While you might know Phifer primarily for our woven textiles, we manufacture so much more than just your favorite sun control shading, outdoor furniture and insect screening materials.
A few years after our start in 1952, J. Reese Phifer, our founder, began drawing aluminum wire to supply our own weaving operations as well as those of our customers who depended on our “Made in the USA” quality. Over 70 years of wire drawing expertise and growth have made Phifer one of the largest aluminum wire manufacturers in the world with the most diverse set of capabilities in the industry.
What is drawn aluminum wire?
Drawn aluminum wire refer to wires that are produced by drawing or pulling aluminum rods through a series of dies to achieve the desired diameter. Let’s take a closer look at all of the, often unexpected, ways and places you might find a Phifer drawn aluminum wire product.
How do you use drawn aluminum wire?
Fine Wire
At Phifer, we have the capability to manufacture aluminum fine wire ranging in diameter from .005” (0.127 mm) to .031” (0.80 mm). In other words, our fine wire can be about the same diameter as a strand of human hair up to the thickness of a credit card.
Intermediate Wire
Our drawn aluminum wire diameters continue to increase up to .375” (9.5 mm), the same diameter as an AAA battery. Our intermediate round wire is used for a variety of applications including wire forms, chain link fencing, tie wire, hinge pins, steel de-oxidation and more. We even have customers who use it within their lightning protection products.
Flat Wire
While we no longer manufacture aluminum wire ourselves, we supply our various diameters of round aluminum wire to companies that do. The way you might be most familiar with that type of wire is by the nose bridges of face masks which became essential during the pandemic.
Braided Wire
Phifer is also the largest U.S. producer of aluminum wire used in braided cable shielding and flexible hose reinforcement. Our special production methods yield aluminum wire that runs smoother in the demanding rewinding and braiding operations of cable manufacturers.
Fastener & Cold Heading Wire
Like its name implies, fastener or cold heading wire is used in the production of fasteners through a process called cold heading or cold forming. This is a process in which wire blanks are cut and then shaped into the desired fastener shape through a series of dies and punches without the use of heat. Rivet fasteners made from our aluminum wire are used on trailer tractors, cookware and more.
Food Packaging Wire
Phifer drawn aluminum wire undergoes special production techniques and surface treatments to meet the stringent requirements for use in the food industry. Our chub and clip wire is used to seal the ends of those familiar tubular casings protecting your cookie dough or sausage. You can also find our wire in the staples used to close tea bags.
Vacuum Metallizing & Thermal Spray Wire
This is probably the most unexpected way you will encounter our drawn aluminum wire. Phifer supplies high purity aluminum wire for use in both vacuum metallizing and thermal spray equipment. While each process uses different steps or equipment, they both result in a thin metallic layer coating an object. This means you can find our aluminum wire inside a potato chip bag or outside your favorite sweet treat. If it has a shiny or metallic film on it, it might just rely on Phifer’s drawn aluminum wire.
You might not have known it before, but Phifer’s aluminum drawn wire can be found in a range of products you use every day from Boeing planes to Bosch brake pads. The next time you are perusing the aisles of the grocery store or walking around your neighborhood, see how many things you can find that might be made with Phifer drawn aluminum wire.
Interested is seeing how Phifer’s commitment to quality, service and dependability can support your drawn wire needs? Contact us either through our website or by calling 800-221-5497.