ALUMINUM WIRE WHAT-U-NEED-2-KNOW By: Kevin Sopczak - ShapedWire

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OVERVIEW • London Metals Exchange

• Pricing

• Aluminum Alloys

• Rod & Wire

• Re-Spool

• Common Quality Issues

LONDON METALS EXCHANGE(LME) • Origins traced to AD43 – Romans

• Officially organized in 1877

• Over 700 Warehouses in 40 locations, within the USA, Europe & Asia Storing Ingots

SOW

PIG

LME AVERAGE & ROD PRICING LME Average = Closing price from each trading day, averaged over a calendar month.

Rod Price Calculation:

LME $0.96 + MWTA $0.08 + Alloy Adder $0.26 = Rod Price $1.30 per pound

10 YEARS OF LME PRICING

$0.000$0.200$0.400$0.600$0.800$1.000$1.200$1.400$1.600

Jan-

03N

ov-0

3Se

p-0

4Ju

l-05

May

-06

Mar

-07

Jan-

08N

ov-0

8Se

p-0

9Ju

l-10

May

-11

Mar

-12

Jan-

13

LME

LME

PRICING MANIPULATION? http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-july-25-2013/john-oliver-s-arcane-details-of-boron-group-metals-pricing-update---aluminum-hoarding

ALUMINUM ALLOYS • 1XXX = 99% Minimum Purity

• 2XXX = AL– Copper

• 3XXX = AL– Manganese

• 4XXX = AL– Silicon

• 5XXX = AL - Magnesium

• 6XXX = AL – Silicon – Magnesium

• 7XXX = AL – Zinc – Magnesium

• 8XXX = AL – Lithium and MISC.

TYPICAL ALLOY USES • 1XXX – Electrical, Fencing, Packaging

• 2XXX – Heading, Aerospace

• 3XXX – Pots/Pans, Heat Exchangers

• 4XXX – Welding

• 5XXX – Screens, Marine, Heading

• 6XXX – Electrical, Clips,

• 7XXX – Aerospace, Sports Equipment

• 8XXX – Aerospace

ROD & WIRE • Rod size is typically .375” Dia.

• Rod coils typically weigh 5,000 #

• Rod is drawn through a series of dies

• Typical Metalizing Wire is .062”Dia.

ROD COILS

CARBIDE DRAWING DIE

DRAWING MACHINE

SPOOLS

Re-Spool • Variety of plastic spool sizes

• Spool specs are important

• Flange, barrel, arbor, traverse, width

• Packaging

SPOOL DRAWING

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COMMON QUALITY ISSUES • Cleanliness – Excess drawing

lubricants is the main cause.

• Winding/tangles – weak spools, poor handling.

• “Wild” wire – The hardness of the wire is not optimum for metalizing

HANDLING

CONCLUSION