In our everyday lives, it’s inevitable for us to see wires. Because of global sourcing and technology advancements, we have them on telephones, chargers, and other devices. In case you ever wondered how these wires were made; then, you’ve opened the right article.
Step-By-Step Guide to How a Wire Is Constructed
Metal Extraction from an Ore
We’ll start by looking at how copper is extracted from an ore. This process can be carried out in a variety of ways. The first phase is for miners to harvest ore from the ground. Copper ore can be found in mines worldwide, mainly in Asia and South America. With operational mines in eight states, the United States is considered the fourth largest copper manufacturer.
Extrusion of Copper
Copper wire is made using an extrusion machine, which forces metal through an extrusion die sequence to form a specific shape. When making wires, copper starts as an “ingot,” which is essentially a large brick of pure copper. After that, the ingots are flexed and straightened into long strands. The copper will then be heated until it becomes bendable before it is inserted into the machine. Once flexible, the machine will begin pulling and forming the copper into long strands upon reaching a particular temperature. Because copper strands can be stretched into fragile wires, usually a fraction of an inch, the thickness of the wire is set programmed in this step.
Covering and Cutting
As soon as the copper wires have reached the maximum length and width, they will be covered with low-density polyethylene material. However, this will depend on the material used for the wire. So, if producers used a different wire component, then the type of cover will also be different.
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