have been more evident this year as this was the
first wire Düsseldorf fair in six years for many attendees
and exhibitors, and I think that aspect helped make
the mood quite positive and direct. I was keenly aware
and impressed with wire 2024 hospitality, greetings
and personal interactions on the show floor as well as
at the many off-site events, “stand parties” and gather-
ings on the streets and in many Düsseldorf establish- Show” report starts on page 64. Good show content is
ments. Impersonal “virtual” events and tools are useful also available online at www.wire-tradefair.com.
for communication, but they are a poor substitute for Another excellent and upcoming industry event is
actually interacting with others and experiencing their previewed in this issue, Wire Expo
humanity and community. People are always behind the 2024 on page 46. My expectations
things that are designed and created for making, selling for this show are also high, and I
and using all types of wires, wire products and cables. am sure that the human factor will
Some non-standard events that we enjoyed included be prominently on display at it.
the IWMA Networking Event, the WCISA Night Out in
Germany (see page 17), the Messe Düsseldorf Industrial
Partners’ Dinner and the WAFIOS/Witels-Albert dinner
at Hausbrauerei Zum Schlüssel.
You can see a wire 2024 recap news story on page 16 Mike McNulty, Editor
of this issue, and our traditional “Straight From The mcnulty@wireformingtech.com

6 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 BM 43
INTELLIGENCE FOR MAXIMUM PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE
Intelligent software enables the high-speed CNC coiling and bending machine to
automatically optimize all bending programs based on digital twins

Transfer of nominal/actual Real-time simulation for Automatic calculation 5-year iQsmartbend

geometries and calculating cycle times of a bending process license
correction values from an and for collision free from collisions as
external measuring device monitoring well as optimization of the
table position

Demand for Chain
Link Fencing in the
Nonbuilding Market
to Grow Annually
According to a new study by The
Freedonia Group, Cleveland, OH,
USA, Chain Link Fencing, demand
for chain link fencing is forecast
to increase 1% annually to 225
million linear feet in 2027, valued
at US$3.9 billion. The residential
market will experience the best
growth opportunities despite a de-
cline in new housing construction.
Demand in the remodeling market
will be driven by increasing inter-
est in outdoor living activities, as
well as a rise in pet ownership, as
chain link fencing is a relatively
inexpensive option for pet owners
to keep their pets unleashed and
on their property.
Real demand growth in the com-
mercial market will be minimal,
although it will represent a re-
bound from the pandemic-related
declines of the previous period.
Growth will occur in the indus-
trial segment as the manufacture
of both durable and nondurable
goods rise, necessitating new
factories or expansions to exist-
ing facilities. Growth will also be
boosted by increased infrastruc-
ture spending on transportation-
related facilities such as airports
and freight terminals.
The nonbuilding market encom-
passes spaces such as coastal and
waterfront areas, national and
community nature parks and play-
grounds, as well as roads, electric
distribution substations and other
areas not defined by a structure.
Chain link fencing is often selected
for nonbuilding applications be-
cause of its low cost, durability
and security characteristics.
Demand for chain link fencing in
the nonbuilding market is forecast
to rise 2.7% per year to US$1.4
billion (78.0 million linear feet) in
2027. Nonbuilding construction
requirements for fencing gener-
ally revolve around security and
8 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
NEWS WIRE
privacy issues. Aesthetic concerns
for fencing are less important than
in residential and commercial
building construction markets, as
most nonbuilding sites have low
foot traffic.
The Freedonia Group, a division
of MarketResearch.com, is a premier
international business research
company, providing clients with
product analyses, market fore-
casts, industry trends and market
share information. From one-
person consulting firms to global
conglomerates, our analysts pro-
vide companies with unbiased,
reliable industry market research
and analysis to help them make
important business decisions. The
Freedonia Group’s brands also
include Packaged Facts, a trusted
provider of consumer market
research on food and beverage,
pet products and services, demo-
graphics, and financial services,
and Simba Information, the leading
authority for market intelligence
and forecasts on the education and
professional publishing industries.
www.freedoniagroup.com
Lesjöfors Group
Expands With New
Distribution Center
The Lesjöfors Group, Karlstad,
Sweden, one of the largest spring
corporations in the world, is
increasing its global logistics
network with the opening of a
purpose-built distribution and
sales centre for its standard stock
range, enabling faster deliveries
across Europe.
Lesjöfors Stock Spring Europe
will be based in the Netherlands,
in Haaksbergen, and the new
fulfilment centre will service Les-
jöfors’ extensive standard stock
range across continental Europe,
expanding the group’s express
delivery service already available
in the Nordics.
Ola Tengroth, CEO of the Lesjö-
fors Group says, “Expanding our
sales and distribution network
into Europe is very exciting as we
are now able to respond to cus-
tomer demands for same day de-
liveries across our standard range
of springs, gas springs, pressings,
wire forms and adjacent products.
Strengthening our market position
in our rapidly expanding standard
range, we’re looking to this new
logistics hub to secure our ambi-
tions to be the number one sup-
plier of quality standard items in
the industry.”
This latest investment is part of a
strategic program that has seen the
Lesjöfors Group grow from a 250
million euro turnover to 400 mil-
lion euros in the last three years.
Henrik Furhoff, Head of Business
Area Standard, says, “Our objec-
tive is to significantly accelerate
the growth of our standard items
across Europe and this investment
is a crucial enabler for that. Our
goal is to deliver the widest range
of standard stock items, the best
customer service and the fastest
delivery. This new development
continues the Lesjöfors Group’s
ongoing expansion, enhancing our
customers’ accessibility and con-
venience in our standard range.”
Partnership is key to success and
the Lesjöfors Group has optimized
efficiencies across its company
base by working alongside the
new sales hub’s neighboring col-
leagues at De Spiraal, also owned

by the Lesjöfors Group, to deliver
to the group’s sustainability agen-
da and enhance each sites support
functions.
Ali Akhondzadeh, General Man-
ager for Lesjöfors Stocks Springs
Europe concludes, “When we are
at full capacity, we will have the
widest range of stock springs and
gas springs in Europe. All will be
available for immediate purchase
- with same day delivery across
continental Europe - strengthening
our position as the number one
partner in sustainable spring and
pressing solutions.”
As the company build to being
fully operational, Lesjöfors are
extensively recruiting locally and
looking for talented individuals
who want to join their highly mo-
tivated team.
The Lesjöfors Group are world-
leaders in spring and pressing
manufacture. One of the largest
spring corporations in the world,
established in 1675 with spring
manufacture commencing in
1852, the group’s product portfo-
lio includes springs, gas springs,
metal belts and pressings across
an extensive range of wire sizes.
Committed to manufacturing ex-
cellence, reliability and customer
service, their global spring manu-
facturing and technological devel-
opment network, is dedicated to
world-leading products.
With over 60 locations, Lesjöfors
provides a competitive environment
dedicated to quality, accuracy and
customer satisfaction, delivering
impact to every industry. Custom-
ers rely on their quality components
and network, problem-solving
agility, purchasing power and flex-
ibility to extend their capabilities,
guaranteeing the Lesjöfors Group
as the trusted, premium partner for
springs and pressings.
The Lesjöfors Group is owned
by Beijer Alma a listed com-
pany on the Stockholm Stock
Exchange. www.lesjoforsab.com
www.beijeralma.com
NEWS WIRE
Dorstener Drahtwerke region.
For decades, almost 70% of pro-
Invests in Capacity duction capacity at the Dorstener
Expansion Drahtwerke site was caused by the
Due to increased demand from graphic arts industry, but digitali-
newly developed markets, the zation and the associated changes
Dorstener Drahtwerke Group, in reading habits have caused this
Dorsten, Germany, is investing volume to shrink significantly in
heavily in the USA and in its recent years. It has been replaced
headquarters in the German Ruhr by various new applications that
Equipment
for the
processing of
wires, cables
and tubes
straightener
die - holder
cable centering device
cutter
feeder
traverse unit
wire guide
payoff
Since its inception in 1983 Cometo’s
Cometo continually develops
innovative products of the machine
highest quality by managing straighten
& completing projects with
cut
efficient after-sales service and
a full supply of spare parts. bend
Continuous investments aim mark
to further develop Cometo chamfer
products and enable an
ever-expanding line of
quality equipment with the
introduction of complete
machines. Spare parts
www.cometo.ws
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 9

are more future-proof, e.g. the
production of high carbon brush
wires, (dental) medical wires or
technical wires for use in hydro-
gen electrolysis.
The Dorstener Drahtwerke Group
has been pushing ahead with the
modernization of the Dorsten site
since 2022 in order to prepare for
the continued growth in demand
for products with a high degree of
specialization in terms of materi-
als, mechanical properties and
surface quality.
Moreover, the go-ahead has been
given for the expansion of the
USA plant in York, PA, in 2023. In
addition to the purchase of a bell
annealer including a hydrogen
option, investments will be made
in York in machinery for coating
with copper, nickel, zinc and tin.
Wet and dry drawing capacities
have also been and are currently
being expanded.
Thanks to these measures, the
family-owned company, which
is firmly rooted in the region and
runs various production and sales
companies worldwide, believes it
is also well positioned for the long
term: “We are certain that, fol-
lowing the reorganization of wire
production at the two sites, we will
not only be able to respond more
flexibly and efficiently to customer
requirements, but will also be
more robust in the event of re-
gional fluctuations in demand. The
more favorable business and in-
vestment climate also speaks in fa-
vor of the US market,” said Volker
Tüshaus, Managing Director of
Since 2022, Dorstener Drahtwerke
Group is investing in equipping the
new hall at the Dorsten site with
state-of-the-art machinery to
supply future demands.
10 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
NEWS WIRE
Dorstener Drahtwerke, explain-
ing the strategic intentions behind
the extensive investments, which
are due to be completed in 2024.
www.dorstener-drahtwerke.de/en
Dignitaries Help
Radcliff Wire
Celebrate 65 Years
Radcliff Wire, Bristol, CT, USA,
celebrated its 65th anniversary with
a small ceremony at its facility in
Bristol, CT, USA, on Friday, March
8, 2024.
Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano, City
Councilor Susan Tyler, City of
Bristol Economic & Community
Development Executive Director
Justin Malley and City of Bristol
Marketing & Public Relations
Specialist Dawn Nielsen attended
the event, along with Central Con-
necticut Chambers of Commerce
Membership Development Direc-
tor Andrew LaForge.
Radcliff Wire President Charlie
Radcliff and his sister, Jeanne
Radcliff, CEO of Radcliff Wire,
shared an overview of the com-
pany and its history and provided
a tour of the facility.
“My father, Don Radcliff, started
Radcliff Wire in 1959 to help spring
manufacturers obtain special-
shaped wire that wasn’t available
anywhere else,” Radcliff said. The
company still offers wire that’s
difficult to find elsewhere, Rad-
cliff said, citing the half-oval and
crescent shaped mandrel wires
the company currently manufac-
tures for the medical industry,
worldwide.
The group toured the factory’s
annealing, drawing, shaping and
rolling departments and was
impressed with the vast array of
shapes and alloys used in the wires
the company produces, prompting
Mayor Caggiano to ask, “Where
does all the wire go?” Radcliff re-
plied, “When I was a kid working
here, I never knew, which is why
I decided to actively learn. Today,
I still know less than 70% of the
applications, because the wire is
everywhere."
Some of the more notable applica-
tions are in the industrial and aero-
space industries. Industrial uses
include wire that’s used to create
Heli-Coils® and cable strain reliefs
on robotic welding machines. Rad-
cliff also produces special shaped
wire used in the manufacture of
small gas engines.
In aerospace, Radcliff’s special
shaped wire locks rivets onto the
skin of an aircraft. Also, special flat
wire is formed to make clips that
are used to attach fuel lines, and
diamond shaped wires are used
for Heli-Coil replacement threads
in engine assemblies.
The company also provides wire
to the automotive and electronics
industries, but it was the spring
industry that gave the company
most of its early business.
“There’s a reason we’re here,”
Radcliff said, noting that his fa-
ther established the company in
the heart of Connecticut’s spring
industry to be close to his cus-
tomers. The development of Con-
necticut’s spring industry, Jeanne
Radcliff explained, was primar-
ily driven by 19th century clock
Mayor presents Radcliff with a
commemorative certificate.
From left to right: Andrew LaForge
– Membership Development Direc-
tor, Central Connecticut Chambers
of Commerce; Dawn Nielsen - City
of Bristol Marketing & Public
Relations Specialist; Jeanne
Radcliff - CEO, Radcliff Wire; Jeff
Caggiano - Mayor of Bristol;
Charlie Radcliff – President,
Radcliff Wire; Justin Malley - City
of Bristol Economic & Community
Development Executive Director;
Susan Tyler - City Councilor.
 NEWS WIRE
manufacturers. quality custom shaped wire for Tri Star Metals
In 1850 Connecticut clockmakers the medical, industrial, aerospace,
produced 511,000 clocks, with automotive, and electronics indus-
Acquires Centric Alloys
Bristol producing more than any tries. Working with 60 different Tri Star Metals (TSM), Freeport,
other city in the state, making it wires in a variety of different met- IL, USA, is pleased to announce
the leading clock producer in the als, they produce special shaped the acquisition of Centric Alloys,
country. The presence of many wiring for customer products. An Doylestown, PA, USA. Centric Al-
small spring manufacturers in ISO certified manufacturer, Rad- loys has been a significant partner
Central Connecticut today is the cliff Wire is a major wire supplier of Tri Star for many years and the
result of that phenomenon. for a range of special products. addition of its team, vendor base
Radcliff Wire still provides wire www.radcliffwire.com and customers will expand Tri Star
for springs used in clocks and
watches, but now their customers
include manufacturers of smart
phones, tablets, laptops, and mi-
croprocessor chips.
The massive volume of wire the
company produces is manufac-
tured by a relatively small team.
Radcliff Wire employs just 29
people, and half of them have been
with the company for 20 years or
longer.
“We’re a family-owned business,”
Radcliff explained, “and our em-
ployees become part of our family.
They feel this, and they tend to
stick around.”
Radcliff expects Radcliff Wire, like
its employees, to be operating in
Bristol well into the future. Mayor www.anchorabrasives.com

Caggiano said he’s “hoping for an-

other 65 years for Radcliff Wire.”
If history is any indicator, he’ll get
his wish. Custom Formulation
For more than 65 years, Radcliff
Wire Inc. has provided the highest
Customer Driven
Superior Components
Factory Trained
Specialists
Fast Delivery
ISO 9001 Certified

For more information contact

Anchor Abrasives Company
7651 West 185th Street
Tinley Park, IL 60477 U.S.A.
Phone: 708-444-4300 www.anchorabrasives.com
Fax: 708-444-1300
Mayor Caggiano and Charlie
Radcliff discuss some of the appli-
cations for Radcliff’s specialty wire.

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 11

157787 ANCHR_Ad_HalfPg.indd 1 Custom Formulation 7/17/20 9:56 AM

Metals’ ability to service the nickel,
alloy and defense markets.
Centric’s Founder and President,
Mike Walsh, is assuming the role
of Vice President – Defense Mar-
kets and the company’s Principal
Metallurgist, Mike Gootman,
will be joining TSM as a Senior
Metallurgist. “The addition of
these industry experts greatly
improves our ability to under-
stand the unique demands of the
defense sector and we are thrilled
to welcome Centric’s current ac-
count base to the Tri Star family,”
said Jim Roach, Executive Vice
President of Tri Star Metals.
“By tapping into Tri Star Metals’
state-of-the-art domestic manufac-
turing facility, their superior tech-
nical team and strong distribution
network, we will enhance our abil-
ity to service our customer base. In
the coming weeks, we will have
a major announcement that will
allow us to bring superior alloys
to the North American Defense
Markets. After nearly 20 years of
growth at Centric, I am pleased to
become part of the Tri Star team,”
said Centric Alloys founder and
President Mike Walsh. This new-
est acquisition continues Tri Star
Metals tradition of bringing in top
industry veterans to help fuel its
history of growth and support of
North American manufacturing.
Tri Star is a domestic manufac-
turer/distributor of stainless steel,
nickel alloys, and aluminum bar
and wire long products. Founded
in 1985, Tri Star currently operates
a 350,000 ft2 manufacturing and
distribution campus in Freeport,
IL, USA, and a 20,000 ft2 West
Coast Distribution facility in Phoe-
nix, AZ, USA. Since 2010, Tri Star
has invested over US$40 million
dollars into its mill/distribution
facilities, resulting in “the most
technologically advanced stainless
steel and nickel redraw mill in the
USA.” Tri Star employs over 140
people in our USA manufacturing
and distribution operations and
represents a true American success
12 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
NEWS WIRE
story. TSM is a proud member of
the Hagener Feinstahl group of
companies. www.tristarmetals.com
ASTM Welcomes
Andrew G. Kireta Jr.
as New President
ASTM International, West Con-
shohocken, PA, USA, is pleased
to announce the appointment of
Andrew G. Kireta Jr. as the orga-
nization’s new President, effective
May 1, 2024. Kireta’s background
in standards development and
familiarity with the organization
uniquely positions him to lead
ASTM International into future
growth and innovation. He will
succeed Katharine Morgan, who
served in the role since 2017 and
will retire after a distinguished 40-
year career with ASTM.
“We are thrilled to welcome Andy
as president of ASTM Internation-
al,” says Bill Griese, 2024 Chair of
ASTM’s Board of Directors. “Andy
has spent years supporting ASTM
International in a variety of vol-
unteer roles and is exceptionally
well-suited to lead the organiza-
tion forward. He brings a strong
commitment to ASTM’s mission,
values and membership. Kathie’s
dedication and engagement have
made it possible for us to find the
right leader for ASTM’s future, and
we are delighted she will help to
ensure a smooth transition as Andy
assumes the role in May.”
Kireta is President and CEO of the
Copper Development Association
and has been with the not-for-
profit trade association since 1992,
serving the past two decades in an
executive management capacity.
He has been an ASTM International
member since 1998, and joined the
Board of Directors in 2014, serving
as Chair of the Audit and Finance
Committee in 2017, Vice Chair in
2018 and 2019, and Chair of the
Board in 2020. Kireta also previous-
ly served as Vice Chair and Chair
of the Board of SEI International,
an ASTM affiliate.
“I am honored and excited to serve
as the new President of ASTM In-
ternational,” says Kireta. “I have
great respect for ASTM’s mission,
staff, members and partners, and
I am humbled to lead an organiza-
tion that has made such a mean-
ingful impact on industry and
society over its 125-year history. I
am eager to work with the ASTM
community to build upon that suc-
cess as we advance our mission of
helping our world work better.”
In his role as President, Kireta will
lead one of the oldest and largest
standards organizations in the
world, overseeing 35,000 global
members who work to develop
and refine more than 12,900 tech-
nical standards and solutions that
represent over 90 industry sectors.
Committed to serving global so-
cietal needs, ASTM International
positively impacts public health
and safety, consumer confidence
and overall quality of life. ASTM
integrate consensus standards –
developed with its international
membership of volunteer techni-
cal experts – and innovative ser-
vices to improve lives, helping the
world work better. www.astm.org
SECO/WARWICK to
Establish an Office in
Monterrey, Mexico
The American branch of SECO/
WARWICK, has decided to ex-
pand its presence on the continent.
Mexico is an important market for
SECO/WARWICK USA; hence,
the decision was made to open a
sales and service office in Mon-
terrey, Mexico. The new SECO/
WARWICK MEXICO division
will occupy about 2000 ft2 of of-
fice space in a high-rise business
park, including garage parking
and controlled-access reception.
As Mexico’s second-largest city,
Monterrey is convenient to major
road, rail and air transportation
hubs. Major Gulf Coast ports and
USA points of entry are not far
either. As one of Mexico’s steel

production epicenters, the region
is also a major manufacturing
center. All of these position the city
as a perfect base to connect with
regional heat treaters or serve the
rest of Mexico, along with Central
and South America.
The new office is just the beginning
of a larger expansion. “Once the
office has established a foothold as
a self-sustaining base of operations
for sales and field service, the next
step will be to build on existing
relationships we have with local
contract manufacturers and me-
chanical contractors to fabricate
furnaces and supplement field ser-
vice staffing through outsourcing,
respectively,” says Marcus Lord,
Managing Director for SECO/
WARWICK USA.
Leading the expansion is longtime
SWC Engineer, Luis Barragan,
who will continue to manage the
establishment of the business until
it is on solid footing. At this point,
NEWS WIRE
he will pivot to managing sales
while Marcus Lord will resume
operations management. The
Mexico office will also have its
aftermarket segment, taking on
aftermarket support for customers
throughout Latin America.
“We’ve always had furnaces and
heat treat partners to support, from
Mexico down to Chile. That de-
mand has grown to the point that it
is time to open a base of operations
dedicated to that market,” con-
cludes Sławomir Woźniak, SECO/
WARWICK Group’s CEO.
www.secowarwick.com
SMI Elects New
President and
Executive Officers
The Spring Manufacturers In-
stitute (SMI), Elgin, IL, USA, has
announced the election of Don
Jacobson III to a two-year term as
the association’s new President. Ja-
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International
cobson is a Director of Newcomb
Spring Corp. where he serves
as the Vice President of business
development out of their facility
in Ooltewah, TN, USA.
Jacobson takes over for Gene Hu-
ber Jr., who served as SMI presi-
dent from 2022 to 2024. Huber,
Executive Vice President of Wi-
namac Coil Spring in Kewanna,
IN, USA, will continue to serve
SMI as Immediate Past President.
In addition, David DeVoe, Presi-
dent of Plymouth Spring in Bris-
Pictured (l-to-r): Dave Deerwester,
Gene Huber Jr., Don Jacobson III,
David DeVoe and Joe Devany.
13

tol, CT, USA, is SMI’s new Vice
President; Dave Deerwester,
President of the Yost Superior
Company, Springfield, OH, USA,
will serve as Secretary/Treasurer
and Joe Devany, Vice President
of manufacturing, Betts Com-
pany, Fresno, CA, USA, is the At-
Large Member of SMI’s executive
committee.
Jacobson follows in the footsteps
of his grandfather, G. Donald
Jacobson Sr., who served as SMI
President from 1960-1962 and his
dad, G. Donald Jacobson Jr., who
served as President from 1995-
1997. Jacobson has been a long
time SMI volunteer and a member
of the SMI executive committee
since 2017. He is active on the SMI
technical committee and helped
launch the SMI 201 Compression
Spring design class.
“SMI is such a great organization
that works with a variety of compa-
nies throughout North America,”
said Jacobson. “What’s important
to me is education. It’s getting the
next generation involved and it’s
also about keeping your employees
engaged. Education is a top goal
that I will focus on during my time
as SMI President.”
Jacobson was installed as Presi-
dent at the 2024 SMI Annual
Meeting, April 6-9, at the Loews
Coronado Bay Resort in Coro-
nado, CA, USA. SMI will hold
its 2025 Annual Meeting at the
Kimpton Hotel Fontenot in New
Orleans, LA, USA, March 29 to
April 1, 2025.
Founded in 1933, the Spring Man-
ufacturers Institute (SMI) is an
association of companies that
manufacture springs and their
associate suppliers. The members
of SMI work together to meet the
key issues of the industry world-
wide: quality, materials, technol-
ogy and government regulations.
SMI provides many services,
including a quarterly magazine,
Springs, a variety of technical pub-
lications, spring design software,
industry data, seminars, meet-
14 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
NEWS WIRE
ings, safety and regulatory com-
pliance and technical assistance.
www.smihq.org
DeburringEXPO to
Be Incorporated Into
PARTS FINISHING Fair
Never before has the industry
changed as rapidly as it is doing
today. This fact also affects the
requirements made on trade fairs.
DeburringEXPO will therefore no
longer taking place as an inde-
pendent event, but will be incor-
porated into the new trade fair
called PARTS FINISHING, taking
place for the first time next year on
November 12 - 13, 2025. The new
two-day event will combine the
subjects of deburring technologies,
component cleaning and surface
finishing and will be held at the
Exhibition Centre of Karlsruhe,
Germany.
Megatrends such as the mobil-
ity and energy transition, demo-
graphic changes and digitaliza-
tion pose new challenges for the
economy and society, but also
present opportunities. They de-
mand new products and adapted
manufacturing strategies of the
manufacturers and companies
far down the supply chain. These
changes are not failing to have an
effect on the trade fair landscape.
“After numerous discussions
with companies that exhibited
at DeburringEXPO and having
closely observed the development
of various trade fairs, we have
reached the decision no longer to
hold the trade fair for deburring
technologies as an independent
event,” explains Hartmut Herdin,
Managing Director of the private
trade fair organizer fairXperts
GmbH & Co. KG.
“In the future, the subject of
deburring technologies will be
combined together with the fields
of component cleaning and sur-
face finishing at the new two-day
trade fair PARTS FINISHING.”
The area of surface finishing will
include the process steps of fine
and ultrafine grinding, polishing,
honing, lapping, vibratory grind-
ing, blasting and brushing.
The market has reacted very favor-
ably to this innovative concept, and
the experienced trade fair organizer
has already received bookings
from well-known and less well-
known plant manufacturers. “Our
discussions also showed that many
interested companies have already
drawn up their plans and budgets
for trade fairs this year. We there-
fore decided to postpone the launch
of PARTS FINISHING by one year
and carry it out on the Karlsruhe
Exhibition Grounds on November
12 - 13, 2025,” elucidates Hartmut
Herdin. The event will subsequent-
ly continue to take place in uneven
years at two-year intervals.
By bringing together these three
important and quality-critical
areas of parts production over a
two-day period, the organizer is
fulfilling the requirements and
wishes of the market. “More and
more companies are questioning
the cost-benefit ratio of exhibiting
at a traditional trade fair,”says
Hartmut Herdin. “In order to
present machines, for example, at a
stand, a great deal of stand space is
required, which incurs a lot of ex-
pense. These days, however, there
are also very good ways to present
efficient performance and exper-
tise digitally.” These aspects were
taken into account in the trade fair
concept for PARTS FINISHING.
Firstly,
the con-
c e p t
makes it
possible
for peo-
ple who
are re-
sponsible
for parts

production to obtain concise in-
formation about solutions, and
it facilitates a dialogue between
users and exhibitors in the cross-
process development of solutions
for special applications. Secondly,
the length of the trade fair being
reduced to two days means less
costs incurred for journeys, accom-
modation and staff. “This aspect is
facilitated by high-quality, turn-
key, customizable stand packages
that are available at fixed costs and
save time, money and resources
right from the early stages of pre-
paring the trade fair,” adds the
trade fair organizer.
The PARTS FINISHING concept
thus concentrates on the very
purpose of trade fairs: to help
establish and maintain contacts be-
tween users and offerers and build
and intensify networks among
exhibitors. “The latter makes it
possible to form strategic part-
nerships and to jointly approach
NEWS WIRE
new projects as a systems sup-
plier,” remarks Hartmut Herdin.
www.parts-finishing.de
USA Companies Invest
Heavily in Robots - IFR
Preliminary Results
Manufacturing companies in the
USA have invested heavily in more
automation: total installations
of industrial robots rose by 12%
and reached 44,303 units in 2023.
Number one adopter is the car
industry followed by the electrical
and electronics sector. These are
preliminary results, presented by
IFR, International Federation of
Robotics, Frankfurt, Germany.
“The United States has one of the
most advanced manufacturing in-
dustries worldwide,” says Marina
Bill, President of the IFR. “The
first IFR outlook on preliminary
results shows again strong robotics
demand across all major segments
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International
of USA manufacturing in 2023.”
Sales in the automotive segment
rose by 1% with a record number
of 14,678 robots installed in 2023.
This comes after installations in
2022 skyrocketed by 47% reaching
14,472 units. The market share of
car and component makers hit 33%
of all industrial robot installations
in the USA in 2023. The USA has
the second largest production
volume of cars and light vehicles
worldwide, following China.
“Automotive manufacturers cur-
rently invest in robotics mainly to
drive the electric vehicle transition
and respond to labor shortages,”
Preliminary results of robot
shipments in 2023 in the USA.
15

says Marina Bill.
Installations in the electrical and
electronics industry rose by 37%
to 5120 units in 2023. This number
almost reached the record pre-
pandemic level of 5284 units, seen
in 2018. The latest result represents
a market share of 12% of all indus-
trial robots installed in the USA
manufacturing industry.
Demand for industrial robots in
this segment is influenced by a
trend to strengthen domestic sup-
ply chains and projects that drive
the clean-energy transition.
Installation counts in other in-
dustries exceeding the 3000-unit
mark in the USA are: metal and
machinery (4123 units, +6%) and
plastic and chemical products
(3213 units, +5%). They represent
a market share of 9% and 7% of
industrial robot installations in
2023, respectively.
Robot installation in Canada reached
4616 units – up 43%, and robot
installations in Mexico’s manu-
facturing industry remain almost
unchanged with 5868 units in 2023.
Final results of the new World Ro-
botics data will be released by IFR
on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
The IFR is the voice of the global
robotics industry. IFR represents
national robot associations, aca-
demia and manufacturers of in-
dustrial and service robots from
over twenty countries. www.ifr.org
Record Trade Fairs
Face Challenges
Messe Düsseldorf North America
(MDNA), Chicago, IL, USA, re-
ports that the recent staging of the
wire and Tube trade fairs in Düssel-
dorf, Germany, was a resounding
success.
With 1500 exhibitors from 60
countries on 67,400 m2, wire 2024
was the largest edition in its almost
40-year history. At Tube 2024, 1200
exhibitors from 54 nations on
about 52,200 m2 showcased their
innovation in an industry increas-
ingly gearing toward energy ef-
16 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
NEWS WIRE
ficiency and sustainability.
A total of 2700 exhibitors came
to Düsseldorf to demonstrate on
about 120,000 m2 of net exhibit
space that the wire, cable and
tube and pipe industries and their
upstream suppliers are ready for
future energy-related challenges.
The fact that they are also among
the system-relevant sectors world-
wide also strengthens the position
of their world leading trade fairs.
The desire for personal exchange
in these economically and geopo-
litically difficult times was clearly
noticeable in the industry.
“The world seems to turn faster
and we turn with it. Every two
years our industries get together
here in Düsseldorf – the commu-
nity stands by its location on the
Rhine. We are very grateful for
this and are working consistently
to ensure that wire and Tube will
also remain their industries No. 1
trade fairs in future,” said Daniel
Ryfisch, Director, wire, Tube &
Flow Technologies.
USA exhibitor participation at
both trade fairs was again strong:
68 exhibitors showcased their
product at wire 2024, with 33 par-
ticipating in the North America Pa-
vilion, organized by Messe Düs-
seldorf North America (MDNA)
and co-sponsored by The Wire &
Cable Industry Suppliers Asso-
ciation® (WCISA®). At Tube 2024,
22 USA companies displayed their
innovations, with five exhibitors
participating in the North Ameri-
can Pavilion also organized by
MDNA and co-sponsored by the
Fabricators and Manufacturers
Association (FMA).
It was not only the 2700 exhibi-
tors who provided insights into
exciting transformation processes
within their industries. For the first
time, a packed ancillary program
consisting of lectures, presenta-
tions, special shows and digital
guided tours accompanied the
activities in the exhibition halls.
Special areas and digital trails on
such hot topics as ecoMetals, hy-
drogen, plastic pipes, separating,
cutting, sawing and stainless steel
provided information on the latest
news and trends.
Experts from numerous exhibi-
tors presented their companies’
sustainability strategies, discussed
paths towards the green transfor-
mation and energy and climate
policy with the audience or pre-
sented successes already achieved
on the way to decarbonization.
Whether the wire & Tube Conven-
tion, ITA-Forum, BDS Forum,
SawExpo Forum, Special Area
Plastic Tubes & Pipes or the digital
ecoMetals and high potential trails
– the exhibition halls were buzzing
with innovations. Trends in wire
and cable machinery, in wire and
cable manufacturing, in the trade as
well as the latest developments in
the field of glass fiber technologies,
mesh welding machinery, spring
making and connection and fas-
tener technologies were presented
in exhibition halls 9 to 17.
“wire & Tube is the place where the
future of the wire and tube indus-
tries is actively shaped and we in-
troduce the innovations of the last
two years to our customers,” stated
Dr.-Ing. Uwe-Peter Weigmann,
Board Spokesman at WAFIOS AG.
“This year our new developments
received extremely positive feed-
back, which was also reflected by
the high number of visitors at our
exhibition stand. Alongside new
machine concepts such as the modu-
lar transfer bending machine BQ10,
the theme of ‘assisted machinery’
went down especially well in the
context of skilled labor shortages.
This machinery assists new staff in
setting up, performing individual
process steps independently. With

four levels WAFIOS has laid the
foundation to incorporate machines
with their assistive functions long
term,” added Weigmann.
The fact that the pipe industry not
only “thinks big” but also has con-
vincing, sustainable concepts for
the use of renewable energies and
the reduction of carbon dioxide be-
came clear at the trade fair stands
in exhibition halls 1 to 7.1. The
sectors using tubes and pipelines
are as diverse as the requirements
for the material properties and
sorts/grades. Plastic pipes play an
increasingly important role here,
which was evident by the many
visitors in the Special Area Plastic
Tubes & Pipes in Hall 1.
The major producing countries
have also traditionally been where
most trade visitors come from. In
addition to Germany, these coun-
tries again included Italy, Spain,
Belgium, France, Austria, the Neth-
Complete range of
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www.awtmach.com
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NEWS WIRE
erlands, Turkey, Switzerland, Great
Britain, Sweden, Poland, the Czech
Republic, the USA, Canada, South
Korea, Taiwan, India and Japan.
Noticeably more visitors than
ever before came from Central
and North America, Turkey and
Asia. They gave top marks for
the comprehensive line-up and
innovative character of the trade
fair stands and praised the almost
complete presence of the market
leaders. Networking, exploring
innovations at the stands and
meeting new suppliers were the
main objectives of trade fair visits.
The next staging of wire & Tube
will take place from April 13 to
17, 2026, in Düsseldorf, Germany.
For further information on visit-
ing or exhibiting at wire 2026 or
Tube 2026, contact Messe Düs-
seldorf North America (MDNA).
www.wire-tradefair.com
www.mdna.com
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International
WCISA Hosts Record
Night Out; Adds
Board Members
WCISA® Wire and Cable Industry
Suppliers Association, Akron,
OH, USA, hosted its semi-annual
member outing in Düsseldorf,
Germany, on the eve of the open-
ing of the wire 2024 exhibition.
“WCISA’s Night Out In Germany”
drew a record crowd of over 200
attendees coming from WCISA
member companies, partners and
guests; a 50% increase over a simi-
lar outing staged in 2022, and a 5%
QSW
QUICK SET
WELDER
17

improvement over the previous
record set in 2018.
The outing was held at Brau-
haus Joh. Albrecht, a brewery
and restaurant in the Niederkas-
sel section of
Düsseldorf, on
the west side
of the Rhein
River. This is
the same loca-
tion as the last
several WCISA
networking outings in Germany.
At wire 2024, WCISA exhibited in
the North American Pavilion in
Hall 9, which was co-sponsored
by WCISA and Messe Düsseldorf
North America (MDNA). Dozens
of WCISA members exhibited at
wire 2024, in the pavilion as well
as on their own in the other exhibit
halls.
The WCISA Board of Directors
held a board meeting in Germany,
and it named three new Board
Members, each serving a three-
year term:
• Lance Hight, Sales Director,
Chase Corporation.
• Jon Mello, Global Market
Manager, Teknor Apex.
• Aaron Yaddow, Sales Account
Manager, Carris Reels.
WCISA is a nonprofit corporate
membership association of North
American suppliers of machinery,
materials and accessories used for
18 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
NEWS WIRE
Obituary
Kenneth John McLaren
It is with deep
sadness that the
Chicago Asso-
ciation of Spring
Manufacturers,
Inc. (CASMI)
board passes on
this news, “Our
very dear friend
and fellow board member, Kenny
McLaren, passed away on March 11,
2024. Kenny leaves behind his dear
wife Fiona, whom many of you know
from her wonderful photography and
videography in our industry. He also
leaves behind four children and two
grandchildren. Kenny was a compas-
sionate, kind and caring man with a
wonderful sense of humor. He touched
the hearts of all who knew him. He was
a great addition to our board, adding
bright new ideas at every meeting, but
most importantly he was our friend.
His career spanned decades in our
industry, specifically at Perfection
Spring and Stamping, where he
was the Vice President of Opera-
tions. Please see the below details
about how he lived life to the fullest.
The information about the services is
included. We will all miss him dearly,
rest in peace Kenny.”
It is with profound sadness that the
family of Kenny McLaren announce
his sudden passing on Monday, March
11, 2024, at the age of 68.
He will be forever remembered by his
wife of 37 years and best friend, Fiona;
children: Bonny (André), Kenny Jr.,
Alexandra (David), and Conrad;
grandchildren: Jackson and Jude;
cats: Katniss and Brutus; as well
as numerous friends and colleagues.
Kenny was born in Toronto, Canada
on May 5, 1955. He was adopted by
Ken and Jean McLaren. He was
raised in the West end of Toronto,
where he grew up as a self-described
“serious child”; loving Boy Scouts,
his friends, and regularly challeng-
ing authoritarian figures and societal
norms for their lack of foundation in
logic. This led him to a life of explo-
ration, risk taking, and adrenaline
chasing. Kenny’s insatiable drive for
a life well-lived led him to adventures
such as driving a taxi cab in Toronto,
hitchhiking across Canada, a decade
long commitment to the Canadian
Ski Patrol at Georgian Peaks Ski
Club, outdoor rock climbing, experi-
encing live, and loud, rock concerts,
obtaining his pilot’s license, and driv-
ing a Formula 1 car. Kenny’s spirit
of curiosity allowed him to see the
beauty in nature, science, language,
ancient history, music that spanned
many genres and literature. This
manifested in his love of camping,
extensive global travel, and later
in life the simple pleasures of his
backyard garden, his wood crafts-
manship and his desire to share
these passions with his children and
grandchildren. Over the course of
Kenny’s life, he mastered a founda-
tion of skills in manufacturing as he
grew from an apprentice tool and
die maker, to ultimately becoming
the Vice President of Operations at
Perfection Spring and Stamping - a
career that spanned three countries
and five decades. Kenny’s most
important role was always to be the
best, most loving husband to Fiona,
father to his four kids, and Grandad
to his two grandsons. He revered
this role as a sacred vocation, sec-
ond to nothing, always determined
to give his family the rich, loving
and fulfilling life he felt that they
deserved. Kenny had a love of fine
food, whiskey, refining his special-
ized woodworking techniques, cook-
ing for his family, aircraft, Formula 1
racing, Russian literature, traveling,
movies, Xbox gaming, progressive
rock music, volunteering and par-
ticipating in the Itasca Lions Club,
and making Christmas magical and
truly special for everyone. Kenny’s
gregarious, charismatic, and re-
spectful nature made him someone
that could, and would, connect with
everyone he came across, from his
work colleagues to the barista at
Starbucks.
Funeral services were held at Grove
Memorial Chapel, Elk Grove Vil-
lage, IL, USA. Internment and burial
took place at Riverside Cemetery,
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada.
Memorial donations may be made
in Kenny’s name to the Itasca
Lions Club, Itasca, IL, USA.
https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/itasca/
page-8.php
www.casmi-springworld.org

making all types of wire and cable.
Members are based in or have an
established subsidiary in North
America.
WCISA’s mission is to promote its
member’s products and services
by providing its members with
representation, networking/social
opportunities and services at wire
and cable trade events and confer-
ences. WCISA is active in wire and
cable trade events and conferences
throughout the world, in varying
capacities, including as an exhibi-
tor, supporter, sponsor and outing
organizer. WCISA also awards to
scholarships to employees and
dependents of member companies
as well to as partner associations.
www.wcisaonline.org
New USA Partner
for AGTOS
Surface Prep is now the new sales
partner in the USA for AGTOS,
NEWS WIRE
Gutenbergstr, Germany. The com-
pany has many locations in North
America and England. AGTOS
Head of Sales, Hermann Walken-
horst and Sales Manager, Thomas
Herhold signed the agreement
with Lawrence Green, Vice Presi-
dent Metallic Abrasives, GNP
Greystar. Both partners are look-
ing forward to interesting projects
and new solutions for customers in
the field of blasting technology in
the USA. www.agtos.com
OMCG Benders for
the Household
Appliances Industry
OMCG, Valmadrera (LC), Italy,
bending machines have been
chosen over the years by many
appliance manufacturers to pro-
duce metal wire and strip compo-
nents suitable for a wide range of
devices, including refrigerators,
washing machines, dryers, ovens,
dishwashers and many others
commonly found in every house.
For a significant and well-estab-
lished international manufacturer
of this industry, a C20W.10 2.0
bending machine was recently
designed and delivered. The cus-
tomer’s production requirement
was to work with wire and strip
having higher mechanical specifi-
cations than the standard ones to
produce components for cooktop
grills. The C20W.10 2.0, with its
three bending radii, fast program-
ming, quick tools changeover and
the ability to perform the cutting
very close to the last bend, turned
out to be the most suitable bending
machine to meet customer’s needs.
Continued...

ultimat
WIRE FORMING & WELDING MACHINES
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US MAGAZINES HALF PAGE &2/285wire 24 28/11/2023

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 19

The machine’s automation system
is completely electric and, in ad-
dition to the heavy duty and log
lasting mechanics, it shares with
all the latest OMCG CNC bend-
ing machines, the human machine
interface Easy Programming 4
Software (EP4).
With this intuitive and user-friend-
ly software, the operators can pro-
gram parts in a three-dimensional
graphical environment, directly
import STEP files, make real-time
modifications, create new pro-
grams and lists during production,
perform simulations and anti-
collision checks, etc.
Key axis functions such as speed,
acceleration and deceleration are
adjustable during configuration,
programming and production.
www.omcg.com
Upcoming WFA Events
& Meeting Information
The Wire Fabricators Associa-
tion (WFA), Frisco, TX, USA,
typically holds three meetings per
year – Spring, Fall and Winter. The
Spring and Fall Meetings include
a social hour and dinner the night
before, a half-day meeting consist-
ing mostly of a discussion on cur-
rent economic developments and
trends in the industry, a luncheon
and a guest speaker presentation
or a member plant tour.
The Winter Meeting commences
with a welcome dinner on Thurs-
day and ends with a group din-
ner on Saturday. Mornings are
reserved for meetings and presen-
tations. One afternoon is devoted
to golfing, fishing or relaxing.
Spouses accompany most mem-
bers to the Winter Meeting, which
is held in January.
Probably the most valuable part
of the meetings is the Roundtable
discussions. At all meetings, 60-90
minutes is allocated to discuss cur-
rent “hot topics” in the industry,
current economic conditions and
prospects for the next quarter
and beyond. Members are candid
20 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
NEWS WIRE
in their statements and various
points of view are always present-
ed. This may be your best return
on time and money anywhere!
WFA Events:
• 2024 WFA Spring Meeting
& Car-Anth Manufactur-
ing and True Manufacturing
Plant Tours, May 21-22, 2024,
St. Louis, MO, USA.
• 2 0 2 4 W FA F a l l M e e t i n g
& WireCrafters Plant Tour,
September 18-19, 2024,
Louisville, KY, USA.
• 2025 WFA Winter Meeting,
January 30 - February 1, 2025,
The Caribbean – more details
to follow.
The Wire Fabricators Association
(WFA) is a trade organization
whose members include wire
fabricating companies from high
volume proprietary product line
manufacturers to OEM job shops.
Incorporated in 1976, WFA’s mis-
sions include considering and re-
solving common problems of oper-
ation for the industry, addressing
health and safety issues, fostering
sound and equitable employment
relations policies and producing
quality products efficiently and
economically. These missions are
accomplished through annual
member surveys and presenta-
tions and discussions during meet-
ings held throughout the year.
After much growth and develop-
ment, WFA has evolved into a
strong and respected organization
that is recognized internationally.
www.wirefabricators.org
Kurt Satzinger is
the New Head of
R&D at voestalpine
Kurt Satzinger succeeds Franz
Androsch, voestalpine’s long-
standing Head of R&D, who is re-
tiring. voestalpine, Linz, Austria, is
one of the most research-intensive
companies in Austria, counting
around 800 R&D employees in
over 70 companies and more than
100 scientific partners worldwide.
The focus of research activities is in-
creasingly on digital and resource-
saving products and processes.
The Group has allocated a record
research budget of EUR 231 mil-
lion for the current business year
2024/25.
Research and development have
a high priority at voestalpine.
Thanks to its intensive R&D ac-
tivities, the Group has been able to
establish itself as one of the leading
technology suppliers for the au-
tomotive, railway infrastructure,
aerospace, energy, toolmaking and
consumer goods industries.
Kurt Satzinger began his career
at voestalpine in 2006, while
studying Materials Science at the
Montanuniversität Leoben, in
the research department of the
voestalpine Steel Division, and
completed his doctorate at the
Technical University of Munich
in 2011. He held various positions
within the Group in the following
years. Before Satzinger took over
as Head of R&D and Innovation
in April, he was program manager
for major strategic projects in Linz,
which included responsibility for
the key greentec steel project.
Franz Androsch was Head of R&D
at the voestalpine Group from
2014 to March 2024. The USA-
born chemist has received several
awards for his work managing
research. Most recently, in 2023,
he received the “Grand Decoration
of Honor in Silver for Services to
the Republic of Austria” from the
Federal Minister of Labor and
Economy for his extraordinary
economic achievements and ser-
vices to voestalpine and Austria
as a research location.
www.voestalpine.com WFTI
 All Things
Springs
Tales From The Lighter Side
An aspect that isn’t typically considered in engineering
is humor. But, I predict you can find it anywhere should
you try.
Several years past, I was asked by a new customer
to design a new compression spring. The design was
similar to suspension parts I had tackled due to a large
deflection requirement. Springs that have a limited ma-
terial allowance tend to take set if the travel is beyond
the yield. This was one of those designs. And as usual,
an exception is taken at the time of quote to be sure the
customer understands that the design stresses could
result in some permanent set if deflected to solid height.
I remember well that during the whole process of pre-
paring this design and quote, I did not know what the
actual application was….which is not unusual. As long
as the stress limits are made visible to the customer,
knowledge of the actual end use is not needed. A draw-
ing or spec sheet with all the related parameters and
math is sufficient.
The design did have one issue, however. The mate-
rial size was large. This flags two possible caveats.
First, the modulus of elasticity in torsion for large wire
diameters is, many times, lower than what design
programs have logged in their material characteristics.
For instance, carbon steels have a standard modulus
of 11,500,000 psi. But, large material sizes, especially
hot coil bars, can have a modulus as low as 10,000,000
psi….or lower. This makes a marked difference in the
spring rate since the rate formula has the torsional
modulus as a variable. At the time of production, the
operator may need to remove some active material to
compensate for spring rate and that will increase the
overall stress picture.
The second problem with larger material sizes is the
tensile strength. Small material sizes are known for high
About the Author
Randy DeFord has served the spring industry for nearly a half century. After working in a hot coil plant for
eight years and then being a spring maker for five years, he answered an ad for a cost estimator and started
his 35-year career in Engineering Management. He has written technical articles for over 20 years for Ma-
chine Design, Springs and Wire Forming Technology International (WFTI) magazines, and his work has been
reprinted in foreign spring industry publications. He now spends his days sharing his knowledge of the industry
with interested patrons. You may call him at 574-870-0372.
by:
Randy DeFord
Design Engineer
tensile strength and longer life due to the wire drawing
process that creates a high life potential. Large wire
sizes do not have that potential and are subject to,
again, lower stress handling and more set potential.
These issues were made aware to the customer at
time of quote.
It is also important for an engineer to know if impact
of any kind is possible due to the potential of extreme
loading at solid height that can promote breakage. This
cannot be designed out of the spring and requires the
forethought to design other applications to avoid that
potential result.
Years later, I get a call from the same engineer who
requested the design. He reports the springs have
broken in use. The initial reaction is always a review of
all the calculations. Other than set potential, the spring
was made from premium chrome silicon valve alloy and
should not have, literally, broken. The time has come
to ask for details as to the function of the spring. Most
designs are not warranted products, but engineers are
always looking for ways to increase life, not to mention
avoided breakage!
I was told the spring was a marine application on a
dock in a suspension system for cargo ships. Again,
although the potential for set was there, breakage of
a high tensile material such as chrome silicon would
require a tremendous load excess. As I inquired further,
I asked the engineer if an overload had been seen by
the spring. I was told that a ship had crashed, headlong,
into the dock. And….why had the springs broken? I
guess I had not considered infinite life, including full
contact with a moving cargo vessel. Since no one was
hurt….I found some humor in the request. The engineer
accepted my explanation and replacement parts were
made with no cost to us. There are just some things
you can’t see coming…..so to speak. But it can make
you smile.
WFTI
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 21
CASMI News & Events Update
Denise Harris, Executive Director
Chicago Association of
Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI)
262 West Main Street
Wales, WI 53183 USA
www.casmi-springworld.org
CASMI SpringWorld Right
Around the Corner!
The 2024 symposium and expo will be combining the
two organizations’ biennial events into one foremost
industry event. SMI will host two mornings of busi-
ness and technical content, including 24 educational
sessions. The exhibit hall, hosted by CASMI, Chicago
Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc., is the place
for OEMs, spring manufacturers, distributors, coiling,
grinding, peening and wire forming companies to
showcase the newest equipment and latest technolo-
gies to key decision makers in the industry.
For a comprehensive update on the latest for SpringWorld,
visit the event website at www.springworld.org. The
new site premiers the new event brand and provides
comprehensive content on SpringWorld, including
event schedule, registration, hotel reservations, spon-
sorship opportunities and exhibitor information.
Launched by CASMI in 1959, the show has become
renowned for bringing more spring-related business
people together than any other industry event. Manu-
facturers and attendees come from five continents and
it has been called the “Worlds’s Best Spring Show!”
SpringWorld 2022 had over 1700 attendees and more
than 80 exhibitors, and 2024 is on track to exceed those
numbers.
SpringWorld is conveniently located at the Donald E.
Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, USA,
just five minutes from O’Hare International Airport,
with hotel accommodations just a few steps away.
Register today for the no-cost exposition and the sym-
posium sessions at www.springworld.org.
CASMI 2024 Scholarship Award
Recipients Announced in June
The Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers,
Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc.
Inc. is proud to sponsor the 2024 scholarship program,
which benefits dependents of the employees of mem-
ber companies. The 2024 application window closed
on May 2, 2024, with applicant reviews in early June
and announcements to award winners happening the
week of June 10, 2024. We appreciate all those that ap-
plied and look forward to recognizing winners soon
in the CASMI newsletter and industry publications.
“CASMI appreciates the ability to be able to give back
to its members and industry each year and appreciate
those who help make this happen with the support
and loyalty you provide,” commented Joe Wesner,
President of CASMI.
CASMI was founded in 1944 to promote the interests
of the Spring Manufacturing Industry in the greater
Chicago area. It has engaged in many activities, includ-
ing sponsorship of the biennial SpringWorld exposi-
tion. The success of our upcoming SpringWorld event
makes it possible to fund many significant initiatives,
including this scholarship program. As a result, since
the program began, CASMI and its generous donors
are proud to have provided US$936,250 in scholarships
to undergraduate and graduate students.
WAFIOS Spring & Grinding
Days Highlights
CASMI, while partnering with WAFIOS, had a
great turn
out at the
March 21,
2024 event.
Members
were able
to enjoy
an after-

22 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 Golf & Country Club in Lemont, IL, USA, for its 2024
Golf Outing on June 20, 2024.
Last year’s event brought 85 CASMI primary and
associate members who took part in the 18-hole
best-ball tournament. The 2024 event includes
lunch for golfers, 18 holes of golf and is followed
by a reception, dinner and awards presentation.
Be sure to register at www.springworld.org.
Thank you to our current sponsors:
Alloy Wire, Amstek Metal, Anchor Abrasives, Fives
Landis Corp - Gardner Abrasives, Gibbs Interwire,
Industrial Steel & Wire, IP Automation, Lake Michi-
gan Meals, Rosemont Exposition Services, Suzuki,
WAFIOS, Worth Steel
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact
info@casmi-springworld.org.

Mark Your Calendar for These

2024 CASMI Events*
• June 20, 2024 - Golf Outing, Cog Hill Golf and
Country Club
• August 29, 2024 – Evening at the Ballpark, Chicago
Dogs Stadium
• November 14, 2024 – Dinner and Guest Speaker,
TBD
• December 12, 2024 – Holiday Party, Coopers
Hawk, Arlington Heights
*Events subject to change, please visit our website for
noon of exhibi- the latest information.
tors, product www.casmi-springworld.org
WFTI
demonstrations,
education and
Founded in 1944, Chicago Association of Spring
networking. Ex-
Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI), is an independent, not-
hibiting manu-
for-profit trade association dedicated to developing good
facturing repre- business practices and sharing of technical information
sentatives and a through ongoing communications among the job-shop
team of WAFIOS spring manufacturers in the Greater Chicago, IL, USA
experts were on area. While CASMI membership is predominantly located
hand to provide in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, CASMI
demonstrations provides support to spring manufacturer and supplier
of the latest tech- members throughout the USA. Although CASMI works
nologies and closely on several issues with national organization, the
presentations, Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI), both organi-
highlighting the zations are independent of one another with unique mis-
latest developments in spring grinding and spring and sions, programs, services and members. CASMI sponsors
wire forming technologies. Following the educational SpringWorld® every two years. New technology seen at
portion, CASMI hosted dinner and refreshments for this event brings thousands of people to the Chicago area
all members and exhibitors. from all over the world. Since the first show in 1959, the
event has become the largest gathering of the spring man-
ufacturing and wire forming industry anywhere at one
time. Some 100 exhibitors in 30,000 net ft2 of exhibit space,
Event Highlight: Annual Golf demonstrate machinery, show raw materials, test equip-
Outing Returns to Cog Hill ment, software and other products and services.
CASMI is excited to announce the return to Cog Hill www.casmi-springworld.org

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 23

SMI Technical Update
C. Richard Gordon
Technical Director
Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI)
PO Box 5668
Elgin, IL 60121 USA
Cell: +1 574 514 9367
Email: c.richard.gordon@gmail.com
www.smihq.org
Spring Design Training Program Grows
The Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI) helps
train and support North American springmakers with
outstanding technical assistance.
SMI’s spring design training program continues to
grow and be well received by both members and
non-members and highly rated by student attendees.
To date, 799 students have participated in training
sessions for our four basic modules, 201 Compression
Spring Design, 202 Extension Spring Design, 203 Tor-
sion Spring Design and 206 Snap Ring Design along
with the two advanced level modules, 301 Springs –
Fatigue and 304 Springs – Dimensioning, Tolerancing
and Testing.
Our upcoming training schedule for 2024 is shown
below. In addition to webinars, SMI plans to offer an
in-person class, 301 Springs – Fatigue, Tuesday, Oct.
1, 2024, the day prior to the CASMI/SMI SpringWorld
Expo and Symposium, Oct. 2 - 4, 2024. Details for the
class are currently being finalized.
SMI also offers on demand training at individual com-
pany locations. This can be an attractive, cost-effective
alternative for companies who wish to train a large
number of their associates. Please contact Gary McCoy
at gary@smihq.org for details.
The SMI Technical Committee is currently develop-
ing three new courses: 204 Beam and Washer Spring
Design, 205 Power, Constant Force, Spiral and Tor-
SMI training schedule for 2024.
24 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
sion Bar Spring Design and 207 Strength of Materials
and Spring Material Manufacturing. Dates for these
offerings will be announced as information becomes
available.
Training Overview
SMI’s training program consists of three fundamental,
seven basic and four advanced spring design train-
ing classes. Fundamentals courses were developed
with new hires and non-technical staff in mind. Basic
classes are designed to meet the needs of production
and technical staff, including engineers, designers and
inspectors. Advanced courses address a higher level of
expertise for engineers, designers and other technical
staff. The SMI technical committee has been working
to develop these programs.
Two fundamentals training modules, “Spring Funda-
mentals 101” and “Spring Design 103 - Spring Mate-
rials,” are available to the public on the SMI website:
www.smihq.org. SMI member feedback for these
modules has been very favorable.
Courses are organized as focused, real-world spring
design training programs, combining basic spring
design content for each spring type with practical
hands-on use of SMI’s world-famous Advanced Spring
Design 7 (ASD7) software.
For each spring type, students will learn:
• The seven-step spring design process.
• Definitions and terminology.
• Design theory.
• Design stress analysis.
• How to input engineering design data into the
ASD7 software.
• Important ASD7 tolerancing criteria.
Classes benefit students by increasing their spring de-
sign knowledge and benefit their company by having
an SMI-trained associate as part of their team.
For more information and to register for classes, visit
https://smihq.org/page/spring-design-training-program
or contact Gabriela Carrasco at gaby@smihq.org.
Failure Analysis Program
A spring failure analysis program was developed to
meet the needs of SMI member companies and is also
available to non-member companies. We use several
laboratories, working with the requesting company to
select the laboratory which best meets their needs for
spring failure analysis and to identify the root cause
of the failure for effective corrective action.
2024 SMI Annual Meeting Wrap-Up
SMI’s annual meeting was held April 6 - 9, 2024 at
the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, in Coronado, CA,
USA. This event provided strategic networking op-
portunities for our regular and associate members.
SMI Avant-Garde Leadership Group.
The event included educational sessions along with
a new two-day Avant-Garde Leadership Conference. The
Avant-Garde group aims to serve the needs of younger,
emerging and future generation members. The Avant-
Garde group was championed by Alex Melnikow,
Midstate Spring, Inc. and Adam Jacobson, FENN/
Torin. Another important activity at the meeting was
the installation of Don Jacobson III as the association’s
new President. Gene Huber Jr., who served as SMI
President from 2022 to 2024, gave up the gavel at the
closing reception and dinner. Sponsors for the meeting
included: Platinum sponsors, Gibbs Interwire and In-
dustrial Steel & Wire; Gold sponsors, Fenn/Torin and
Wafios; and Silver sponsors, Core Financial Partners
and Global Specialty Steel.
About SMI
SMI is “The Voice of the Spring Industry.” Founded in
1933, SMI serves, supports, and educates North Ameri-
can precision spring manufacturers in their pursuit of
competitiveness in world markets.
SMI is an association of companies that manufacture
springs and their suppliers. Collectively, SMI members
work together to meet the key issues of the industry
worldwide; quality, materials, technology and govern-
ment regulations.
SMI provides many services including the quarterly
magazine Springs, a variety of technical publications,
spring design software, industry data,
seminars, meetings, safety and regulatory
compliance and technical assistance.
Technical assistance is provided to spring-
makers and associate members with metal-
lurgical challenges such as fatigue life, corro-
sion, material and process-related problems,
and spring design and problem-solving
issues. SMI member companies receive two
complimentary hours of technical assistance
per year as a member benefit. Services are
also available to non-members for a fee.
At SMI, we are here to help you succeed.
www.smihq.org WFTI

C. Richard Gordon (Rick) currently serves as technical director for the Spring Manufacturers Institute. He has more than 50 years’ experience
in the steel and wire industries. Since retiring in 2016, Gordon formed an engineering, quality and technology consulting company, focusing on
process optimization, best manufacturing practices, quality systems and training.
Gordon previously worked at Gerdau Long Steel North America’s Beaumont, TX, USA and Perth Amboy, NJ, USA, steel mills as Technical
Service Metallurgist. He also worked with the National Standard Company managing groups in the areas of R&D, quality and process technol-
ogy for carbon steel and stainless-steel wire products. In addition, Gordon worked for Baoan International Investment Co. Ltd, a Chinese trading
company in Covina, CA, USA and the U.S. Steel Corporation in Chicago, IL, USA; Waukegan, IL, USA; and Monroeville, PA, USA.
He is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology with Master and B.S. degrees in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering.
Gordon is currently a member of ASM International, ASTM, TMS and The Wire Association International (WAI). Gordon is a member of
the WAI Education Committee and is a session instructor for WAI’s Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing course. The next Fundamentals course
will be offered Monday, June 10, 2024 in conjunction with the WAI‘s WireExpo 2024, June 11-12, 2024 at the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino
in Uncasville, CT, USA, www.wirenet.org and www.wireexpo24.com.

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 25

NESMA News Update
Lucas Karabin, Acme Monaco
New England Spring and
Metalstamping Association (NESMA)
P.O. Box 1478
Bristol, CT 06011 USA
www.nesma-usa.com
Education Opportunities
NESMA has continued to present a concerted effort in
the spring of 2024 to increase outreach and educational
opportunities. Our focus is both for membership and
future workforce development centered by the Tech-
nical Development Committee (TDC), headed up by
Al Mangels, Lee Spring. NESMA participated in two
events in recent months and is preparing to host two
events later this spring. The first event was a very well-
crafted webinar hosted by Wafios. The second event
was a career fair held March 27, 2024, at the Connecticut
state capital. NESMA is also a voting member on the in-
fluential group CMC, the Connecticut Manufacturers
Collaborative, a group of various industry groups em-
ploying an influential state lobbyist “Statehouse Part-
ners” headed by Andrew Markowski and Eric Gjede.
The NESMA Scholarship committee is preparing to
award two scholarships in June. We had impressive ap-
plications from current high school seniors and college
enrolled students. The Scholarship committee is led by
John Higginbotham of Rowley Spring and Stamping,
who stresses an emphasis on student recognition and
ease of scholarship application through the Main Street
Foundation. An awards ceremony will be held in June.
Educational Fair
On March 27, 2024, NESMA participated in the “Man-
ufacturer ConneCTion Fair,” an event focused on intern-
ships, apprenticeships and future college programing.
This was the
fifth time the
event has been
hosted at the
Connecticut
State Capital.
The tabletop,
which is of no
cost to par-
ticipants, was
overseen by
members of the NESMA subcommittee, the FLM Fu-
ture Leaders of Manufacturing. The event has grown
to over 1000 local students engaged in learning what
careers paths are available. It is an opportunity for stu-
dents to network and employers to engage the next
generation workforce.
26 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
Webinar
Wafios held its second webinar based series hosted by
President of Wafios America and NESMA board mem-
ber Marcus Arnold. Marcus and his Wafios team demon-
strated equipment that any spring manufacturer would
be excited to have on their shop floor. This included
high speed coilers and state-of-the-art automated grind-
ing systems. The attendees ranged from manufacturing
participants to students in classrooms who reportedly
were blown away by the technology presented.
SMI Training
NESMA’s Technical Development Committee led by
Al Mangels is working on multiple fronts in technical
development. One of these, specifically with SMI, is
running a pilot pro-
gram where high
schools students
could participate in
SMI training. If stu-
dents are familiar
with the concepts
of spring technol-
ogy and have some
basic course works,
ideally, it will lead to the next phase of apprenticeship
development. NESMA is also working in partnership
with local high school programs in pre-apprenticeship
development and student placement. In the state of
Connecticut, hours from these programs can be ap-
plied towards apprenticeships. Al Mangels regularly
updates us on the TDC progress in the monthly NES-
MA newsletter. We invite leaders of our membership to
participate in these monthly Zoom meetings. NESMA
also recently sponsored Connecticut Community Col-
lege Naugatuck Valley’s summer manufacturing camp,
“Introduction to Manufacturing,” which is focused on
high school juniors and seniors. The event is running
two separate sessions in June and July. Registration in-
formation is available at +1 203 575 8029.
Policies
Our participation in the CMC is led by board member
Allen Nadeau, Southington Tool and Manufacturing.
The CMC focuses on government challenges for NES-
MA members in Connecticut but we have seen some of
these bills being passed mirroring that of neighboring
states such as mandatory sick time. The present bills
of concern include SB7: An Act Concerning Connecti-
cut Paid Sick Days, SB12: An Act Modernizing the Paid
Sick Days, and HB5166: An Act Expanding Paid Sick
Status. The policies do put more emphasis on employ-
ers’ ability to track hours worked and limit the ability
of employers to confirm absences with doctors’ notes.
Testimony was requested from participants, and we
work closely with the CMC’s Lobby Statehouse Part-
nership in submitting these to lawmakers. Lobbyists
at Statehouse Partnership help interpret bills, provide
feedback on their likelihood of becoming law and
voice CMC concerns with Bills under review.
Events
In the coming months NESMA will host two events
in June and our golf tournament in August. The first
event will be our annual FLM Hartford Yard Goats Game
on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Sponsorship and participa-
tion have been outstanding. Tickets can be purchased
off our website with a limit of 100 seats. The following
week on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, we will host our first
ever Comedy Night and Tabletop at Clock Town Brew-
ing. This brewery is housed in the former Seth Thomas
Clock Factory in Thomaston, CT, USA. They have had
outstanding success which is largely due to the fact
the atmosphere and beer are incredible. They will not
charge our organization for the space, just the food and
drink. We are all looking forward to welcoming sum-
mer with their great food, beer patio, and Seth Thomas
room where tabletop participants can promote their
organizations and meet our membership. Registration
can be found on the NESMA website. We thank those
who have already registered. On Monday, August 26,
2024, NESMA will again host our Annual Golf Tourna-
ment at Farmington Country Club. The golf club has
treated us all like members with their outstanding ser-
vice and quality challenging course. Events Commit-
tee Chair, Ryan Cutter of Fenn Torin and the commit-
tee members put a lot of work into the success of our
events. We hope to see you there. www.nesma-usa.com
WFTI
SanLi Furnace and
Grinding Machine
Products:
 Furnace: Various types of furnaces including tempering,
annealing and quenching furnaces mainly applied to the
spring and fastener industry. Can be custom made.
 Grinding machine: More than 30 models at your disposal, CNC
control
 Grinding wheel: Custom formulated and can be made in
diameters from 16”-25”
 Oil and smoke cleaner: Designed to minimize the pollution in
the metal-working factories, especially for furnace use
 Baking oven: Periodic operation mode, main application is to
temper, dry and cure the small and medium size springs
 OD spring chamfering machine: Machine is mainly used for
chamfering the spring ends
Established in 1988, we concentrate mainly on the design,
production of continuous hot-wind tempering, annealing
and quenching furnaces and other industrial furnaces such
as box type furnace, baking oven, oil and smoke cleaner,
CNC spring end grinding machine, grinding wheels and
Spring OD chamfering machine.
No. 9 Jiubao Road Jiuxian Street Tonglu County
Hangzhou City Zhejiang Province China
Tel(whatsapp): +86 18910062579 Email: sales@sanlifurnace.com
Web: en.hzsanli.com
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 27
Spring & Wire
Formed Parts
Testing
Rudimentary Mechanical
Testing Procedures for the
Wire Industry
Mechanical testing plays a major role in research,
product design and quality control. Tests can be con-
ducted using a wide range of static and dynamic mate-
rials testing machines, which engineers frequently use
during product development. Mechanical testing in-
corporates a wide range of techniques, from common
tensile, flexure and torsional characterization. Tensile
testing is a destructive test process that provides in-
formation about the tensile strength, yield strength and
ductility of the material. It measures the force required
to break a test specimen and the extent to which the
specimen stretches or elongates to that breaking point.
Universal materials testing machines, capable of con-
ducting static or monotonic tests in tension or com-
pression, play a vital role in product development and
quality control of materials and components. The abil-
ity of such equipment to provide raw data which can
be utilised by design engineers, is essential in the de-
velopment of new products. The manufacturing sector
faces tough global competition and for this reason, the
use of computer-based development methods contin-
ues to grow. However, these simulation methods must
be accompanied by real mechanical tests in the vari-
ous development phases to determine the important
material data.
Universal ‘static’ testing machine.
Many materials and components are required to have
a defined fatigue strength, which must be verified to
ensure fitness for purpose. These fatigue tests can be
accommodated in a servo-hydraulic test machine but
28 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
Alan Thomas, Marketing Department
ZwickRoell Limited
Worcester Six Business Park
Clayfield Road
Worcester
Worcestershire WR4 0AE
United Kingdom
www.zwickroell.com
are more quickly and economically performed using
high frequency resonance pulsators. Whichever test
method is used, consideration must be given to special
gripping arrangements in order to satisfactorily com-
plete fatigue tests on a wide range of sample types
and sizes.
High frequency resonance pulsator.
The operating principle of the high frequency reso-
nance pulsator is based on the concept of a mechani-
cal resonator with electro-magnetic drive. The mean
force is applied by moving the upper crosshead with
a lead screw drive. Due to their design, these ma-
chines have been used in the past solely as dynamic
materials testing machines to determine durability with
regard to fatigue life and fatigue limit, for example for
fatigue testing to DIN 50100 (S-N curve) under tensile,
compression, pulsating and alternating loads. The new
generation of machines can be used as both dynamic
and full-fledged static materials testing machines that
can accommodate test loads up to 1000 kN. Typical
applications are material fatigue tests and durability
tests on standardized specimens and components (for
example, piston rods, crankshafts and fasteners) and
production and quality control of components exposed
to dynamic loads during their anticipated service lives.
Servo-hydraulic testing machines have universal ap-
plication for materials and component testing under
pulsating or alternating loads, with constant amplitude
or psuedo-random signals. Servo-hydraulic testing
machines may be used in static, dynamic or fatigue
testing applications. They operate through a closed-
loop system consisting of a bi-directional hydraulic ac-

Servo-hydraulic testing machine.
tuator linked to the test specimen; a servo valve and
controller for adjusting actuator position, velocity and
force; a load frame with a hydraulic power source; and
an electrical feedback loop enabling the test variables
to be controlled utilising position and load transducers.
Although they require infrastructure for both electrical
and hydraulic connections, servo-hydraulic testing ma-
chines can be a cost-effective static testing choice at
very high forces or if a high testing speed is required.
Indentation hardness tests are used in mechanical
engineering to determine the hardness of a material
to deformation. Several such tests exist, wherein the
examined material is indented until an impression is
formed; these tests can be performed on a macroscop-
ic or microscopic scale. There are three commonly
used hardness testing methods; Rockwell, Vickers and
Brinell.
The Rockwell scale is a hardness scale based on in-
dentation hardness of a material. The Rockwell test
measures the depth of penetration of an indenter un-
der a large load compared with the penetration made
Rockwell hardness testing machine.
by a preload.
There are different scales, denot-
ed by a single letter, that use dif-
ferent loads or indenters.
The Vickers hardness test was
developed as an alternative to
the Brinell method to measure
the hardness of materials. The
Vickers test is often easier to
use than other hardness testing
methods as the required calcula-
tions are independent of the size
of the indenter and the indenter
can be used for all materials irre-
spective of hardness. The Vickers
test has one of the widest scales
among hardness tests and the
unit of hardness given by the test
is known as the Vickers Pyramid
Number.
Today’s state-of-the-art hardness testing machines can
be used in the widest range of applications. They use
innovative mechatronic technology for high-precision
testing, particularly for quality assurance, production-
line testing and in the laboratory.
Mechanical testing helps verify that the product
meets the stipulated industry standards and regu-
lations, ensuring its quality and reliability. It helps
optimize the material selection process by identify-
ing the most suitable material for a particular appli-
cation based on its mechanical properties.
www.zwickroell.com WFTI
The ZwickRoell Group is a global, leading
suppliers of materials and component testing
systems. The company supplies both stan-
dard and tailor-made solutions for the most
demanding requirements—in R&D, production
and quality assurance—across more than 20
industry sectors. Privately-held, the company’s
consistent focus on innovation and commitment
to outstanding quality has supported its growth
in markets worldwide. Additional information
about the ZwickRoell Group may be found at:
www.zwickroell.com
For additional information regarding this article,
you can contact:
Alan Thomas, Marketing Department
Email: alan.thomas@zwickroell.com
Tel: +44 1568 615201 Mob: +44 7710 196684
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 29
USPTO Wire Product Patents
Compiled from:
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
www.uspto.gov
Reciprocating Wire Feed
Welding System and Method
US Patent 1969836
Published April 30, 2024
Inventors: Christopher Hsu, Mentor, OH, USA; Dennis Sigl,
Greenville, WI, USA; and Herbert Alexius Bankstahl, Ap-
pleton, WI, USA
Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL, USA
A consumable filler metal delivery system includes a recip-
rocating wire feeding gear assembly configured to move a
wire forward and backward with a net forward motion and a
motor configured to drive the reciprocating wire feeding gear
assembly, wherein the motor is configured to rotate only in
one direction during operation of the consumable filler metal
delivery system.
Wire Shaping Apparatus and
Method of Shaping a Wire
US Patent 11969780
Published April 30, 2024
Inventors: Simon Spinks, Leeds, Great Britain;
and David Clare, Leeds, Great Britain
Assignee: HS Products Ltd, Leeds, Great Britain
Apparatus for forming wire components, which are in this
example springs, comprises a supply station (202), for sup-
plying spring forming material, such as metallic wire W. The
supply station includes a pair of guide rollers (204) and a
pair of driven feed rollers (206), mounted on a heavy support
plate (216). The wire is fed through a flexible sheath FS to a
remotely located wire shaping device, in particular a spring
forming device 208, comprising forming tools (210), a pitch
control tool (212) and a cutter (214). The forming tools (210)
30 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
and the pitch control tool (212) form the wire into a spring
S, which is cut from the supply of wire when it is complete.
The tools (210, 212) and cutter (214) are controlled remotely
from a control station (220) via a bundle of flexible control
cables (222), which may include a power cable. The spring
forming device 208 is mounted on a positioning member
(224), such as a robot arm or moveable table, configured for
three-dimensional movement and/or optionally adjustments
in inclination. Without the heavy plate (216) and rollers (205,
206), the spring forming device (208) is sufficiently light in
weight and compact as to be moved by the positioning member
(224) to a location in which springs are to be used, thereby
avoiding the need for transportation apparatus to convey the
springs from the place where they are formed to the place
where they are to be used.
Method for Manufacturing Spring and Spring
US Patent 11965571
Published April 23, 2024
Inventors: Tomohiro Yamazaki, Ichihara, Japan;
Fumihiro Kino, Ichihara, Japan; Yoshizumi Fukuda,
Ichihara, Japan; and Yuji Soda, Ichihara, Japan
Assignee: Mitsubishi Stell Mfg. Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Provided is a method of manufac-
turing a spring for inspecting the
stress distribution of the spring
under load. The method for manu-
facturing a spring (1) includes the
steps of applying a load to the
spring (1), measuring the stress of
the spring (1) under the load, and
releasing the load applied to the
spring (1), the measuring the stress
of the spring (1) being made by
measuring the stress on the surface
|
USPTO Wire Product Patents...Continued
of the active part of the spring (1) using X-ray diffraction with
the cos α method, and the method further including the step of
determining whether the magnitude of the stress of the spring
(1) meets a criterion.
Coiling Machine, Method for Manufacturing
Coil Spring and Coil Spring
US Patent 11964321
Published April 23, 2024
Inventors: Takeshi Furuse, Yokohama, Japan;
Daiki Hagiwara, Yokohama, Japan; Takuya Sato,
Yokohama, Japan: and Yuichiro Yamauchi, Yokohama, Japan
Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan
A coiling machine includes feed rollers for moving a wire, a
wire guide, a first forming roller, a second forming roller, a
pitch tool, a cutting mechanism and a support mechanism for
supporting the wire. The cutting mechanism includes a cut-
ting rotor. The wire coming out of the wire guide is formed
into a helical shape by the first forming roller, the second
forming roller and the pitch tool. After one coil spring of a
predetermined length is formed, the wire is cut by moving the
cutting rotor in the radial direction of the wire. The cutting
rotor cuts the wire supported by the support mechanism in
the radial direction of the wire between the second forming
roller and the pitch tool.
Fence Mesh and Machine
for the Formation Thereof
US Patent 11965353
Published April 23, 2024
Inventors: Mark William Ullrich, Christchurch, New Zealand;
Owen Joris Meijer, Loburn, New Zealand;
and Michael Raymund Burtscher, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Assignee: UMC Innovation Limited,
Christchurch, New Zealand
Fence mesh including line wires, and stay wires extending
laterally across and intersecting the line wires to form a mesh,
wherein a first type of wire knot is formed by a knot wire
around the line wire and stay wire at intersections of the stay
wires with the line wires in a primary zone, and wherein a
second type of wire knot is formed by a knot wire around the
32 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
line wire and stay wire at intersections of the stay wires with
the line wires in a secondary zone, characterized in that the
first type of wire knot is different from the second type of
wire knot; and a machine for the formation of such a mesh.
Coil Spring
Patent 11940031
Published March 26, 2024
Inventors: Shinishi Nishizawa, Walled Lake, MI, USA; Dais-
suke Ibano, Yokohama, Japan; Tsuyoshi Matsuda, Yokohama,
Japan; Norifumi Arisaka, Yokohama, Japan; Shun Muramat-
su, Yokohama, Japan; Chihiro Ito, Yokohama, Japan; Takuto
Suzuki, Yokohama, Japan; Masatake Kinoshita, Yokohama,
Japan; and Asuku Kawasaki, Yokohama, Japan
Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan
A coil spring includes a wire
rod and an elastic coat provided
on the wire rod. The coil spring
includes a coil section including
a plurality of coil portions. The
wire rod includes a round cross-
sectional portion, a cross-section
varying portion, and a rectangular
cross-sectional portion along the
longitudinal direction of the wire
rod. The cross section of the rec-
tangular cross-sectional portion is
substantially square and has a first plane and a second plane.
The first plane and the second plane oppose each other in the
coil section. The elastic coat is provided on at least one of the
first plane and the second plane. The elastic coat is continuous
from the round cross-sectional portion to the cross-sectional
variation portion and the rectangular cross-sectional portion.
Metastable ß Titanium Alloy, Timepiece
Spring Made from Such an Alloy and
Method for Production Thereof
US Patent 11913106
Published February 27, 2024
Inventors: Pascal Laheurte, Forbach, France; Pierre Char-
bonnier, Metz, France; and Laurent Peltier, Nouilly, France
Assignee: SAS Innotech Conseils, Maîche, France
A metastable ß titanium alloy is provided, which includes,
8 AXES SPRING COILING MACHINE
HTC60CQ

Ready for Industrial 4.0

(Optional WF2)
Central
Slide

UPGRADED FEATURES:
▪ 8 axes CNC spring coiler with wire range of 2.2mm - 6.0mm (.086” - .236”) for easy and
flexible set up.
▪ The maximum OD is 120mm (4.72”)
▪ The Central Slide (i.e. the cutter, pitch slides, and mandrel all together) will move to the
correct position automatically according to the program while O.D. is changed during
production, which provides setup convenience and strengthens cutter structure.
▪ Advanced coiling point system design insures easy right / left hand coiling conversion
without coiling point slide replacement.
▪ Optimized auto lubrication
▪ Optional torsion attachment and servo pretension device available.
USPTO Wire Product Patents...Continued
by weight percent, between 24 and 45% niobium, between
0 and 20% zirconium, between 0 and 10% tantalum and/or
between 0 and 1.5% silicon and/or less than 2% oxygen, said
alloy having a crystallographic structure containing: a mix of
austenitic phase and alpha phase; and a presence of omega
phase precipitates the volume fraction of which is less than
10%. Also provided is a timepiece spring made from such an
alloy and a method for producing such a spring.
Apparatus and Methods Using the
Apparatus for Treating Metal Wire
US Patent 11904369
Published February 20, 2024
Inventor: Geert De Kempe, Bruges, Belgium
Assignee: NV Bekaert SA, Zwevegem, Belgium
An apparatus for treating metal wire by multiple reverse
bending and associated methods for using the apparatus are
disclosed. The first roller has a first roller diameter, is followed
by N−1 intermediate rollers with intermediate roller diameters
and ends with an exit roller with an exit roller diameter. The
exit roller is larger than the first roller and any one roller in
the sequence of rollers has a roller diameter that is not smaller
than the preceding roller in the sequence. The progressively
larger diameters impose a well-controlled, gradually decreas-
ing curvature to the wire resulting in a cast-controlled wire.
By folding the wire path together, a compact arrangement is
obtained accommodating the increasingly larger rollers. A
method to operate the apparatus is also described that allows
for an easy adjustment of the apparatus in function of wire
thickness.
WFTI
34 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
Functions of the United States Patent
and Trademark Office (USPTO)
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or
Office) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The
role of the USPTO is to grant patents for the protection of in-
ventions and to register trademarks. It serves the interests of in-
ventors and businesses with respect to their inventions and cor-
porate products, and service identifications. It also advises and
assists the President of the United States, the Secretary of Com-
merce, the bureaus and offices of the Department of Commerce,
and other agencies of the government in matters involving all
domestic and global aspects of “intellectual property.” Through
the preservation, classification and dissemination of patent in-
formation, the Office promotes the industrial and technological
progress of the nation and strengthens the economy.
In discharging its patent related duties, the USPTO examines
applications and grants patents on inventions when applicants
are entitled to them; it publishes and disseminates patent infor-
mation, records assignments of patents, maintains search files of
U.S. and foreign patents, and maintains a search room for public
use in examining issued patents and records. The Office supplies
copies of patents and official records to the public. It provides
training to practitioners as to requirements of the patent statutes
and regulations, and it publishes the Manual of Patent Examining
Procedure to elucidate these. Similar functions are performed re-
lating to trademarks. By protecting intellectual endeavors and en-
couraging technological progress, the USPTO seeks to preserve
the United States’ technological edge, which is key to our current
and future competitiveness. The USPTO also disseminates pat-
ent and trademark information that promotes an understanding
of intellectual property protection and facilitates the development
and sharing of new technologies worldwide.
What is a Patent?
A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the in-
ventor, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Generally, the term of a new patent is 20 years from the date on
which the application for the patent was filed in the United States
or, in special cases, from the date an earlier related application
was filed, subject to the payment of maintenance fees. U.S. pat-
ent grants are effective only within the United States, U.S. territo-
ries and U.S. possessions. Under certain circumstances, patent
term extensions or adjustments may be available.
The right conferred by the patent grant is, in the language of the
statute and of the grant itself, “the right to exclude others from
making, using, offering for sale or selling” the invention in the
United States or “importing” the invention into the United States.
What is granted is not the right to make, use, offer for sale, sell
or import, but the right to exclude others from making, using, of-
fering for sale, selling or importing the invention. Once a patent
is issued, the patentee must enforce the patent without aid of
the USPTO.
There are three types of patents:
• Utility patents may be granted to anyone who invents or
discovers any new and useful process, machine, article of
manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and use-
ful improvement thereof;
• Design patents may be granted to anyone who invents a
new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manu-
facture; and
• Plant patents may be granted to anyone who invents or
discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new
variety of plant.
www.uspto.gov
It’s Not Funny!!!!
by:
Dr. Roger N. Wright
Damn These Eggs! Roger N. Wright, LLC
600 State Street
Lawrenceville, IL 62439 USA
E-mail: wrightinc@earthlink.net
The incidents and technical situations in www.rnwinc.com
these columns were, in fact, encountered
in the author’s professional practice.
Names and places have been changed
in some cases to protect the guilty.

Back in the mists of time, a number of us had reason

to work for the Inland Steel Company in northwest-
ern Indiana during the summers. There was a conveni-
ent apartment house operated by an elderly lady, (we
will call her Mrs. Smith) who was very efficient except
for her inability to fry an egg to her satisfaction. Thus,
many days dawned with her shouting “Damn these
eggs,” to the amusement of her tenants.
And, to this day, if I were to approach a former sum-
mer tenant from her brood and shout, “Damn these
eggs,” that former tenant would know exactly where I
I am reminded of a rather disturbing story I once lis-
was coming from. I can’t say that there was anything
tened to at a metals processing conference banquet at
particularly terrible about Mrs. Smith’s eggs, but she
Oklahoma State University. The speaker was an au-
was angry and frustrated and certainly blamed the egg
thority on music of the “Old West”. He had catalogued
vendor for the shortcomings.
and recorded the order of one-thousand “original”
It occurs to me that there is some of Mrs. Smith in all songs as performed by vintage cowboy singers.
of us. Countless times I have listened to fellow profes-
Our speaker recalled one especially productive two-
sionals blame poor downstream quality lapses on up-
day recording session, after which he discovered that
stream originating defects (“If they would only descale
he had totally finished off a bowl of most delicious
the rod properly, we wouldn’t have so many breaks in
nuts, that had been placed between himself and the
the final machine,” and so on).
balladeer.
The proper design of in-process measurements as well
“Why, Sonny, I am so sorry that I have eaten all of your
as specifications can of course, go a long way in sort-
delicious peanuts,” our researcher said.
ing out in-process quality fluctuations. Even so, mod-
ern shifts in recycling economics and residual element “Oh, that’s OK,” said Sonny. “About all I do is lick the
contents tend to give rise to, “you don’t know where its chocolate off.”
been or what has been done to it,” attitudes. Good luck!!!! WFTI

After 15 years of authoring Strength of Steel columns covering “hard core” engineering issues relevant to the production
and processing of springs and wire formed products, Wire Forming Technology Intrernational (WFTI) columnist & metal-
lurgy expert Dr. Roger N. Wright shares lighter and practical anecdotes in It’s Not Funny!!!!
For more than forty years, Dr. Wright (MIT '65 & '69) has provided consulting and technical services in metallurgy
and metals processing. Clients have included many of the world’s
leading corporations, as well as major technical operations of the
US government. Moreover, Dr. Wright has had extensive experience
in litigation support, working with both defendants and plaintiffs. He
is highly active in industrial education, and he created the popular
WireDrawing 101® short course. His book, Wire Technology – Pro-
cess Engineering and Metallurgy, Butterworth-Heinemann (Elsevier),
Oxford, 2011 (ISBN 978-0-12-382092-1), is readily available from the
publisher, as well as from major on-line sources.
If you are looking for practical, clearly-stated information and analysis, based on the most rigorous engineering and
scientific principles, visit www.rnwinc.com. Contact Dr. Wright at (618) 943-1029 or wrightinc@earthlink.net.

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 35

Second Annual
“Spring & Grinding Days”
Brian Davi, An event designed to provide attendees with the latest
Inside Sales and Marketing Manager
WAFIOS Machinery Corporation
information related to current and upcoming technological
Branford, CT, USA, www.wafios.us developments in the spring and wire industry.
WAFIOS Machinery Corporation hosted its 2nd An-
nual Spring & Grinding Days on March 20-21, 2024 at
our Midwest Technical Center in Mokena, IL, USA.
WAFIOS partnered with the following companies
who all participated at the event, each were allocated
a tabletop area: Amstek Metal, Böhm Elektronik,
Gibbs Interwire, Global Specialty Wire, Pyromai-
tre, Theleico and Witels-Albert USA.
The event was designed to provide attendees with
the latest information related to current and upcom-
ing technological developments in the spring and
wire industry. In addition, it featured machine dem-
onstrations, technical presentations and networking
opportunities. After day one, vendors and attendees
were treated with a traditional German sausage din-
ner and got to enjoy a little NCAA March Madness
on the big screen!
Markus Arnold, President, WAFIOS Machinery Cor-
poration, said, “Our event owes its tremendous suc-
cess to the valued customers and event partners who
joined us at the WAFIOS Midwest Tech Center for
Spring & Grinding Days. I want to thank those who
traveled near and far to join us. We look forward to
welcoming our event partners and customers to the
event again next year.”
On day one and part of day two, the event welcomed
the general public, whereas the second day beginning
at noon was reserved solely for members of CASMI
(Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers,
Inc.). Both days featured technical presentations de-
livered by: Torsten Luik , Vice President of Sales, Au-
tomation & Spring End Grinding; Felix Otto, Man-
ager of Technical Sales for Spring Machinery, both
representing WAFIOS AG in Reutlingen, Germany;
36 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
and Simon Haase, Applications Engineer, represent-
ing WAFIOS Machinery Corporation in the USA.
Over the two-day event, WAFIOS welcomed close
to 100 attendees. One of those was Frank Fazio, Co-
Owner of Diamond Wire Spring who commented,
“The event was first class. We learned a great deal
not only of the equipment but also of the people in
WAFIOS.”
Furthermore, as part of their participation, each ven-
dor had the opportunity to present a brief overview
of their company and the range of products or ser-
vices they offer to the attendees. This allowed for a
more comprehensive understanding of the various
companies present and facilitated valuable interac-
tions between vendors and attendees. It provided a
platform for vendors to highlight their expertise and
offerings, fostering networking opportunities and po-
tential collaborations.
Thomas Hunt, Vice President of Sales & Market-
ing at Amstek Metal, said, “At the WAFIOS Spring
& Grinding Days, Amstek Metal engaged with cus-
tomers seeking new equipment investments for their
business. Our presence sparked discussions on their
material needs amid supply chain challenges.”
In addition to the tabletop and networking, the event
featured a variety of equipment that was demonstrat-
ed. WAFIOS machinery on display featured the G 450
spring end grinding machine with an RZ 6.4 (fully
automated spring loading system) for compression
springs.
Compression spring machines included the FUL 36+,
FUL 26+ equipped with a 1-point coiling system; both
available with the WAFIOS “4-speed” option with a
water-cooled drive and innovative wire accumulator
systems enabling an infeed speed up to 1968 feet/min
- making it the FASTEST spring coiler in the world!
The FMU 16+ for producing spring and wire forms
was equipped with the Linear Transport Unit for
“bend after cut” which eliminates a need for second-
ary operations, the second station increases produc-
tion/output and allows for complex springs and bent
parts with longer legs and loops.
Two of our event partners also displayed equipment.
Pyomatire, with its Economy Oven prototype, the
P106-BASIC. Its narrow footprint, 10" wide belt and a
72" long chamber, is ideal for small springs. The P106-
BASIC is CQI-9 ready, requires low maintenance and
was designed with cost conscious customers in mind
who still want the quality and reliability of a Pyromai-
tre Oven. Böhm Elektronik demonstrated their FSA 2
for the automatic production of grinded compression
springs, through feed grinding with CBN grinding
wheels and step by step loading plate. The FSA 2 has
the capability to connect directly to a spring coiling
machine.
WAFIOS, along with their event partners, are looking
forward to hosting Spring & Grinding Days again in
2025! www.wafios.us WFTI

Company Profile:
The WAFIOS North American headquarters is in Branford, CT,
USA, with spare parts stock, service resources and machines available
for demonstration. The Chicago-area Midwest Technical Center lo-
cated in Mokena, IL, USA, provides additional resources as a service
center, with machines available for trials and demonstration. Both fa-
cilities are structured to support application development, as well as
provide customers with hands-on training programs. www.wafios.us

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 37

Rebuilding & Upgrading of CNC Jig Welders
Clive White, Director of Sales
AWT Machinery Inc. A fully rebuilt machine can be a good choice with
5255 Zenith Parkway an attractive ROI, considering that the cost of a
Loves Park, IL 61111 USA
www.awtmach.com • sales@awtmach.com new machine could be triple the price.
AWT Machinery Inc. has been successfully rebuilding atic or obsolete. These upgrades include:
the well-known Clifford CNC Jig Welding machine 1. Changing linear rails/bearings to a new design that
for a few years now. Our rebuilding processes involve can carry heavier loads with rapid movements,
going through every aspect of the machine in detail to with less maintenance and improved longevity.
ensure the machine is 100% operational. 2. Replacing old style weld controls to Clifford’s
The first step in the process of a rebuild, is to strip latest design.
the machine down to its components, and send it off 3. One of the biggest weaknesses of the older ma-
for sand blasting and painting. We then meticulously chines is the out-of-date PC/PLC and HMI unit,
assemble the machine, replacing or repairing any so we also replace these with new state of the art
components that are damaged or not working to our German components from Beckhoff.
satisfaction. To ensure cooling is restored to like-new This upgrade includes our latest user-friendly software
condition, virtually all water lines and fittings are
replaced, so too are the air lines and valves, to ensure
improvements in speed and reliability. All welding
straps, electrodes holders and weld presses are also re-
placed with new components, once again ensuring we
can achieve high quality and efficient part production.
The second part of the rebuild process is to upgrade
components that we have found to be either problem-
Examples of Clifford CNC Jig Welding machine components
before rebuilding and upgrading by AWT Machinery:

38 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 WFTI EMPHASIS: Rebuild & Upgrade
Examples of Clifford CNC Jig Welding machine components after rebuilding and upgrading by AWT Machinery:
(standard with on-line remote support), which is very
helpful in trouble-shooting, keeping your machine up
and running and making it easier to operate. We now
also offer an optional fourth upgrade, which adds
programmable welding pressure for each weld point,
ensuring more reliable and higher-quality welds.
The final phase of the rebuild process, is to thoroughly
test the machine to ensure it is fully operational. We
also offer on-site commissioning and training to pro-
vide a full working knowledge of the machine as well
as a production machine that the customer can rely on.
A fully rebuilt Clifford machine can be a good choice
with an attractive ROI, considering that the cost of a
new machine could be three times the price.
Refurbishment is done in Loves Park, IL, USA, while
we also offer on-line support, on-site service and spare
parts from this location. www.awtmach.com WFTI
Company Profile:
AWT Machinery is a supplier of
world class machinery for the wire in-
dustry in North America, supplying
and supporting well-known brands
such as CLIFFORD, PROGRESS &
ULTIMATION.
CLIFFORD is well known around the world as a quality
manufacturer of wire working and grating machinery. It's
line up of machinery include steel floor grating welders, re-
inforcing, fencing and industrial mesh welders and CNC
multi-axis jig welders.
PROGRESS are a very successful producer of fully auto-
mated mesh welders, in both the reinforcing and pre-cast
industry, with their focus being on specialty "bespoke"
mesh that requires no operators to setup the machine when
changing from one mesh to the next.
ULTIMATION is another highly respected machinery
manufacturer, that focuses on automated machines to pro-
duce 2d wire forms and butt welded wire frames and rings.
www.awtmach.com
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 39
As Good as New:
Retrofitting Existing Machines
Simone Schumacher Time for a general overhaul?
Jouhsen-bündgens Maschinenbau GmbH
Stolberg, Germany A retrofit can be a good alternative to
www.jouhsen.de purchasing a new wire processing machine.

Even Jouhsen-bündgens wire processing machines is then thoroughly cleaned and checked for cracks,
start to show their age at some point, even if they with any damaged components replaced. One of the
perform well for a very long time. Efficiency falls and advantages of having Jouhsen-bündgens perform
product quality starts to suffer. This is when users an overhaul is that the company has access to all the
need to take action. A general overhaul, also known diagrams for its machines. Once the replacement
as a retrofit, can be a good alternative to purchasing parts have been procured and the wearing elements
a new machine. processed, the next step is assembly. The machine is
fitted with a new lubrication system, new electrical and
pneumatic systems, and a new controller as chosen by
Retrofitting is Worthwhile the customer.
Both in terms of time and costs, a general overhaul
can be worthwhile for all Jouhsen-
bündgens machines, whether they
are used for straightening and cutting,
end machining, cold forming or point
grinding. “A general overhaul of a ma-
chine costs just 60-70% of the cost of a
new one,” explains Jouhsen-bündgens
Managing Director Dr. Peter Renz.
Realistically, companies need to plan
around three to six months in advance
to procure the necessary parts. The
overhaul itself generally takes around
four to six weeks. Renz continues, “Af-
ter this, the customer gets a machine
that is good as new and has another 20
to 30 years of service ahead of it, all in
record time.”

Overhauled From
the Ground Up
With their basic structure made from
solid steel and cast metal, Jouhsen-
bündgens machines are built for ro-
bustness and extreme durability. But
the guides, lubrication system and
controls in particular can all suffer
over the course of their service lives.
Motors and drives can become worn,
or sensors can stop working properly.
A retrofit can address all these issues.
“We’ve seen machines working per-
fectly even after undergoing a second
The PrecisionCut UD machine series from Jouhsen-bündgens has been on the
overhaul,” says Renz. Any machine market for a long time. Thanks to its robust machine concept, it is ideally suited
sent for a retrofit is first disassembled for retrofitting. Even machines that have been in operation for 40 years are as
into its individual parts. Each part good as new after a general overhaul. Picture: Jouhsen-bündgens.

40 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 WFTI EMPHASIS: Rebuild & Upgrade
Proven Quality
But do the products made on the retrofitted machine
still meet specifications? Customers generally provide
sample material, which Jouhsen-bündgens processes
using original tools. The products are put through their
paces before the retrofitted machine is returned to the
customer, who can also perform their own quality
checks if necessary. Once all the boxes are ticked, the
customer can enjoy using a machine that meets the
current EU safety rules.
Peace of Mind with a
Maintenance Agreement
Jouhsen-bündgens recommends customers who want
to use their wire processing machines and offer excel-
lent product quality over the long term consider a
maintenance agreement. This ensures the machines
are regularly given a thorough check-up, usually
once a year. Over the years, it is therefore possible to
observe how wear occurs. The optional maintenance
reports document whether the machine will soon be
due a full or partial overhaul. “This makes planning a
retrofit easier and keeps machine downtime to a mini-
mum,” explains Dr. Renz. He insists that retrofitting
a Jouhsen-bündgens machine is always worthwhile
when the products it makes are still needed, or if the
machine can be easily converted to making products
in demand. This is even the case when the machine
has to be shipped to Stolberg, Germany, from abroad,
which happens more often than one might think.
www.jouhsen.de WFTI
Company Profile:
Speed and precision equals efficiency. This is the simple
principle behind Jouhsen-bündgens Maschinenbau
GmbH, based in the town of Stolberg near Aachen in
western Germany. The company has been producing wire
processing machines for over 150 years, and is active in
Europe, America and Asia. Specializing in rotary straight-
ening, Jouhsen-bündgens is the expert for cutting, grind-
ing, cold-forming and machining wire and pipe. It also of-
fers comprehensive expertise in special machine tools, feed
systems and test engineering. Jouhsen-bündgens develops
the steps necessary for precisely processing wire and thin
pipe measuring 0.02 mm to 16 mm in diameter, tailored
exactly to the needs of its customers. It can also incorporate
wire processing into an automated procedure if required.
This all results in reliable machinery that is used in a wide
range of sectors. www.jouhsen.de

"World's Best Quality" Fast Response and Short Lead Time

Wire Quality Spec : Carbon Wire (ASTM A401, A1000, A229,etc )

U.S.Manufacturing : NETUREN AMERICA CORPORATION
2995 Moser Court, Hamilton, OH 45011
Contact: tweber@neturen-america.com, Cell :513-388-7247
https://www.neturen-america.com/
Visit us at Wire Expo 2024 • Booth 616

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 41

Rebuild & Upgrade?
Constantine Grapsas, President and Founder
AIM, Inc.
14103 McCormick Drive
Tampa, FL 33626 USA
www.AIMmachines.com
Your business demands reliability and efficiency from
the technology that powers it. Your machine must be
operating at peak performance. Using a machine that
is overdue on maintenance or out of date can cost you
thousands each year.
If my machine “breaks,” how long can I wait until it
gets fixed?
Can I afford to be without it for three to four months?
Should I buy an old used machine and rebuild it?
What would a rebuild cost?
Maybe better to buy a new one?
Is it worth it?
Did You Ever Ask Any of These Questions?
At AIM, Inc., we receive at least ten similar inquiries
per month. Having more than 1300 machine installa-
tions, we inevitably receive such requests.
Unfortunately, there is no quick and straightforward
answer, but the shortest advice is to “Be prepared”!
If your machine is 15 to 25 years old, the servo control-
ler installed is most likely no longer manufactured. It is
worth mentioning that we had a major servo supplier
announce an EOL (End Of Life) for a very popular
controller within the last year. AIM immediately sent
out more than 600 emails and letters, communicating
the potential shortcoming to the machine owners that
used that particular controller.
One would assume that the majority of these machine
42 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
owners would order a “Spare” controller, just in case
their controller goes bad. But that was not the case as
only 5% ordered these controllers!
It is also worth mentioning that these controllers are
getting shipped with a 10 to 12 week lead time due to
the supply chain problems lately!
What Does It Take to
Upgrade an Older Machine?
We will have to replace the old controller with the latest
available. A new controller will need new servo ampli-
fiers, which will likely require new servo motors. Will
you keep 15 to 25 year-old gearboxes? Probably not.
Since all of the above will be removed would it be
wise to replace all bearings for straighteners, feeders
and bender?
Are there any badly worn components? Any old
solenoids? The list can quickly grow, and the labor
required may be more than building a new machine
since disassembly, investigation, cleanup and repaint-
ing will be required (versus assembly only).
There are multiple concerns when rebuilding an older
machine including the following:
• How old is the machine?
• What is the condition of the machine?
• Does it operate?
• Is it compliant with the latest safety standards?
• Are there any maintenance records available?
• Can we get spare parts if it breaks?
• Is the included software supported?
• Is there a manual available?
• How accessible are components and services from
The photographs above and to
the left show an 18 year old
machine disassembled.
 WFTI EMPHASIS: Rebuild & Upgrade

the manufacturer?
• Can I train my people on how to use it?
And what would be the cost?
• Is there a maintenance and support contract
available?

Before (above) and after

a total rebuild (below).

A 20-year old machine disassembled! More labor than

assembling the new machine next to it.

It is a fact that technology has evolved tremendously

during the past ten years!
Can we upgrade older machines? The answer is “yes.”
We have been implementing upgrades for the past 12
years, but is it worth it?
Rebuild and upgrade doesn’t always mean lower cost
or savings—the age and condition of the machine are
in question and the age and condition of the machine
will determine the feasibility.
Most of the time, you are better off getting a machine
“trade-in” discount, and then getting a new machine
that conforms to the latest UL, CE, CSA and OSHA
standards, and while also having another ten-year
usable life.
The problem is not only the technology, but also the
regulation changes. If you upgrade to a new controller
and computer, it does not necessarily mean that your
old machine conforms to the new regulations!
We recently had a customer who upgraded to a new
computer system. Shortly after, we received a hefty
penalty from an OSHA inspector because his ma-
chine was not compliant with recent safety regulation
changes. According to the inspection, we had to quote
a hefty sum to bring the machine into compliance with • Incorporates technological advancements, which
the latest safety requirements (including labor, travel offer desirable new features.
and parts). • Incorporates the latest technology and software.
New equipment provides the following benefits: • Support engineers are very familiar with it and
• Have full warranty. can respond quickly.
• Requires less upkeep. • Provides safety and compliance. Continued...

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 43

Rebuild & Upgrade? ...continued
• Can improve efficiency.
• Have tax incentives for the USA with accelerated
depreciation. Most of the time, the incentive sav-
ings are more significant than the cost of repairing
an older machine!
The best source of information is always the original
equipment manufacturer. Our engineers can provide
detailed quotations for upgrades, and our sales team
will offer trade-in discounts for your old equipment.
AIM, Inc. has its headquarters in the USA with a sec-
ond location in Europe. Committed to innovation, top Newer model trade-in, we kept to train our new engineers
quality and rapid response tech support, AIM manu- how to provide support to older customers.
factures the broadest line of wire bending machines
in the world, from below 1 mm to over 25 mm wire
diameters. AIM uniquely qualifies as the premier wire
automation company. The AIM, Inc. motto is, “Form-
ing our future with yours.”
To learn more visit: www.AIMmachines.com WFTI

AIM Technicians in Rebuild Assembly.

Company Profile:
AIM Inc. manufactures 2-dimensional and 3-dimen-
sional CNC bending machinery, and is an active machin-
ery exporter via its two manufacturing facilities in North
America and Europe. Founded in 1992 by Constantine
Grapsas, AIM Inc. has grown to become the premier CNC
bending machine supplier serving customers worldwide.
www.AIMmachines.com
Old trade-in machines, ready for scrap.

44 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 VISIT US AT: BOOTH #106
JUNE 11-12, 2024 - UNCASVILLE, CT
Securing Brilliant Wire Connections
Highlights of the WAI’s Wire Expo 2024, June 11-12, 2024 at
the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino, Uncasville, CT, USA:
To Set Clear Path for Today’s Wire Makers
Janice E. Swindells
Wire Association International, Inc.
71 Bradley Road, Ste. 9, Madison, CT 06443-2662 USA
www.wirenet.org

The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc., Madi-

son, CT, USA, announced highlights of its Wire Expo 2024,
which will be held at the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino,
Uncasville, CT, USA, June 11-12, 2024.

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Opening and the 2024 Clockwinding
David Lane, Plant Floor Supervisor, Northampton
Machinery Co., will continue the ceremonial clockwinding
tradition, which originated when John Rigby and Sons,
Ltd., of Manchester, England, presented the Wire Association
with a 400-day grandfather clock at its Annual Convention in
Pittsburgh, PA, USA, on October 20, 1948. The gesture, which
represented a group of 32 companies from Great Britain, was
made in appreciation of the support given by the USA wire
industry to Great Britain during World War II. Each year a
representative from the UK makes the trip to the USA to
participate in the annual ceremony that commemorates the
friendship and communication between the two nations.
Keynote Address & 2024 Champion Award
H. O. Woltz will open Wire Expo2024 by providing a status
report on the challenges and opportunities facing the ferrous
wire industry. His presentation is titled: “Success based on
committing to continuous improvement and a passion for
manufacturing.” He will draw from his 45 years in the industry
including more than 30 years as CEO and numerous busi-
ness cycles. In addition, Woltz will be honored as the 2024
recipient of the WAI Champion Award, which recognizes an
industry executive for his support of the Wire Association
and its mission.
Conference Sessions - Day 1
• “AI’s role in manufacturing labor challenges,” by Willem
Sundblad, Oden Technologies.
• “Cybersecurity is not an IT problem, it is a BUSINESS
problem,” by Jacob McLein, Southwire Co.
• Operations Panel: Opportunities and challenge in this
constantly evolving manufacturing environment.
• “Workforce Safety,” by Gladys Billups, Southwire Co.
• “Physical security measures for shipping and receiving
in a changing world,” by Matt Perry, Encore Wire.
• “Maintenance of aging machinery - retrofits,” by Kut-
kay Erkan, Maschinenfabrik NIEHOFF GmbH &
Co. KG.
Exhibits (Tuesday and Wednesday, June 11 & 12)
The show floor includes products and servic-
es from more than 150 exhibiting companies. View
details on the following pages as well as online at:
https://wireexpo24.expofp.com.
Happy Hour
Open to all attendees, this happy hour features: Casino
101 craps tutorial, beer, wine, soda, water, snacks and it is
sponsored by James Monroe Wire and Cable Corp.
Welcome Reception at the Sun Patio
This is a exclusive networking event is for attendees and
exhibitors only. The reception is sponsored by Insteel, SDI
LaFarga COPPERWORKS and Southwire Co.
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
WAI Annual Meeting of Members
and Awards Ceremony
The WAI Annual Meeting of Members and Awards Cer-
emony will allow members to see the current state of the
association. WAI’s top honors for 2024 are as follows: Don-
nellan Memorial Award Winner, Jan Sørige; WAI Mordica
Memorial Award Winner, William T. Bigbee; and the WAI
President’s Award Winner, Raúl García Martínez.
Conference Sessions - Day 2
• Keynote speaker, Paul Furtado, COO, Prysmian North
America will present “Elevating operations: Paving the
way to manufacturing excellence.” His presentation will
outline key elements of on-going efforts to optimize op-
erational processes through the Prysmian Operating Sys-
tem (POS) approach, including how to build employee
engagement and a culture of continuous improvement
strategies in creating focus, transparency and alignment
throughout the organization. It will highlight specific
tools such as strategy deployment and leverage internal
systems an approach centered around core manufacturing

46 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 is Your Engineering
FB Series CNC Wire/Strip Forming Machine

FB-210 FB-230

Features
The modular design of the FB series machines provides greater flexibility in
production, allowing for either roller feeding or gripping feeding mecha-
nisms. Furthermore, the feeding direction can be adjusted to suit the
production requirements.
FB series machines are capable of high-speed production while maintaining
precise parts dimensions. Additionally, they consume less material
compared to traditional pressing machines, making them a more environ-
mentally-friendly and cost-effective solution.

Specification
Model W.D Strip thickness Strip width

FB-210 Ø0.1-1.0mm 0.1-0.6mm 10mm

(.0039”-.0393”) (.0039”-.0236”) (.3937”)

FB-220 Ø0.4-2.0mm 0.1-1.0mm 20mm

(.0157”-.0787”) (.0039”-.0393”) (.7874”)

Ø0.6-3.0mm 0.2-1.5mm 30mm

FB-230
(.0236”-.1181”) (.0787”-.0590”) (1.1811”)

Ø1.5-5.0mm 0.8-2.0mm 50mm

FB-250
FB-220 (.0590”-.1968”) (.0315”-.0787”) (1.9685”)

TAIWAN SPRING MACHINE MANUFACTURER

YHM Springtech Machinery Co. - Established in 1987 -

TEL：+886-4-883-7511 FAX：+886-4-883-7515 EMAIL：yhm@wire-machine.com.tw
No.81, Sec. 2, Jianping Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County 522012, Taiwan
 Wire Expo 2024
principles and maximizing teams’ capabilities.
• “Renewable Energy Generation – Onshore and offshore
wind power current state and opportunities in the United
States,” by Robert Taylor, Invenergy.
• “Meeting wire and cable challenges through digitalizing
cable design and manufacturing processes,” by Tomas
Mejia Castrillon, UL Solutions.
• ESG and Sustainability Panel.
• “Fact or Fiction – Copper wire demand now and beyond,”
by Kandy White, SDI LaFarga COPPERWORKS.
• “Wire Drawing Die Material and Profile Specification
Considerations,” by Eric Bieberich, Fort Wayne Wire
Die Inc.
Production Solutions Demonstrations
• “Wire Breaks,” with Horace Pops, Horace Pops
About the Organizer:
The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc., which
was founded in 1930, is a not-for-profit association with
nearly 2000 individual members in some 50 countries.
The association serves the educational needs of the
wire and cable manufacturing industry through a variety
of products and services. WAI manages the Interwire
Trade Exhibition and the WAI Operations Summit & Wire
Expo and publishes the Wire Journal International and
the Wire Journal International Reference Guide. To learn
more, visit the WAI website. www.wirenet.org
48 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
Consulting; and Matthew Reinoehl, SDI LaFarga
COPPERWORKS.
• “Factors affecting wire production from precoats to
lubricants,” with Svet Pavlovksky, Blachford Co.
Sponsor Support
• Elite Level: Encore Wire Corp; James Monroe Wire
& Cable Corp.; Lloyd & Bouvier Inc.; Prysmian; SDI
LaFarga COPPERWORKS; Southwire Co.; and Wire
& Plastic Machinery Corp.
• Platinum Level: Carris Reels Inc.; Gem Gravure Co.
Inc.; and Insteel Wire Products
• Silver Level: Blachford Corp.; Niehoff Endex North
America; RichardsApex Inc.; Sikora International
Corp.; and Sonoco Reels & Spools
• Bronze Level: Baum’s Castorine; Cable Components
Group; Fort Wayne Wire Die; Gendon Polymer
Services Inc.; Graham Engineering; and Precision
Reel/Payoffs
• Industry Partner: WCISA, Wire and Cable Suppliers
Association
For further details and to register, visit the event website:
www.wireexpo24.com.
Select Wire Expo 2024 exhibitors are presented on
pages 50-59.
Continued...
 Wire Expo 2024
Exhibits module that reminds users of what needs to be done. Options
The following is a sampling of the companies that will be include automatic bend setup with our AccuCal, easy produc-
exhibiting at Wire Expo 2024. The booth descriptions were tion statistics with AccuTrack, 24/7 online AIM Academy
provided by the exhibitors. training, CMM communications for automatic programmer
corrections, integration with robots and STEP and IGES file
AITMAC Inc. import. www.AIMmachines.com
Booth 323 Canada
AITMAC supplies wire straightening, guiding and feeding
equipment, including straight & cut machinery, standard and
custom built steel reels to DIN specs or customer requirements
for wiredrawing, bunching, stranding and cabling. It provides
collapsible reels, fully machined reels and B-type spools for
tire cord and hose wire. Also, portable hand-held tools for
cutting, straightening and bending of wire, rod, strip, cable,
bar and banding as well as spare parts and service for OM
Lesmo & Eurodraw Energy machines, providing the support
necessary to maximize the production time of their machines.
www.aitmac-ca.com

Anbao Qinhuangdao
Booth 723 China
Anbao Corp. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered
in Qinhuangdao. We are a metal expert specializing in the
manufacture of steel products such as wires, ropes, strands
and steel tapes. We have five factories and one sales company AWT Machinery Inc.
in China, with a total manufacture complex of 200,000 m2 Booth 505 USA
and a staff of 1200. Some 95% of our products are exported AWT Machinery offers local sales, service, spare parts and
to 80+ countries and regions, used mainly for markets such technical assistance near to Chicago, IL, USA. We represent
as power cables, architecture, agriculture, food, packaging, world-class machinery builders that include: CLIFFORD
garments and so forth. www.anbao.net (www.cliffeng.com), which specializes in CNC jig welding
machines, mesh welders for industrial mesh, reinforcing mesh
August Strecker GmbH & Co KG and welded wire fencing; and ULTIMATE AUTOMATION
Booth 301 Germany (www.ultimatwiremachines.com), specialists in 2D wire form-
Since 1933, August Strecker GmbH & Co. KG has produced ing with optional automated butt welder, for wire frames and
high-quality buttwelding equipment for the wire and cable rings. Also, resistance welding machines for industrial wire
industry, serving both the ferrous and nonferrous sectors. products such as ladder mesh and political signs. AWT will
Strecker focuses on the development and manufacture of high- have sales specialist on hand to discuss your particular projects
quality butt welding machines for the wire and cable industry and advise how we can be of assistance. www.awtmach.com
and also offers a comprehensive range of related services. We
engage in continuous process optimization based on our many
decades of experience. Strecker is one of the world’s market
and technology leaders in this segment with sales channels in
more than 60 countries. www.streckerusa.com/en

Automated Industrial Machinery, Inc. (AIM Inc.)

Booth 601 USA
AIM will promote its new AFCe-3Dx line: An updated com-
pact CNC Bender with updated technology at a very attrac-
tive price! A proven AIM model for more than 20 years, the
AccuForm Compact, provides even more flexibility in wire
forming capability, enabling double the production rates of
the low-cost competition. Standard features include DXF,
LRA and XYZ import, animated bending simulation with
collision detection, auto speed/load monitoring, touch screen BMS Birlesik Metal Sanayi ve Ticaret AS (BMS Wire)
monitors, Microsoft Windows®, a five HP wire payoff, “Dial- Booth 721 Turkey
A-Service” for remote support (Internet) and a maintenance BMS Wire, founded in 1968, is a significant manufacturer of

50 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 Wire Expo 2024
hot-dip galvanized steel wire. It also makes coated steel wire,
stranded wire and black annealed wire. Its annual production
volume is 72,000 metric tons. www. bmstel.com.tr
Custom Wire Products
Booth 224 USA
Exhibiting: We offer a wide range of wire products including
drawn wire, shaped wire, flat wire, straightened and cut wire,
parts forming and more. Our team is dedicated to providing
customized solutions to meet the unique needs of each cus-
tomer’s application. www.customwireusa.com
Die Quip Corp.
Booth 402 USA
Die Quip, a premier manufacturer of die reworking machines,
will be displaying products from our die measuring line at
Wire Expo 2024. Focusing on diameter measurements and die
geometry we have created quick and easy solutions for wire,
bare and tube mill. Our new Die Check 200 with Calculator is
an affordable way to measure the bearing length and approach
angle of dies larger than 0.250" (6.3 mm). The Calculator
can interpret the measurement data along with providing the
die shop with cutting amounts to correct the die’s geometry.
The wirecutterstore.com will have a variety of manual to pow-
ered wire cutting tools to handle any size or material that needs
to be cut. Our line of hydraulic cutters can be your solution
to replacing work HK Porter
systems. They typically will
work with your existing pow-
erpack to reduce the cost of
replacing an old cutting head.
For new hydraulic systems we
have a wide variety of cut-
ting and straightening heads
to meet your diameter and
material specifications. Visit
our Booth 402 to discuss how to improve your die measur-
ing, reworking or solve a cutting or straightening problem.
www.diequip.com
ERA Wire Inc
Booth 106 USA
Exhibiting: Ferrous and nonferrous wire straightening and
52 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
cutting service from 0.005-1" round or shaped material, full-
service wire warehouse stocking many types of coiled wire
products, through-feed center-less grinding of round bars from
0.027-0.999". Also, used wire machinery rebuilding parts and
tooling sales and service. www.erawire.com
Eurobend GmbH
Booth 705 USA
Eurobend provides innovative and cost-effective solutions for
the wire industry through its wide range of CNC bending ma-
chines, wire flatteners and straighten-and-cut systems as well
as welding lines using the latest technology with user-friendly
software and advanced operations monitoring systems, and
more. www.eurobend.com
FENN
Booth 701 USA
Exhibiting: Drawing equipment and auxiliary equipment,
forming machinery, Turks Heads, rolling mills and aux-
iliary equipment, spring making machinery, wire draw-
ing equipment, swagers, pointers, payoffs and take-ups.
www.fenn-torin.com
FUHR GmbH & Co. KG
Booth 205 Germany
FUHR supplies rolling mills for shaped wire, coilers and
uncoilers, measuring systems and inline profiling units.
www.fuhr-wire.com
Gibbs Interwire
Booth 804 USA
Exhibiting: Gibbs Interwire is an ISO 9001:2015 processor
and distributor of strip coil and wire products in stainless steel,
carbon steel, nickel alloys and red metals. www.gibbswire.com
Ideal Welding Systems LP
Booth 310 USA
Exhibiting: Wire mesh welders, wire butt welders and wire
resistance welders. www.idealweld.com
King Steel Corporation
Booth 204 USA
Exhibiting: Wire and wire rod. We are one of the largest USA
distributors of hot-rolled wire rod. With over 20,000 tons
of wire rod strategically placed around the country, we can
deliver wire rod to you when you need it. We also offer many
value-added options, such as clean-and-coat, annealing and
 Wire Expo 2024
cut-to-length wire. Please contact us for any of your wire rod
and wire needs in any carbon, alloy or stainless grades. We
are your one-stop shop. www.kingsteelcorp.com
Leggett & Platt Wire Group
Booth 405 USA
Leggett & Platt Wire Group is part of the Industrial Products
business segment of Leggett & Platt, an S&P 500 diversified
manufacturer of engineered components found in most homes,
offices, and automobiles. We bring together L&P’s Shaped
Wire, Drawn Wire and International Wire groups to supply
high-quality wire and wire products to customers around the
globe. Our capabilities include oil-tempered and galvanized
lines and annealed and shaped processes. The wire products
we manufacture derive from our own steel mills, where
the steel is drawn into rods before being formed and sup-
plied to customers and other Leggett & Platt business units.
www.leggettwiregroup.com
Luvata Accurate Wire
Booth 523 USA
Luvata Accurate Wire is a well-known name in wire manu-
facturing. We design and build our own equipment to ensure
we maintain the highest quality levels and tightest tolerances.
Our products include: electroplated wire, electronic connector
wire (copper, brass, bronze and other high performance alloys
for connectors) orthodontic wire, square wire (in stainless
steel, carbon steel, copper, brass, bronze alloys), flat wire,
rectangle wire, round wire and custom-shaped wire. Wire al-
loy materials we work with include: aluminum, brass, bronze,
carbon steel, copper-nickel and stainless steel and titanium.
www.luvata.com
Magnetic Analysis Corporation
Booth 607 USA
Magnetic Analysis Corp. will be featuring the Minimac® II
at its Booth 607 at Wire Expo. This latest addition to MAC’s
range of eddy current test instruments for detecting surface
and sub-surface defects such as laps, slivers and cracks in
non-ferrous and ferrous wire and rod, features an embedded
processor host computer, and can be supplied with one or two
test channels. The Minimac’s versatility lends itself well to
being used in a broad range of applications in wire and rod
mills during production.
Visitors to the booth can watch the Minimac II, demonstrate
a test on nitinol wire, a SMA (shape memory alloy) that is
frequently used in critical surgical applications such as stents
and heart valves. Nitinol wire is often subject to cracks and
inclusions, which can form from the melting process during
production. Using a Minimac II eddy current instrument
with its phase sector output gate and MAC’s Wiretester test
coils for small diameter applications, cracks and inclusions
can be detected and separate counts for both conditions can
be provided, while rejecting only the wire with cracks, for
example. MAC can supply test coils as small as 0.013" ID.
Other applications for the Minimac II include testing continu-
54 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
ous cast small diameter copper rod, installed just before the
coiler, but after the rod is produced and drawn down to smaller
diameters. The tester can assess grade, using MAC’s Grad-
ing Software to automatically categorize the quality level of
individual segments and entire coils of wire and rod, during
production. The customer can customize the defect types,
specify the maximum number of defects for each grade level,
and configure categorized reports. Based on the report, the
producer can draw down higher graded wire to even smaller
diameters. Lower grades are not drawn down as much to avoid
problems with breakage in the wire which could end up caus-
ing disruptive downtime to re-thread the drawing machine.
In another application, a Minimac II can be installed in a wire
mill as finish inspection of zirconium, copper and beryllium
copper alloys to detect defects including surface flaws in plat-
ing and sub-surface anomalies in bonding, and inclusions in
multiple layers in wire ranging from 0.033" to 0.25" (0.838
to 6.35 mm) diameter. A noise cancelling test coil and bush-
ings provide improved performance by minimizing noise
from mechanical vibration in the wire which otherwise might
interfere with the test.
Visitors to the booth can also see the cost effective Rotomac®
25 RM eddy current rotary for reliable online inspection for
longitudinal surface defects in wire 3 mm to 25 mm diameter.
MAC Engineers will be present in the booth to advise on these
and many other possible ways to use Minimac II to solve wire
and rod production quality problems. Information will also
be available on the company’s full range of products, includ-
ing the MultiMac® eddy current tester with up to eight test
channels, Rotomac eddy current rotaries for detecting long,
continuous surface seams, and ultrasonic instruments and
systems. www.mac-ndt.com
Minimac® II Eddy Current instrument for inspecting wire
and cable for surface and subsurface defects and anomalies.
Mathiasen Machinery, Inc.
Booth 525 USA
MMI buys and sells secondhand and new wire and cable
production machinery internationally.
www.mathiasen-machinery.com
Morgan-Koch Corporation
Booth 609 USA
Exhibiting: Wire drawing machinery, heat treatment and
 Wire Expo 2024
equipment, batch pickling, wire pointing, butt welders and
wire handling. www.morgan-koch.com
Numalliance Group
Booth 803 USA
The Numalliance Group covers a large panel of activities
around cold forming metal wire, tube and flat-stock, and has
developed its know-how far beyond bending. Our solutions
also include many secondary operations, and our solutions
answer the requests of industry 4.0. They are fully designed
and manufactured in the USA (Chicago and Lebanon in Ohio),
France and Mexico. We are present worldwide through our
nine subsidiaries and technical sales offices and an interna-
tional network of 40 agents. Numalliance meets the expecta-
tions of automotive, aeronautics, agriculture, construction,
sanitary, furniture, medical, shop equipment customers
and offer them a reactive and attentive service worldwide.
www.numalliance.com
Özyaşar Tel Galvanizleme San. A.Ş.
Booth 419 Turkey
Steel wire, galvanized wire, spring wire, armoring wire, steel
rope, elevator rope, ACSR wire, patented galvanized wire,
cold drawn steel wire, PVC-coated wire, black-annealed wire,
oiled bailing wire and chain link fence. www.ozyasar.com.tr
PowerPusher® Div. of Nu-Star, Inc.
Booth 805 USA
Nu-Star’s PowerPusher® line of battery-powered material
handling tuggers and pushers is engineered to help manufac-
turers overcome the challenges of safely moving heavy loads
and materials in a wide range of industrial environments. Our
compact, walk-behind electric tugs and pushers are designed
to protect your employee’s health and your business by provid-
ing a wide variety of benefits in the workplace. Stop by to hear
about our extra-duty PowerPusher, Super PowerPusher, Power
Tug, PT 1.2T, E-750 trailer mover, heavy-duty trailer mover
and the ET-105 powered lift table. www.powerpusher.com
Radcliff Wire
Booth 208 USA
Radcliff Wire, Inc. produces flat, square and special shaped
wire in over 60 different metals and alloys. Based in Bristol,
CT, USA, the heart of the spring industry in the Eastern USA,
Radcliff Wire started in business over six decades ago supply-
ing spring manufacturers with hard to locate flat and shaped
wire. Soon the word spread of the quality and reliability of
Radcliff Wire. Today, the company is known the world over as
a major wire supplier to many different industries, including
aerospace, electronics, medical, automotive and consumer
products, to name a few. www.radcliffwire.com
Schlatter North America
Booth 715 USA
Schlatter is a world leader in plant manufacturing for
resistance-welding machines and wire-weaving machines.
56 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
Decades of independent development activity and expertise in
automating production systems provide the basis from which
Schlatter can offer our customers the best in sophisticated
technology and efficient solutions. Schlatter has expanded its
product range with the addition of cold-rolling, wire drawing
and stretching systems. These wire manufacturing solutions
range from entry-level systems to highly automated systems
and integrated production lines. www.schlattergroup.com
Schnell Spa
Booth 401 Italy
Schnell SpA is a leading company in reinforcement process-
ing machines, equipment and solutions: job site machines,
automatic stirrup benders, cutting-bending machines, shaping
machines, cage making-assembling machines, wire drawing
and cold rolling lines, standard and special mesh welding
machines, high-speed wire straightening and cutting ma-
chines, lattice girder machines, automatic mesh cutting and
bending machines, special machines for production of tunnel
reinforcement, software technologies and innovative building
systems. www.schnell.it
Sivaco Wire Group
Booth 519 Canada
We are a world-class steel wire supplier. Since 1949, we have
taken pride in being a fully integrated steel wire manufacturer
in North America that can deliver consistent quality that al-
lows our global customers to outperform in their operations.
We are at the forefront of steel wire production. We design,
manufacture and deliver the highest quality wire products for
a wide range of industries and applications from automotive,
oil and gas, construction, and many more. www.sivaco.com/en
Taubensee Steel & Wire Co.
Booth 617 USA
Taubensee Steel & Wire is a leader in the steel wire and cold
drawn bar industry, built on family values and exceeding
expectations since 1946. Our best-in-class quality, service,
reliability and trust puts us ahead of the pack as your go-to
manufacturer for all low- and high-carbon wire, straightened-
and-cut wire, and cold-drawn bar needs. Taubensee has in-
vested in new machinery and implemented enhancements to
our current operations that have solidified our future growth
in the wire sector. www.taubensee.com
United Wire Company
Booth 318 USA
United Wire is the premier manufacturer of flat, square and
shaped wire. Our experts draw on decades of experience to
produce your specified profile from a wide variety of metals-
from stainless and carbon steel to aluminum, copper, nickel
and cobalt alloys. United Wire also offers a comprehensive list
of rolling, annealing, edging, finishing capabilities to ensure
the right shape, tensile strength and material properties for
each application. Whether you’re looking for small spools or
1000 lb reels, we offer flexible packaging solutions for any
COST EFFECTIVE, HIGH
SPEED WIRE AND
STRIP FORMING!

Available
For
Delivery

Scan for Videos

Very Cost Wire Feed by
Send a drawing to Effective Rolls or Gripper
Jim@MaguireMachinery.com High Speed Up to 11 Forming
Production Slides
C: (609) 968-9171 Feed Right, Left, Quick Delivery
or Through Quill
www.MaguireMachinery.com
 Wire Expo 2024
of North American suppliers of machinery, materials
and accessories used for making all types of wire and
cable. WCISA is an Industry Partner of Wire Expo 2024,
and dozens of its members are exhibiting at the show.
WCISA is active in wire and cable trade events and
conferences throughout the world, in varying capaci-
ties, including as an exhibitor, supporter, sponsor and
outing organizer. WCISA also awards to scholarships
to employees and dependents of member companies.
www.wcisaonline.org

Webster and Horsfall Ltd

Booth 725 UK
Webster and Horsfall specializes in crafting high-quality
requirement. www.unitedwirecompany.com
round and shaped wire, including stainless, carbon and
oil-tempered variants. Renowned for their precision and
Universal Wires LLC
expertise, they cater to niche markets requiring small quanti-
Booth 418 Oman/USA
ties, ensuring top-tier products for various industries like
Universal Wires LLC is a state-of-the-art manufacturing
automotive, aerospace, and electronics. With a legacy of
plant for hot-dipped galvanized wires with the best in class
craftsmanship and a commitment to excellence, Webster and
European machinery. We have 70 lines with a production ca-
Horsfall stand as a trusted partner for bespoke wire solutions.
pacity of 60,000 metric tons per year. We do all the diameters
www.websterandhorsfall.co.uk
starting from 0.035" up to0 .177" and can offer coatings as
thin as 0.02 oz per ft2 to up to 2 oz per ft2. We export products
Wire Association International
all over the world for industries that produce cable, fencing,
Booth 825 USA
gabions, nails, springs, ACSR wires, etc. www.uniwires.com
AI, founded in 1930, is a worldwide technical society for
wire and cable industry professionals. Based in Madison,
WAFIOS Machinery Corporation
CT, USA, WAI collects and shares technical, manufacturing
Booth 400 USA
and general business information to the ferrous, nonferrous,
WAFIOS, established in 1893, is one of the world’s largest
electrical, fiber optic and fastener segments of the wire and
suppliers of precision machinery for wire, tube and formed
cable industry. www.wirenet.org
parts. The WAFIOS range of machine types include spring
coiling and forming, spring end-grinding, wire bending and
Wire Forming Technology International (WFTI)
forming, tube bending and forming, wire straightening, cutting
Booth 416 USA
and end-working, e-mobility as well as precision machines
Wire FormingTechnology International (WFTI) is a quar-
used to produce fasteners and chains. The WAFIOS North
terly technical publication covering the manufacture and
American headquarters is in Branford, Connecticut, with
use of springs, wire formed parts, wire mesh and rebar
spare parts stock, service resources and machines available for
products as well as the materials, tooling, machinery
demonstration. The Chicago-area Midwest Technical Center
located in Mokena, Illinois, provides additional resources SPRING
SPRING 2024
2024
WWW.WIREFORMINGTECH.COM

as a service center, with machines available for trials and

demonstration.. www.wafios.us

WCISA Wire and Cable Industry Suppliers Assoc. Serving Manufacturers of Springs, Wire

Booth 416 USA/Canada Formed Parts, Wire Mesh and Rebar Products

WCISA is a nonprofit corporate membership association Trade Show Coverage:

Wire Expo 2024...46
wire 2024...64

REBUILD & UPGRADE...P. 38-44 SPRING COILING...P. 62

STRAIGHTENING & CUTTING..P. 76

58 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 Wire Expo 2024
and control systems for making those parts. Business,
market and global trade show coverage is also provided,
and readers are located in more than 70 countries. Sister
publications include Wire & Cable Technology Interna-
tional (WCTI) and Fastener Technology International (FTI).
magazines as well as newsletters and buyers’ guides.
www.wireformingtech.com

Wire Machine Systems Inc

Booth 211 USA
Exhibiting: Buncher bows, wire drawing, coiling, spooling,
straighten and cut machines, electrolytic cleaning and coating,
shot blasting machines, wire and cable guides, wire straighteners.
www.wire-machine.com

Witels Albert USA

Booth 300 USA
Witels Albert specializes in wire straighteners, tube straight-
eners, wire and tube feeders and drive units, guides and
preformers for wire, tube, strip and flatwire, cable, wire rope
and profile shape. Our products are engineered and produced
in the German tradition of innovation, precision and quality
by Witels Albert Germany, and stocking here in the USA.
www.witels-albert-usa.com
A full exhibitor list is available online at www.wireexpo24.com WFTI

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 59

Simulation of Shot Blasting
Machines and Processes
Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH
Vorstadt 1, 96190 Untermerzbach,
Germany
www.rosler.com
In many industries, shot blasting is an indispensable
surface treatment technology. Apart from the goal of
achieving the best possible results, customers always
demand short cycle times, the lowest possible costs
and minimal material input. Rösler fulfills these re-
quirements, among other things, by utilizing ultra-
modern simulation software. In addition, virtual
models significantly reduce the time for engineer-
ing – especially for large, complex machinery – and
ensure that the equipment is available within shorter
lead times.
Shot blasting is an excellent tool for surface cleaning,
deburring, surface preparation for painting or coating
and shot peening. As such, the shot blasting technol-
ogy is used for creating optimal surface finishes, be
it to ensure problem-free downstream manufacturing
operations or to optimize the functional characteris-
tics of a product. With shot blasting and any other
industrial processes, the customers face the challenge
of improving productivity and cost-efficiency as well
as minimizing the use of valuable resources. Rösler
supports its customers with state-of-the-art simula-
tion software during the planning phase for new shot
blast equipment, especially with regard to process
development and optimization.
Achieving Optimal Results With
High Cost-Efficiency
With the Rösler simulation software, every physical
stage of the shot blasting process, including the re-
spective work pieces, can be displayed in a 3D model.
This includes the blast media type, the thrown media
quantity and the media flow. The data generated by
the so-called particle simulation allow a precise eval-
uation of how much blast media is required, and with
which impact energy it must hit different work piece
surface areas to achieve 100% coverage. At the same
time, the data help determine the required turbine
power, the ideal position of the turbines and the de-
sign of suitable work piece fixtures. The simulations
facilitate the development of shot blast machinery
and processes for achieving optimal shot blast results
with the lowest possible number of turbines, low
energy input and minimal machine wear. They also
help reduce capital expenditures, operating costs and
use of valuable resources.
Another benefit of simulations is that shot blast ma-
chinery for new work pieces can be planned on the
basis of CAD data, well before the actual work pieces
60 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
Lower costs and improved sustainability
for shot blasting operations.
Completely quantified simulation of
shot blasting processes.
are available in prototype form. This saves precious
time, because a shot blast machine can start produc-
tive operation at the same date it is commissioned.
Time-consuming and costly processing trials with
actual work pieces are more or less completely elimi-
nated. Moreover, the simulations also provide valu-
able insights as to whether the specified blast results
can be achieved on work pieces with a given geome-
try. Should this not be possible, the simulation results
provide valuable pointers regarding the optimization
of the work piece shape.
Shorter Planning Phase and Optimal
Shot Blast Results in Case of Complex
Equipment Projects
Planning and commissioning complex, big shot blast
machines for treating components with large dimen-
sions, for example, 20 x 5 x 4 meters (L x W x H), is
particularly challenging. Usually, for such large work
pieces practically no machines are available for run-
ning processing trials. In such cases, simulation and
virtual planning of the shot blasting processes may be
the only tool available for achieving excellent blast-
ing results and high equipment efficiency. For exactly
this purpose, Rösler developed another software
module that models large, complex equipment and
the respective shot blast processes. On the one hand,
the realistic and correct depiction of the blast patterns
and the underlying media flow substantially reduces
the overall investment risk. On the other hand, the
time requirements for planning and commissioning
of a shot blast machine can be significantly shortened.
Faster Processing of Entire
Work Piece Batches
When it comes to shot blasting entire batches of rela-
tively small work pieces, for example in multi tumbler
blast machines (RMT), the optimal mixing of work
pieces and blast media can significantly influence the
processing results and cycle times. For such applica-
tions, the software allows the simulation and optimi-
zation of the tumbling action of the work pieces in
the drum-shaped blast chamber. This will result in
the shortest possible process times. In some cases, cy-
cle time reductions of around 25% per batch could be
achieved resulting in a considerable capacity increase.
Energy-Saving and Effective
Dust Collectors
In shot blast machines, the turbines and dust collec-
tors require by far the highest energy input. This ap-
plies to standard as well as large shot blast machines.
Therefore, the software package also includes a spe-
cial air flow simulation module that determines the
air volume required to safely evacuate the dust gener-
ated during the blast operation from the blast cham-
ber. If the dust can be evacuated more effectively by
an improved air flow, it is possible that a smaller dust
collector can be utilized resulting in a lower energy
consumption. In any case, an optimized air evacua-
tion system helps reduce cycle times and, therefore,
increases productivity. Furthermore, the work pieces
are leaving the shot blast machine cleaner, thus facili-
tating downstream manufacturing operations.
Digital Twins of Blast Turbines
Increase Operational Efficiency
To reduce their energy consumption and wear rate
and, at the same time, increase their operational ef-
Analysis of the air flow, including solid particle
discharge, in an air extraction box.
Analysis and optimization of mass finishing processes
regarding the movement of the grinding or polishing
media and their effect on the work piece surface.
ficiency, Rösler works with digital twins of the blast
turbines. The replication of the particle flow provides
a virtual analysis of the wear areas in a turbine. This,
in turn, allows the implementation of geometrical tur-
bine modifications for minimizing the wear rate. Other
simulations can be conducted with the goal of increas-
ing the turbine efficiency, which, in turn, will result
in additional energy savings. Thanks to the broad ap-
plication of simulation software for the design of shot
blast equipment and the respective processes, as well
as for the optimization of the airflow and turbine tech-
nology, the lead times for Rösler shot blast machines
are substantially shortened. Moreover, they produce
substantial energy savings and a lower wear rate. All
this results in significant customer benefits.
Simulation Systems for Mass Finishing
Processes Dealing With Complex Work Pieces
To date the development of mass finishing processes
for single piece processing of geometrically complex
and difficult to machine work pieces, such as knee
implants, required numerous processing trials. For
such elaborate applications, usually handled in so-
called drag finishers, Rösler is also utilizing simula-
tion technologies. www.rosler.com WFTI
Company Profile:
For over 80 years, the privately owned Rösler Oberflächentechnik
GmbH has been actively engaged in the field of surface preparation and
surface finishing. As a global market leader, the company offers a com-
prehensive portfolio of equipment, consumables and services around the
mass finishing and shot blasting technologies for a wide spectrum of
different industries. Its range of about 15,000 consumables, developed
in its Customer Experience Centers and laboratories located all over the
world, specifically serves its customers for resolving their individual
finishing needs. Under the brand name AM Solutions, the company
offers numerous equipment solutions and services in the area of additive
manufacturing/3D printing. Last-but-not-least, as our central training
center, the Rösler Academy, offers practical, hands-on seminars to the
subjects mass finishing, shot blasting and additive manufacturing. The
Rösler group has a global network of 15 locations and approximately
150 sales agents. www.rosler.com
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 61
 Spring Coiling Roundup
Compiled by the Editors at Wire Forming Technology International
Suppliers have responded to our call for the state-of-the-art
in spring coiling machines, tooling and technology.

Importance of Tooling & What Machine

Should be Used for Complex Springs?
Information from Taiwan SIMCO Company, New
Taipei, Taiwan, says, “In recent years, spring forming
processing on the CNC spring machine has higher re-
quirements for accuracy and specifications. Therefore,
the durability and accuracy of tooling have been paid
more attention to the issue. SIMCO toolings can reduce
indentations on the wire surface, making the springs
less defective, more precise, and less likely to break.
In addition, to increase the service life of the tooling,
we also develop new material for tooling to make it
more wear-resistant during production.

“To produce complex springs and get free of the

“The toolings of the spring machine mainly include
a feed roller, wire guide, arbor, coiling tool, cutter,
pitch tool, etc.:
• Feed roller: provides the power to feed wire so
the spring wire can accurately feed wire forward
or backward.
• Wire guide: make stable wire feeding at angles
and straightening the wire.
• Arbor: auxiliary cutting.
• Coiling tool: controls the shape and outer diam-
eter of the spring.
• Cutter: cut the spring.
• Pitch tool: control the function of the spring pitch..
“What machines should be used for making complex
springs? In a multi-axis spring-forming machine, the
term ‘axis’ refers to the supporting mechanism that
connects various components. These mechanisms
are driven by servomotors to execute production op-
erations. The number of axes directly influences the
precision, forming results and processing efficiency
of the machine.
limitation of a single plane, you can consider spring-
forming machines instead of spring coilers.
“The earliest 3-axis cam spring forming machine fea-
tures eight cams on its working panel, all controlled by
a single servomotor. However, each bender is confined
to shaping angles in a single plane. This limits the
forming capabilities and requires intricate machine
tuning. Skilled technicians are needed to adjust the
cam phase accurately.
“Later, it evolved to add a wire-rotating axis to the
traditional three-axis cam spring-forming machine.
This innovation frees each bender from the constraints
of a single plane, enabling 3D angle formations. This
enhances its forming capabilities, allowing for more
intricate shapes.
“SIMCO’s entire machine development has evolved
from cam machines to camless machines, and each
evolution has continuously improved efficiency,
performance, and flexibility. For springs with specific
characteristics below, the multi-axis EF series and SFX
series are particularly recommended:
• Springs requiring tight tolerances: Independent
servomotors drive each axis, allowing individual
benders to move with varying strokes and speeds
according to the program. This reduces mechani-
cal tolerance driven by gears, resulting in more
accurate final products.
• Complexly-shaped springs: Some springs neces-
sitate multiple angles for completion. Additional
axes offer greater flexibility and power for shap-
ing the spring.
“SIMCO EF series and SFX series multi-axis form-

62 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

ers excel at intricate forming. Their unique timeline
function and flash mode streamline and integrate
unnecessary actions, boosting production capacity
by two to three times compared to traditional cam
machines when crafting specialized springs.”
www.simcotw.com

More Sources for the State-of-the-Art

Spring Coiling Machinery & Tooling:

• A&D Trading LLC, Rock Creek, OH, USA, “Supplies

spring and wire formers from Primera Precision Taiwan
CNC Spring Machinery and is the USA Agent of SHINKO.
Offered are 2 and 5-axis coilers, CNC coilers and 2-D/3D
wire benders.” www.adtradingllc.com

• FENN LLC, East Berlin, CT, USA, “Offers single and dual
point Torin spring coilers with wire ranges from 0.003" to
0.750" (0.076 to 19 mm). Springs produced include exten-
sion, torsion, compression, magazine, constant force and
simple wire forms.” www.fenn-torin.com

• Forming Systems, Inc., Schoolcraft, MI, USA, “Offers

HTC high-speed spring and wire forming machines. HTC
specializes in precise 2, 4, 5, 8, 12, 17 and 21 axes CNC
machines for the manufacture of compression, extension,
garter, torsion, double torsion springs and wire forms.”
www.formingsystemsinc.com

• Gibraltar Corp., Nothbrook, IL, USA, “Offers a full line

of coilers, formers, grinders and special purpose machin-
ery for producing springs, wire forms and metal stampings.
Turnkey, ready-to-go machines to fully customized solu-
tions are offered.” www.gibraltar8.com

• Maguire Machinery, LLC, Brigantine, NJ, USA, “Is a dis-

tributor of OKUNO and YHM spring, clip, ring, wave spring
and wire and strip forming equipment for the Americas.
Okuno - one of the most respected names in the spring
coiling and wire forming industry. YHM - Is your engineer-
ing!” www.maguiremachinery.com

• RK Trading Co., Elk Grove, IL, USA, “RK Trading offers

a wide range of Herdon systems ranging from simple and
inexpensive basic machines to technically sophisticated
coilers and formers. Distinguishing characteristics include
user-friendly programming, versatile features and rugged
construction.” www.rktradingusa.com

• SIMPLEX-RAPID Srl, Milan (MI), Italy, “Offers CNC

coilers FX-series for right-hand springs; CNC coilers MX-
series for high-speed right/left-hand springs; Multi axes
CNC coilers MC-series (12 axes) for critical compression
springs; CNC coilers MT-series for springs with straight or
shaped shanks RH/LH bends and springs with no-round
section; and CNCcoilers GX-series for garter springs.”
www.simplexrapid.it

• YHM Springtech Machinery Co., Tianwei Township, Tai-

wan, “YHM main products include CNC extension spring
machines, CNC tension spring machine, CNC compres-
sion spring machine, CNC wire/strip forming machine and
more.” www.wire-machine.com.tw WFTI

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 63

Straight From The Show
News & Images from wire 2024
Record trade fairs face economic challenges:
key technologies for wire, cable and tube and
pipe production remain system-relevant.
All images not in the cyan sidebar boxes are courtesty of Messe Düsseldorf, Messeplatz, D-40474
Düsseldorf, Germany, www.messe-duesseldorf.de. Copyright owner: Messe Düsseldorf/ctillmann
Anne Meerboth-Maltz
Messe Düsseldorf North America (MDNA)
Chicago, IL, USA
www.mdna.com
The recent staging of the wire and Tube trade fairs in
Düsseldorf, Germany, was a resounding success.
With 1500 exhibitors from 60 countries on 67,400 m2,
wire 2024 was the largest edition in its almost 40-year
history. At Tube 2024, 1200 exhibitors from 54 nations
on about 52,200 m2 showcased their innovation in an
industry increasingly gearing toward energy efficiency
and sustainability.
A total of 2700 exhibitors came to Düsseldorf to dem-
onstrate on about 120,000 m2 of net exhibit space that
the wire, cable and tube and pipe industries and their
upstream suppliers are ready for future energy-related
challenges. The fact that they are also among the system-
relevant sectors worldwide also strengthens the position
of their world leading trade fairs.
The desire for personal exchange in these economically
and geopolitically difficult times was clearly noticeable
in the industry. “The world seems to turn faster and
we turn with it. Every two years our industries get to-
gether here in Düsseldorf – the community stands by
its location on the Rhine. We are very grateful for this
and are working consistently to ensure that wire and
Tube will also remain their industries No. 1 trade fairs
in future,” said Daniel Ryfisch, Director, wire, Tube &
Flow Technologies.
USA exhibitor participation at both trade fairs was
again strong: 68 exhibitors showcased their product at
wire 2024, with 33 participating in the North America
Pavilion, organized by Messe Düsseldorf North Amer-
ica (MDNA) and co-sponsored by The Wire & Cable
Industry Suppliers Association® (WCISA®). At Tube
2024, 22 USA companies displayed their innovations,
with five exhibitors participating in the North American
Pavilion also organized by MDNA and co-sponsored by
the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA).
It was not only the 2700 exhibitors who provided in-
sights into exciting transformation processes within
their industries. For the first time, a packed ancillary
64 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
program consisting of lectures, presentations, special
shows and digital guided tours accompanied the activi-
ties in the exhibition halls. Special areas and digital trails
on such hot topics as ecoMetals, hydrogen, plastic pipes,
separating, cutting, sawing and stainless steel provided
information on the latest news and trends.
Experts from numerous exhibitors presented their
companies’ sustainability strategies, discussed paths to-
wards the green transformation and energy and climate
policy with the audience or presented successes already
achieved on the way to decarbonization. Whether the
wire & Tube Convention, ITA-Forum, BDS Forum, Saw-
Expo Forum, Special Area Plastic Tubes & Pipes or the
digital ecoMetals and high potential trails – the exhibi-
tion halls were buzzing with innovations. Trends in wire
and cable machinery, in wire and cable manufacturing,
in the trade as well as the latest developments in the field
of glass fiber technologies, mesh welding machinery,
spring making and connection and fastener technologies
were presented in exhibition halls 9 to 17.
“wire & Tube is the place where the future of the wire
and tube industries is actively shaped and we introduce
the innovations of the last two years to our customers,”
stated Dr.-Ing. Uwe-Peter Weigmann, Board Spokes-
man at WAFIOS AG.
“This year our new developments received extremely
positive feedback, which was also reflected by the high
number of visitors at our exhibition stand. Alongside
new machine concepts such as the modular transfer
bending machine BQ10, the theme of ‘assisted ma-
chinery’ went down especially well in the context of
skilled labor shortages. This machinery assists new
staff in setting up, performing individual process steps
independently. With four levels WAFIOS has laid the
foundation to incorporate machines with their assistive
functions long term,” added Weigmann.
The fact that the pipe industry not only “thinks big” but
also has convincing, sustainable concepts for the use of
renewable energies and the reduction of carbon dioxide
became clear at the trade fair stands in exhibition halls
1 to 7.1. The sectors using tubes and pipelines are as
diverse as the requirements for the material properties
and sorts/grades. Plastic pipes play an increasingly im-
portant role here, which was evident by the many visi-
tors in the Special Area Plastic Tubes & Pipes in Hall 1.
The major producing countries have also traditionally
been where most trade visitors come from. In addition
to Germany, these countries again included Italy, Spain,
Belgium, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Turkey,
Switzerland, Great Britain, Sweden, Poland, the Czech
Republic, the USA, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, India
and Japan.
Noticeably more visitors than ever before came from
Central and North America, Turkey and Asia. They gave
top marks for the comprehensive line-up and innovative
Alloy Wire International (AWI): Transatlantic Deal Builds Upon Success
The UK’s leading manufacturer of round, flat and profile
wire was at wire 2024 off the back of one of its largest
ever export orders.
Alloy Wire International (AWI), West Midlands, UK, took
its 60-strong range of exotic alloys to Düsseldorf in April
15 - 19, 2024, after having sealed a US$400,000 contract
with a USA springmaker to supply a high strength nickel
cobalt alloy.
The DFARS compliant material will be used in an
aerospace application that requires heat and corrosion
resistance, with the company chosen for its world class
quality and the ability to process the order in just a matter
of weeks.
It is these two qualities, along with a sector-leading
400 metric ton stockholding, that AWI was pushing in
Germany, looking to increase its international sales even
further.
The company exhibited on stand E26 in Hall 11 and
was represented by staff from the UK and agents from
Germany, Italy and the USA.
Tom Mander, Managing Director of Alloy Wire
International, commented, “wire 2024 is the biggest global
show in our sector, so it is great news that we were there
after winning such a sizeable export order.
“It illustrates how UK manufacturers can
remain competitive through investment in
the latest technology and a commitment
to work with our customers to deliver
exceptional technical advice and access
to significant amounts of stock at short
notice.”
He continued, “The USA order really does
typify what AWI is all about. We received
the enquiry about two months ago, went
back quickly with a quote, agreed the
deal, and processed the large quantity
and despatched it in a matter of weeks.
“wire 2024 gave us another opportunity
to take our key selling points to a global
audience and we’ve invested heavily
in creating our biggest stand yet and a
new timeline that charts some of the big
moments in our 78-year history.”
character of the trade fair stands and praised the almost
complete presence of the market leaders. Networking,
exploring innovations at the stands and meeting new
suppliers were the main objectives of trade fair visits.
The next staging of wire & Tube will take place from April
13 to 17, 2026, in Düsseldorf, Germany. For further infor-
mation on visiting or exhibiting at wire 2026 or Tube 2026,
contact Messe Düsseldorf North America (MDNA).
The year 2024 will see wire and Tube held concurrently
again from April 15 to 19, 2024, at the Düsseldorf Ex-
hibition Center.
www.wire.de • www.Tube.de Continued...
Alloy Wire International manufactures round, flat and
profile wire in 60 Exotic alloys, such as Inconel, Monel,
Hastelloy, Nimonic and Waspaloy.
From its two factories in the West Midlands and Yorkshire,
the company continues to be a critical supplier to the
UK manufacturing sector while also growing its export
business, which currently accounts for nearly 55% of its
£17.9m sales.
This means AWI now supplies 6000 customers across
50 countries and 15 different market sectors and, despite
global supply chain disruption, is still delivering material
in just three weeks from the order being placed.
Mander went on to add, “We’re seeing growth across all
industries, with automotive up 6%, aerospace 3% and a
resurgent oil and gas marketplace rising 10%+. There
are also big opportunities in space, medical and nuclear,
as firms strive for material that delivers the performance
they require in the end application.”
He concluded, “The team couldn't wait to travel over to
wire 2024 and meet up with colleagues, suppliers and
customers in Düsseldorf, as we looked to champion the
power of UK manufacturing to the world.”
www.alloywire.com
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 65
 Straight From The Show
BLM GROUP: Innovative
Technological Solutions
BLM GROUP was a key player at Tube & wire 2024, the
international trade fair for tube and wire processing, on
April 15-19, at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Center.
Visitors had the opportunity to get hands-on with the
most innovative technological solutions offered by BLM
GROUP, as well as to learn more about its wide range
of software and services. Capturing the rapidly evolving
international context, where new applications and
industrial sectors are rapidly expanding, the Italian group
presented its “The solution” theme at the fair.
A leitmotif that emphasizes the importance that the group
with more than 60 years of experience in tube processing
gives, and has always given, to the research and
development of new production solutions that continually
enable its customers to always be competitive in an ever-
changing world. Efficient, versatile and interconnected
production solutions, always one step ahead.
ELECT: extreme imperfection-free bending: Combining
highly difficult curvature with curved profile quality means
being able to create more compact tubular elements,
even of complex shape and high performance, offering
designers unique freedom in the design of their products.
In this context, the solution presented by BLM GROUP at
the fair represents one of the most complex applications
ever tackled, a testament to the level of technology
achieved by the group in tube bending. The machine is
the ELECT150, a fully electric tube bender for tubes up
to 150 mm in diameter, which performs the bending of a
110 mm diameter tube with an average radius of only 90
mm, while maintaining an unparalleled aesthetic finish; a
design detail that customers will be able to touch.
Robotic production cell no waste and absolute
efficiency: In response to the demand for ever-increasing
production efficiency, for production certified to the
required tolerances, and for a process freed from the
experience and limitations of a human operator, BLM
GROUP proposed a fully automatic solution: a plant
incorporating two manipulator robots that handle the parts
between the processes of: cutting and shaping, high-
quality bending with core, nut insertion, shaping on the
second end of the tube, and in-line dimensional control. A
solution that integrates 3-RUNNER bar-loading, SMART,
AST8-VE systems and a telecentric measuring system,
perfect for the HVAC industry.
LT8.20: the widest working range for the widest
versatility use: A versatile laser tube cutting system
capable of working in a wide range of industries, including
structural, furniture, automotive, machine tool frame
manufacturing, fixtures and more. The Lasertube offers
exceptional versatility and production flexibility. The
solution featured at the show is the LT8.20, a tube laser
cutting machine with a working range from 12 mm to 240
mm diameter, equipped with 3D laser cutting capabilities,
a dual loading system, Active Tools technology and a fiber
laser source available up to 5 kW. The LT8.20 is highly
configurable to meet specific customer needs and can be
connected to an automated warehouse to optimize the
entire production process.
66 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
...Continued
From the left, Fabrizio Frigerio, Product Manager,
bending and end-forming machines; Maurizio Toselli,
Sales Director, BLM GROUP; Martijn Van Opbergen,
Product Manager, Lasertube.
Lasertube work cell and tube bender enslaved by
robots and AGVs: The need, in this case, was to best
combine production flexibility and automation. The
solution exhibited was a fully automatic system that,
through Data Matrix scanning on the part, is able to
choose the type of bending program to be performed. The
system composed of E-TURN tube bender and Lasertube
LT7 system utilizes a manipulator robot and an AGV for
tube transport. The advantages are many, including the
absence of human intervention, the possibility of having
a fully integrated and productive plant, but also the ability
to adapt to “on the fly” batch production without special
intervention by external operators.
LT12: expands the possibilities of fiber laser cutting
up to 305 mm diameter: In the mechanical and new
energy industries, the use of light alloys is becoming
increasingly common. As a result, for many specialists
in the field, the need arises to expand the maximum
diameter of tubes that can be cut with the fiber laser. BLM
GROUP presents the solution to this need: the LT12, a
Lasertube system with fiber source capable of processing
tubes up to Ø 305 mm in diameter and 12.5 m in length.
This machine is equipped with a 3D laser cutting head
and can cut tubes, beams, profiles of various open or
closed sections with a speed directly comparable to other
Lasertube machines of smaller size.
BLMportal: all services just a click away: For those
who use high-tech manufacturing plants, services such as
service, maintenance and staff training are of paramount
importance to maximize the potential of the plant over
time. For customers, access to these services must be
simple, convenient and fast. The ideal solution comes
with BLMportal, BLM GROUP’s portal that allows each
customer to access their personal area and manage a
host of services for their production. In BLMportal you can
find information and documentation about your machines,
access your production statistics, manage service
tickets and interact with technical support, purchase
consumables and stay up-to-date. BLMportal offers
convenient 360° access to the world of BLM GROUP.
www.blmgroup.com
 Continued...
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 67
 Straight From The Show
WAFIOS: Machines that Feature
Semiassisted or Fully Assisted
Operator Support for Part Setups
WAFIOS presented, at the wire & Tube, innovations and
new developments from their large range of products. At
the wire & Tube show, WAFIOS exhibited machines that
feature semiassisted or fully assisted operator support,
especially for setting up new parts. As a matter of course,
also newly developed machines for the wire and tube
processing industry were showcased. Another focus was
on extending the service life of older machines which is
a crucial factor for the sustainability of machines but also
for saving costs.
How can the setup process be made easier? How can
especially inexperienced operators be supported better?
How can a software assistant replace the training of
operators? WAFIOS has addressed these questions and
developed new approaches to solve them. Machines
with assisted or automated functions help the user and
thus make everyday processes faster. In addition to the
everyday helpers, the exhibition program also included
new developments and machine concepts.
WAFIOS presented a machine of operator level 2 and
another machine of operator level 3 at the wire 2024
show. These machines signify the start for future software
developments and were exhibited to start an exchange of
ideas with visitors on the subject of the operator assistance.
Operator support with individually assisted or
automated functions. At the WAFIOS AG booth at the wire
Düsseldorf, the FUL 36+ showed how a machine of operator
level 2 supports the operator. The compression spring coiler
features individual, assisted and automated functions that
the operator can use without operator guidance. These
functions include, for example, the simplified input of spring
geometries. The new, assisted positioning of the coiling
device helps inexperienced operators to approach the
home position. Another innovation is the motor-adjustable
coiling pin holder PTPduo that features two axes, enabling
not only the familiar tilting of the coiling finger but also
the rotation of the coiling finger around its own axis. The
PTPduo therefore reduces the friction of the wire in the
coiling pin, increasing the surface quality and thus the
accuracy of the spring.
Full operator support for wire bending machines.
The BM 36 HS, the high-speed wire bending machine,
demonstrates the competence of an operator level 3
machine. The fully assisted machine guides the operator
actively through the entire setup process. The software
explains all settings step by step and integrates iQ
functions automatically. The adaptive straightening
process iQplug&straight (technology preview) is the
highlight of the machine. The iQ function measures a
straightened wire rod using a highly sensitive laser. The
artificial intelligence of the software suggests optimized
settings of the straightening rollers, making time-
consuming straightening settings a thing of the past.
A wide variety of new machines and tools. In addi-
tion to machines with assisted and automated functions,
other new developments and machine concepts from
WAFIOS were showcased at the wire show. Examples in-
68 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
...Continued
Fig. 1. The assisted and automated machines are divided
in four operator levels. Images: WAFIOS
clude: The BQ
10, a modu-
larly structured
bending ma-
chine with sev-
eral stations
for bending,
forming, flat-
tening and die
Fig. 2. The high-speed wire bending cutting. The
machine BM 36 HS shows the compe- a l l - r o u n d e r
tence of an operator level 3 machine. machine FMU
100+ which
expands the
series in the
upper diame-
ter range from
4.1 to 10 mm.
WAFIOS de-
velops, de-
signs and
produces so-
phisticated,
Fig. 3. WAFIOS booth at the wire 2024 specialist ma-
in Düsseldorf.
chinery for the
wire and tube processing industry and for cold-forging
applications. The company is one of the world’s foremost
providers in this field. More than 130 years of experience
stand for quality and innovation. The range of products
includes more than 130 types of machines. Equipped
with the latest software, artificial intelligence and IoT,
WAFIOS machines optimize the output, the quality and
the setup process. 60% of WAFIOS’ customers work
in the automotive and supplier industry, with a growing
share in e-mobility. But the company also serves major
industries such as mining, construction, electrical en-
gineering, medical technology, household appliances,
agriculture and furniture. Exports account for more than
60 percent of total sales. Today, WAFIOS has evolved
into a group of companies that consists of parent company
WAFIOS AG, based in Reutlingen, plus several locations
throughout Germany (Reutlingen, Marktredwitz, Wupper-
tal, Berlin, Simonswald, Hilchenbach), France (Ecuelles),
Portugal (Maia), the Americas (Branford/USA, Mokena/
USA, Querétaro/Mexico; and São Paulo/Brazil), and Asia
(Shanghai/China and Zhangjiagang/China). WAFIOS
expands its core business with the connectavo brand,
developing software solutions for maintenance work in,
for example, hotels, communities or the industry.
www.wafios.com
Barnfather Wire Midlands: Acquires Two Cutting-Edge Cut & Loop Machines
Barnfather Wire machines are set to revolutionize its operations, with a
Midlands, West combined capability of producing up to 60 metric tons per
Midlands, UK, has week. The commissioning of these two state-of-the-art
announced a major machines within the next five months will mark a signifi-
milestone as the cant leap forward in its services to the recycling industry.
company unveils This exciting development was sealed at the wire exhibi-
the acquisition of tion in Düsseldorf, where owner, Richard Barnfather, and
not just one, but WAFIOS’ Sales Manager, Kerstin Reinhardt, finalized
two brand new Cut the deal. This partnership emphasises the dedication to
and Loop machines innovation and excellence in the wire industry.
from WAFIOS Ak- Stay tuned as the company prepares to integrate these
tiengesellschaft, two new Cut and Loop machines into its operations. The
the industry’s lead- impact of these cutting-edge technologies on the baling
ing wire machine wire market is going to be phenomenal!
manufacturer.
These cutting-edge www.barnfatherwire.co.uk

Continued...
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 69
 Straight From The Show ...Continued

70 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 Continued...
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 71
 Straight From The Show ...Continued

72 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 Continued...
Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 73
 Straight From The Show ...Continued

WFTI
74 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc.

2024

EXPO AND SYMPOSIUM EXPO AND SYMPOSIUM

ROSEMONT, ILLINOIS • OCT 2-4 Presented by CASMI and SMI
Presented by CASMI and SMI

Sponsored by
Spring Manufacturers,
For Spring Manufacturers.

Three Days of EXPO Two Mornings of Educational Sessions

Technical Theater Sessions Same Great Networking Events

Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI) and The

Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI) have partnered to combine the two

Register Today
organizations’ semi-annual events into one industry foremost event. The joint
SpringWorld Expo and Symposium will be held October 2-4, 2024, at
the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. In addition to
the CASMI hosted exhibit hall, SMI will also host two mornings of business or become a Exhibitor or Sponsor!
and technical content, including 24 educational sessions. Exhibit hall hours
will be similar to prior years and the technical theater and receptions return!
SpringWorld.org
Don’t miss this comprehensive educational and networking event to learn
the latest from suppliers and educators.

October 2-4, 2024 • Donald E. Stephens Convention Center • Rosemont, IL • SpringWorld.org

Spotlight On Straightening & Cutting
wire and cable equipment
COMETO SRL Via Cabella Lattuada 41
23841 Annone Brianza Lc Italy
+39-0341-263090 p.tocchetti@cometo.eu
www.cometo.ws
www.youtube.com/user/Cometosnc
ERA Wire, Inc.
19 Locust St
West Haven, CT 06516 USA
Phone: +1 203 933 0480
Emails: sales@erawire.com,
rich@erawire.com
Website: www.erawire.com
76 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
by Mike McNulty, Editor
Wire Forming Technology International
Traditional straighten-and-cut (S&C) machines are used
to produce straight, cut lengths of wire, rod, strip, bar or
rebar, and independent straightening devices are used
at the entry of spring coilers or wire forming machines.
In both cases, the straightening process has the primary
job of removing the cast in the wire, rod or bar that has
been created in the coiling or spooling process. In other
words, the straightener aims to restore the wire, rod,
strip or bar to its original form.
Straightening
Wire, rod, strip or bar that has been wound onto a spool
or into a coil will not lay flat or stay straight when it is
unwound or fed into a machine. Straighteners take out the
cast or loop of the material, so it can be processed or used
properly. Three common straightening methods are roller,
rotating and oscillating straighteners. Roller straighteners
use opposing rollers in one or more planes to straighten
the material while rotating and oscillating straighteners
use dies, bushings, rollers, etc., to accomplish the task.
With roller straighteners, the number and size of the roll-
ers can vary from as few as three to more than two dozen.
The number of rollers, their sizes, spacings and settings
will depend on the material properties like diameter
and strength and the desired end result. In addition to
straightening, roller straighteners can be used to provide
stress relief or to induce a new cast into the material. Roll-
er straightener setup and the roller settings are important
to get proper function. Trends in straighteners include
simplified opening and closing mechanisms, automatic
roller adjustment, quick diameter changes and software
programs for determining roller settings.
Straightening & Cutting (S&C)
The cut lengths of material produced by an S&C ma-
chine are usually headed for another operation like
welding or bending. S&C machines are often integrated
for direct-feed into another process instead of operating
stand-alone.
There are many methods for straightening the material,
as described earlier, and the same is true for the cutting
operation. The material can be cut by several different
methods including sawing, milling, shearing and im-
pacting. The S&C machine strives to achieve consistent
lengths and high-quality ends—square; flat; smooth;
and burr, crack and scratch-free.
Materials & Services
Wires, rods and bars that can handle the rigors of the
straightening and cutting process are made and distrub-
uted by materials suppliers with knowledge of the pro-
cess and the product demands. In addition, some sup-
pliers provide the services of straightening and cutting
wire, rod and bar for downstream uses. In the case of
processing alloys, which can be physically harder than
the carbon steel materials, there are unique challenges
in achieving straightness and controlling tooling wear.

Technical Trends
Trends in straightening devices and S&C machines
include fast changeovers from one diameter or length
to another, higher precision and speed, multiple wire
operation and improved drive and/or PLC controls.
Additional developments include the following:
• Production of single and double butted spokes.
• Mirrored machine setups (left and right-handed
straightening machines placed together).
• Rotor straightening system technology.
• Integrated functions.
• In-line diagnosis of wire quality and size.
• Modular design of components for simplified up-
grades and changes in capabilities.
• User-friendly adjustments and quick changeovers.
• 100% electronic speed changes and control.
• Integration of software programs for machine setup
and operation.
• Miniaturization.
• Length extremes: short and long parts production.
• Alternative roll materials and coatings.
• Straightening of flat wires and strips with a large
ratio between width and thickness.
• Precise feed controls.
References: WFTI Spotlight Articles on Straightening
& Cutting from 2022, 2020, 2018 and 2016. WFTI

WAFIOS Machinery Corporation

27 NE Industrial Road
Branford, CT 06405 USA
Midwest Technical Center
9830 W. 190th St. Unit D
Mokena, IL 60448 USA
Email: sales@wafios.us
Website: www.wafios.us
Ph: (203) 481-5555

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 77

 PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Cooling and Parts Collecting Systems
For Ever-Changing Demands
HSI and Forming Systems, Inc., Schoolcraft, MI, For additional information, including option details and
USA, would like to introduce various combinations of pricing, please contact Forming Systems at
cooling and parts collecting systems in response to the info@formingsystemsinc.com
ever-changing demands. or call +1 269 679 3557.
HSI cooling systems include flat or elevating conveyors www.formingsystemsinc.com
with speed variable cooling fans (optional), which cools
down the parts while moving the parts from the oven
to the collection system.
We can provide a variety of parts collecting systems for
diverse demands. Parts can be counted by number of
pieces, time or weight and collected with HSI standard
bins (like PC-30, PC-100 etc.) or your regular part con-
tainer/carton for ease of handling (PCR-50 and PCS5).

Digital Stamping & Forming

Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG,
Halblech, Germany, offers intelligent automation solu-
tions and smart products to provide its customers with
the best possible support for all requirements. Bihler
combines the real world of stamping and forming tech-
nology with the digital world. With “Bihler Digital” and
its digital services for the three areas of engineering,
production and training/support, users simply develop
faster, manufacture even more efficiently and save
valuable resources. Digital twins of all high-tech manufacturing solutions,
such as the BIMERIC servo production and assembly
Achieve greater transparency and efficiency right from
system, are available as a virtual image of the entire
the planning and creation of stamping and forming
manufacturing process. Bihler experts use these
processes. Save costs and time in the realization of
digital twins to commission the entire system virtually
your high-quality components and benefit from smooth
in advance. Virtual commissioning provides valuable
commissioning.
insights throughout the entire life cycle.
The Bihlerplanning WebApp is the ideal tool for plan-
With the “Bihler Digital App,” users increase efficiency
ners and designers, and it serves as a helpful source
in production, and thanks to the modularity of the digital
of inspiration for new solutions based on the similarity
application, they fully exploit optimization potential on
principle. It gives users a quick and easy initial overview
their machines. The focus is on training employees
of the realization of stamped and formed parts made
as well as analyses and adjustments to the plant. The
of strip and wire as well as subsequent parts (bending
application is immediately ready for operation in a plug
stages, tool). Additional information such as production
and play process without any programming effort.
speed, set-up time and processing time per batch is
clearly visible. www.bihler.de WFTI

78 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024

 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
Company Page Website
A&D Trading LLC 53 www.adtradingllc.com
Admiral Steel 4 www.AdmiralSteel.com
AIM Inc. Back Cover www.aimmachines.com • www.aimeuropesa.com
Alloy Wire International 1 www.alloywire.com
Anbao Wire 77 www.anbao.net
Anchor Abrasives Co. 11 www.anchorabrasives.com
AWT Machinery 17 www.awtmach.com
CASMI Springworld 75 www.springworld.org
Cometo 9 www.cometo.ws
Diamond Wire Spring Company 13 www.DiamondWire.com
Inside Back
Elgiloy Specialty Metals www.elgiloy.com
Cover
Era Wire 45 www.erawire.com
FENN LLC 2 www.fenn-torin.com
Forming Systems Inc / HTC 33 www.formingsystemsinc.com
Inside Back
Gibbs Interwire www.gibbswire.com
Cover
Gibraltar Corporation/Delta 49 www.gibraltar8.com
Gibraltar Corporation/Simco 31 www.gibraltar8.com • www.simcotw.com
Larson Systems Inc. 15 www.larsonsystems.com
Maguire Machinery 57 www.MaguireMachinery.com
Neturen America 41 www.neturen-america.com
OMD - Officina Meccanica Domaso SpA 51 www.omdspa.it
Inside Front
RK Trading www.rktradingusa.com
Cover
Sanli Furnace Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 27 en.hzsanli.com
Sanwa Company 59 www.sanwa1970.jp
Simplex Rapid 5 www.simplexrapid.it
TRS Tzyh Ru Shyng Automation Co., Ltd. 55 www.trsma.com.tw
Universal Wires 63 www.uniwires.com
Ultimate Automation Ltd. 19 www.ultimat.com
Vacom Group 77 www.vacomgroup.com
WAFIOS Machinery Corporation 7 www.wafios.us
YHM Springtech 47 yhm@wire-machine.com.tw • www.wire-machine.com.tw

Coming Soon: Wire Forming Technology International’s Summer 2024 Issue

Send editorial files to Mike McNulty at mcnulty@wireformingtech.com • Ad contacts @ www.wireformingtech.com

SPRING WORLD 2024 Preview

Wire Forming & Bending Roundup
Springs & Wire Forms Roundup
Heat Treatment Spotlight
Editorial deadline: August 5 • Ad closing: August 9

Spring 2024/Wire Forming Technology International 79


Events and organizations or companies on page 4 and in any preview articles are not indexed here; additional omissions are made at the editor’s discretion.
A&D Trading LLC......................................63
AGTOS .....................................................19
AIM, Inc. ...................................................42
Alloy Wire .................................................23
Alloy Wire International (AWI) ..................65
AM Solutions ............................................61
Amstek Metal ......................................23, 36
Anchor Abrasives......................................23
ASM International .....................................25
ASTM International .............................12, 25
Automation & Spring End Grinding...........36
AWT Machinery Inc. ...........................38, 39
Barnfather Wire Midlands .........................69
Beckhoff....................................................38
Beijer Alma .................................................9
Betts Company .........................................14
BLM GROUP ............................................66
Böhm Elektronik .......................................36
Brauhaus Joh. Albrecht ............................18
Carris Reels Inc. .......................................18
CASMI (Chicago Association of Spring
Manufacturers, Inc.).............18, 22, 23, 36
Centric Alloys ............................................ 11
Chase Corporation ...................................18
Chicago Dogs Stadium .............................23
Clifford ................................................38, 39
CMC, Connecticut Manufacturers
Collaborative..........................................26
Cometo Srl................................................76
Coopers Hawk ..........................................23
Copper Development Association ............12
DeburringEXPO ........................................14
Diamond Wire Spring ...............................36
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center...22
Dorstener Drahtwerke Group .....................9
ERA Wire, Inc ...........................................76
Exhibition Centre of Karlsruhe. .................14
Fabricators and Manufacturers Association
(FMA)...............................................16, 64
fairXperts GmbH & Co. KG.......................14
FENN LLC ................................................63
Fenn Torin.................................................27
FLM Future Leaders of Manufacturing .....26
Fives Landis Corp - Gardner Abrasives....23
Forming Systems, Inc. ........................68, 78
Formula 1 .................................................18
Freedonia Group ........................................8
Georgian Peaks Ski Club .........................18
Gerdau Long Steel ...................................25
Gibbs Interwire ...................................23, 36
Global Specialty Steel ..............................63
Global Specialty Wire ...............................36
80 Wire Forming Technology International/Spring 2024
EDITORIAL INDEX
GNP Greystar ...........................................19
Hagener Feinstahl ....................................12
Hastelloy ...................................................65
HSI............................................................78
HS Products Ltd .................................30, 32
Illinois Tool Works Inc. ..............................30
Inconel ......................................................65
Industrial Steel & Wire ..............................23
Inland Steel Company ..............................35
International Federation of Robotics (IFR) ...
..................................................................15
IP Automation ...........................................23
Itasca Lions Club ......................................18
Jouhsen-bündgens Maschinenbau GmbH ...
............................................................40, 41
Lake Michigan Meals ................................23
Lesjöfors Group ..........................................8
Maguire Machinery, LLC...........................64
Main Street Foundation ............................25
Manufacturer ConneCTion Fair ................26
Messe Düsseldorf North America (MDNA)
......................................................16, 18, 64
Midwest Technical Center.............36, 37, 77
Mitsubishi Stell Mfg. Co., Ltd. .............30, 32
Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino ................25
Monel ........................................................65
National Standard Company ....................25
NCAA........................................................36
Newcomb Spring Corp. ............................13
NESMA .....................................................26
NHK Spring Co., Ltd. ................................32
Nimonic ....................................................65
NV Bekaert SA..........................................34
O’Hare International Airport ......................22
OMCG ......................................................19
Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik
GmbH & Co. KG ....................................78
PARTS FINISHING .............................14, 15
Perfection Spring and Stamping ...............18
Plymouth Spring .......................................13
Progress ...................................................39
Pyromaitre ................................................36
Radcliff Wire .............................................10
Riverside Cemetery ..................................18
RK Trading Co. .........................................63
Rosemont Exposition Services .................23
Rösler .......................................................60
Rösler Academy .......................................61
Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH ......60, 61
Rowley Spring and Stamping .............25, 26
SAS Innotech Conseils .............................32
SECO/WARWICK .....................................12
SEI International .......................................12
Seth Thomas Clock Factory .....................27
SIMPLEX-RAPID Srl ..........................63, 76
Southington Tool and Manufacturing ........27
Springs .....................................................14
Spring Machinery......................................36
Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI) ............
................................................13, 23, 24, 25
SpringWorld ..............................................22
Surface Prep.............................................19
Suzuki .......................................................23
Taiwan SIMCO Company .........................62
Theleico ....................................................36
Teknor Apex ..............................................18
TMS ..........................................................25
Tri Star Metals ..........................................16
Tubes and Ducts Maroc Aerospace (TDM)
.................................................................. xx
Tube 2024...........................................16, 64
Tube 2026.................................................17
Ultimation..................................................39
UMC Innovation Limited ...........................32
U.S. Steel Corporation............................125
voestalpine ...............................................20
WAFIOS .................................22, 23, 26, 64
WAFIOS AG ...........................16, 36, 64, 68
WAFIOS Aktiengesellschaft ......................69
Wafios America .........................................25
WAFIOS Machinery Corporation ........36, 77
WAFIOS North American ..........................37
Wafios Spring & Grinding Days ................36
Waspaloy ..................................................65
WFA, Wire Fabricators Association ..........20
Winamac Coil Spring ................................13
Wire 2024 .....................................16, 17, 68
Wire 2026 .................................................17
Wire & Cable Industry Suppliers
Association® (WCISA®) ..............16, 17, 64
wire & Tube.............................16, 17, 64, 68
Wire Association International
(WAI), Inc. ..............................................25
wire Düsseldorf .........................................68
wire Expo 2024 .........................................25
wire, Tube & Flow Technologies .........16, 64
Witels-Albert USA .....................................36
Worth Steel ...............................................23
YHM Springtech Machinery Co. ...............63
Yost Superior Company ............................14
WFTI
TOGETHER,
THE POSSIBILITIES
ARE INFINITE.
Gibbs Interwire and Elgiloy Specialty Metals
offer a complete range of wire and strip solutions
to meet virtually any requirement.

GIBBS ELGILOY
INTERWIRE SPECIALTY METALS
gibbswire.com elgiloy.com

Elgiloy Specialty Metals and Gibbs Interwire are Combined Metals companies