THE VARIOUS TYPES OF CARBON-STEEL WIRE ROD NOW ON THE MARKET CAN BE DIVIDED INTO TWO MAIN CATEGORIES ACCORDING TO USE :

(A) MEDIUM- AND HIGH-CARBON WIRE ROD FOR CABLES, SPRINGS, TYRE PLIES, ETC.;
(B) MEDIUM- TO LOW-CARBON WIRE ROD FOR NUTS AND BOLTS, BEARINGS, SOLDERING WIRE.

IN BOTH CASES THERE MUST BE STRICT CONTROL OF ROLLING AND COOLING PARAMETERS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE REQUIRED MECHANICAL AND MICROSTRUCTURAL PROPERTIES IN THE AS-ROLLED STATE SO THAT THE WIRE ROD IS SUITABLE FOR SUBSEQUENT MECHANICAL WORKING (DRAWING, EXTRUSION, HEADING) WITH LITTLE OR NO NEED FOR INTERMEDIATE HEAT TREATMENT.
COOLING OF THE ROD AFTER ROLLING THUS SERVES AS A FORM OF ON-LINE QUALITY TREATMENT.

ALTHOUGH MUCH HAS BEEN DONE IN RECENT YEARS TO IMPROVE THE CAPACITY OF WIRE-ROD COOLING SYSTEMS, THEIR FULL USE CALLS FOR A DETAILED KNOWLEDGE OF THE MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACTUAL THERMOMECHANICAL PROCESS OF ROLLING AND COOLING.

THE PROJECTS AIMS TO IMPROVE FURTHER THE QUALITY OF AS-ROLLED WIRE ROD BY DEVISING AND USING MODELS TO SIMULATE ITS MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, TAKING ACCOUNT OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE MATERIAL. IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO FINALIZE APPLICATION OF THE MODEL, EITHER WHEN OPTIMUM PRODUCTION CYCLES ARE WORKED OUT FOR NEW TYPES OF WIRE ROD OR WHEN THE CONSISTENCY OF MECHANICAL STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES IS CONTROLLED ON THE PRODUCTION LINE.