4 Efficient Methods to Improve Wire Machine Productivity

Wire machines can work automatically to produce wires, which takes some of the burden off human workers and saves much time. But most users still care about how to improve the productivity of the wire mesh machine to maximize their profits. Here we offer you the following tips.

Method 1: Always run the maximum wire tension

High wire tension is necessary to maximize accuracy. In single pass cuts, high wire tension will reduce corner error, belly, vibrations and deflections of the wire induced by flushing forces, especially in tall work pieces. In skim cuts, high wire tension assures maximum precision. However, not all jobs are +/- .0002” tolerance. For the numerous jobs with more relaxed tolerances, such as +/- .001” or larger, a lower level of wire tension will allow the machine to cut faster.

Method 2: High tensile wires are required for fast cutting

Many people think that a higher tensile wire will better resist breaking in high performance cutting than a “softer wire”. In many instances, this is simply not true, and in fact, quite the opposite. How much tensile strength do we really need? A .010” wire with a tensile strength of 900N/mm2 will support a static tensile load of 4,500 grams!

The most significant factor in wire breakage is not the tensile load on the wire, but the flaws created by the sparks which attack the wire’s cross-section. Extensive wire testing has demonstrated that half hard wires will cut significantly faster than full hard wires of the same type.

Method 3: A larger wire always gives more economical performance

Many users today are running .012” wire in their machines to increase cutting speed. Some machines even utilize .013”, .014”, and even .015” wires to obtain record breaking performance. However, in many cases, .012” wire is not necessarily the best choice. Because a larger diameter wire, along with its associated higher current levels, will typically leave more corner error than a smaller diameter wire; and results in more cutting debris, a combination of work piece and wire material; it normally also result in reduced power feed contact life.

Method 4: The fastest cutting rate means the shortest cutting time

It is common to see a wire machine operator “fiddling” with the cutting parameters to get the last bit of speed out of the process, only to have the wire break ten minutes after he leaves for the night, thereby losing a whole night’s burn. But most night burns don’t burn all night, so what difference does it make whether the cut finishes at 2:00 AM or 6:00 AM, as long as it’s done when the 1st shift arrives. However, if the wire breaks and the job doesn’t finish, not only are the nighttime hours wasted but the subsequent daytime schedule is blown also. Reliable unattended burning is always more productive than unreliable attended fast burning!