Product Specification

Cut-to-Length Stainless Wire: Tolerance, Ends and Straightness

Buying wire by length instead of by coil moves three problems from the customer's shop to the supplier's: the cut tolerance, the condition of the two ends, and whether the piece is still straight when it arrives. All three have to be agreed, because a length specification on its own describes only the first.

This wire is supplied annealed at 550-750 N/mm2 or in spring temper, from 0.15 mm to 12 mm, cut to length between roughly 10 mm and 6 m. Cut pieces are packed in bundles or tubes, with the length tolerance, end condition and straightness stated on the order.

The cut method decides the end. A shear deforms the section before it separates, a saw leaves a burr on one face, and an abrasive wheel leaves a slightly rounded edge with heat tint. Which of those is acceptable depends on whether the end is welded, threaded, inserted into a fitting or simply handled.

Product Specifications

What the Length Tolerance Depends On

Cut method first

Abrasive and saw cutting hold length more tightly than shearing, because the shear deforms the section before separation and the wire stretches slightly at the cut. On short pieces that deformation is a larger share of the total length.

Diameter and stiffness

Fine wire in the 0.15-1 mm range deflects under the cutting force, so it is usually cut under tension or supported close to the blade. Heavier wire above 5 mm holds its position and cuts predictably.

Length itself

At 3 m a tolerance of a few millimetres is normal for cut wire; at 30 mm the same absolute figure is a different job and should be specified as a percentage or a tighter band.

The Two Ends

Burr direction

Most cut methods leave a burr on one face and a rounded edge on the other. Where the piece is inserted into a fitting, the burr has to face away from the insertion or be removed, and that is a packing instruction rather than a cutting one.

Deformation before separation

A sheared end is slightly oval and work-hardened. If the end will be threaded, welded or headed, that hardened zone behaves differently from the parent wire and should be trimmed back or cut by another method.

Deburring options

Tumbling deburrs small parts in volume but rounds the edge; a belt or brush gives a squarer edge with a controlled chamfer. For welded ends, a clean square face matters more than a polished one.

Straightness After Cutting

Coil memory

Wire has cast from the coil. A cut piece keeps a shallow curve unless it is straightened before cutting, so straight lengths should be specified as straightened and cut rather than cut from coil.

Packing decides what arrives

Long, thin pieces bend in transit. Bundles bound too tightly, or boxes that allow the ends to hang free, arrive with a set that no cut tolerance can compensate for.

Applications

Welded frames and supports

Pre-cut lengths fed directly to a welding fixture, where square, burr-free ends shorten setup and reduce rework.

Spring and wire form blanks

Blanks cut ahead of coiling or forming, where the length tolerance sets how much the finished part varies.

Handles, hooks and inserts

Visible pieces where the end is handled, so a deburred and slightly chamfered edge is part of the specification rather than an afterthought.

Product Advantages

• Cut method matched to the end - shear, saw or abrasive chosen from how the piece will be joined, not from convenience.
• Length tolerance stated per length - a band that makes sense at 3 m is not the same band at 30 mm.
• Straightened before cutting - straight lengths come from straightened wire, so coil cast is removed before the piece is measured.
• Packing designed for the length - bundles and tubes that stop long pieces taking a set in transit.
• Both tempers available - annealed for forming after cutting, spring temper for parts that must hold their shape.
• Traceable lots - heat number on the label, with length and diameter figures recorded against the order.

Quality Control

Rod grade is verified before drawing. Diameter is measured inline and at coil ends, tensile and elongation are tested per heat per ISO 6892-1, and cut length is sampled against the agreed band through the run. End condition and straightness are checked on the packed bundle before dispatch.

Selection and Ordering Notes

1. State the cut length and the tolerance band as a figure, not as "accurate".
2. Describe how the end is used: welded, threaded, inserted or handled.
3. Confirm whether the piece must be straight, and over what length.
4. Give the temper needed after cutting, since spring temper and annealed cut differently.
5. Provide sizes, lengths and annual volume for a tolerance and packing review.

Send the diameter, cut length, end requirement and temper for technical confirmation and quotation.