Does your company use wire forming products? Wire forming is one of those things you’d want to do as conveniently as possible, especially if you run a restaurant or you own a kitchen supply chain.  

There are several wire form products in the market that you can’t miss. In many ways, wire form products for material handling are different from the traditional options you normally come across in the market.

That’s why we put together this guide to help you better understand what constitutes the wire forming process, including materials, machinery, products, and advantages. Keep reading to learn more!

What Constitutes Wire Forming?

Wire forming involves wire, either from a spooled coil or blank length, bending into different forms depending on specifications. The wires in the wire forming process are generally flexible, allowing them to bend into various shapes, sizes, forms, and overall specifications. 

Wire display fabrication can meet almost any size or scope in bakeries, restaurants, hospitals, or more. Some common applications might include:

  • Angling
  • Coiling
  • Cutting
  • Bending
  • Shelving

These methods are ideal for custom fabrication like visual display racks or bakery shelves. You can find wire form products in nearly every industry, and it’s not hard to see why.

  • Firstly, the level of toughness and strength of the wires that you can use in the process is virtually unlimited. This flexibility means that wire forming can produce parts for even automotive and heavy machinery industries.
  • Secondly, wire forming is a very customizable process. Hence, applications that need precision turn to wire forming for their needs. The top wire companies can bring them into reality in anything you can design. 

How Machines Create Wire Forms

Wire forming is a broad term that generally describes shaping wires into different configurations. Wire forming is a versatile process, so the methods to form wires into different shapes may vary widely. However, the term normally describes an automatic wire forming process using machines. 

Of course, expect a custom wire basket fabrication to largely involve handcrafting. However, there are many aspects of such fabrication process that the top wire companies will utilize CNC wire benders. 

What Are CNC Wire Benders?

Wire forming requires a collection of sophisticated machines to produce top-notch wire form products – one of which is the CNC wire bending machine. “CNC” stands for “computer numerical controlled” bending. It’s a highly specialized process that produces precise wire forms. It typically consists of the following parts:

  • Firstly, a computer
  • Secondly, a robotic arm
  • Lastly, servomotors

The computer feeds the required specifications into the CNC machine. Then, the robotic arm pushes the wire by controlling servo-driven rollers. These steps bend or shape the wires into specific configurations. This method creates precise wire forms into the correct shape and size every time.

Custom Wire Basket Fabrication

Wire form products like those for material handling and food packaging are mostly mass-produced. Many custom requests come from restaurant businesses and kitchen equipment suppliers. These companies needed to keep up with demand, so they turned to automated wire form machines. A wide machine can mass-produce wire forms with the help of mechanical tooling, multiple stages, and dies.

Wire form products generally take four steps to complete production. Keep reading to learn more about these steps below.

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Step 1: Define Specifications

Wire forms are very versatile. For that reason, the specifications must be clear before the work can begin. Typically, wire forms are designed specifically for a particular application. However, you can find wire form products from wire diameter from as low as .10 to thousands of millimeters. 

Step 2: Material Selection

The second stage is to select the most suitable construction material. The most suitable material is largely dependent on the specifications and application of the wire form product. Manufacturers have a rich collection of wires to choose from, including stainless steel wire, copper, and aluminum alloys. 

The general rule of thumb is that the softer material is, the easier it is to wound round a tool, and the smaller the radius you can achieve. 

Step 3: Machine & Tooling Configuration

Next, you need to choose the right machine. Companies will collect and place the correct tooling for your product. Because most wire forming machines are highly specialized, the right machine is for a particular job. However, the right tooling can be tricky, especially when dealing with customers who make custom requests. The right tooling is extremely important if the wires are bent correctly. 

Step 4: Machining Operations

Finally, the selected material feeds into the machine from a coil or blank length. The wire bends around the tooling to create the desired final shape. 

It can be a real hassle in the food processing and manufacturing industry to find the right material and food handling basket that meets all the required safety regulations. Additionally, the material needs to be rugged enough to do the required job – like a sturdy ingredient shelf or refrigerator rack.

The traditional options in the market are generally flawed either in their construction or finish, impacting the safety and quality of packaged foods.

Key Takeaways

Custom wire basket fabrication happens in an environment with high temperatures and frequent contact with chemicals that can damage the joints and weaken the materials in the construction.

This environment means there will be a lot of damaged baskets that need frequent replacing. Many of the traditional options in the market won’t serve your specific needs. Those in the food processing industry, such as kitchen equipment suppliers and restaurants, have to make do with what’s available. 

Custom wire baskets that use wire forming eliminate all the challenges we have highlighted above. Here are some of the key benefits you get when you opt for a custom wire basket. 

  • Firstly, wire forming is quick and precise. Although your requests may be specific, each part of the process takes little processing time.
  • Secondly, a custom wire basket is a cheaper option. It’s automated, and the mid to high volume production offset any extra costs on a single unit.
  • Thirdly, the quality is consistent. Custom wire baskets are made with minimal human labor, making the result less prone to human error. 
  • Lastly, custom wire baskets enhance productivity. Using the right food packaging and material handling baskets will reduce the stress and frustration of not finding a suitable product for every scenario.

Save time and money with Wirefab’s Custom Wire!

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100% American-Made Food Equipment

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused about which food equipment to use, we’ve got you covered. We build all of our food equipment in the heart of New England, ready to ship anywhere in the U.S.

Wirefab Inc. has nearly 70 years of experience serving the food equipment industry. Whether you need custom CNC machining, sheet metal welding, or custom wire POP displays, we’re here to help. Above all, we’re always eager to solve our customers’ problems with a broad range of manufacturing capabilities. Contact us today to see how we can simplify your next project.

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