Technical guide3 min read
How do annealed and hard-drawn stainless steel wire differ?
What the temper of stainless steel wire means, and why the condition matters more than the grade for springs, forming and cold heading.
Short answer: annealed wire has been heat treated to be soft and easy to form. Hard-drawn wire has been cold worked by drawing and is stronger and springier but harder to form. The condition you need depends on what happens to the wire next, so state the end use as well as the grade.
| Condition | What it means | Typical next step |
|---|---|---|
| Soft annealed | Softened by heat treatment after drawing | Forming, bending, weaving, mesh |
| Half hard | Part way between annealed and fully drawn | Forming that needs some springback |
| Hard drawn | Cold worked by drawing, strength depends on the reduction | Springs and parts that must hold their shape |
Scroll the table horizontally to see all columns.
Standards that cover wire
- ASTM A580: stainless steel wire in general.
- ASTM A313: stainless steel spring wire.
- ASTM A493: wire and wire rods for cold heading and cold forging.
Grades covered
Products covered
Specifying for a live project?
Send the service conditions and we will tell you what we would specify, and what we hold.