Frequently Asked Questions
Our new customers come to us with a wide range of enquiries and ask many different questions. Some of the more common questions and answers are listed below. Perhaps these will also help you to understand CDP. Please remember we are happy to discuss all our customer's enquiries - so please contact us if you require further clarification.
- Why should I buy my shaped wire from CDP?
- What materials do CDP produce wire in?
- What is your maximum / minimum finished wire size?
- What tolerances does CDP work to?
- Do you supply round wire?
- What are CDP's normal lead times?
- What wire does CDP stock?
- What are your minimum order quantities?
- What Quality Certification has CDP got?
- What details do CDP require in order to quote me?
- What is cold drawing?
- What is rolling?
Why should I buy my shaped wire from CDP?
CDP has a wealth of experience in producing flat, rectangular and special section wire. We can supply bright, patented, hard drawn, cold rolled, hot rolled, cold drawn and annealed wire. Our Technical Specialists can assist in design and development of special shapes tailored to your application. We are a flexible and responsive supplier who is constantly working to reduce costs and lead times to offer you the most cost effective solutions. For many years we have supplied to some of the most demanding industries constantly perfecting our supply chain solutions and high quality levels. These include the international automotive sector and the oil and gas industry.
What materials do CDP produce wire in?
CDP can offer wire made from mild steel, free-cutting steel, medium carbon steel, high carbon steel, alloy steel, and non-ferrous materials. We work with both the major and also some smaller more specialised steel suppliers and can source and work with a range of international standard and specialist steel grades- so please do not hesitate to give us details of your specific steel grade requirements.
What is your maximum/ minimum finished wire size?
Depending on the width to thickness ratio, for flat wire and trapezoidal wire the maximum width we work to is 30 mm (1") and the minimum width would be about 1.20mm (1/16"). On precision sections the maximum cross sectional area is about 150mm².
What tolerances does CDP work to?
On rolled wire our tolerances are generally +/- 0.03mm on thickness and +/-0.05mm on width. If your tolerance requirements for a specific application are tighter than this then please give us details and our Technical Teams will investigate ways we can assist.
For drawn sections our tolerances can be as close as 0.025mm total (depending on the section size).
Statistical Process Control (SPC) and the increasing use of laser measurement systems ensure that consistently tight tolerances are achieved and maintained.
Do you supply round wire?
Generally speaking CDP's manufacturing expertise lies in the production of flat wire and special profile wire. However, the processing of round wire is part of our production methods and we will examine enquiries for round materials.
What are CDP’s normal lead times?
Due to the wide range of products and steels used, we do not have a standard lead time. We encourage many of our customers to enter into Supply Chain partnerships which specifically target the reduction of lead times as a key objective. For other customers, schedule systems ensure delivery as required.
What wire does CDP stock?
CDP manufactures to order. We tailor the wire we make very specifically to meet the customer requirements, including their requirements on steel grade, tensile strength, tolerances, surface finish, packaging and presentation. We do not therefore stock finished wire.
What are your minimum order quantities?
As we make to customer order and to a specific steel grade we need to supply based on the minimum rod size that we buy in - this will generally be a minimum of 3.5 tonnes , but will vary according to the steel grade and the steel supplier.
What Quality Certification has CDP got?
CDP was first certified to ISO9002 in 1990. With our long experience of supplying to the automotive industry we then went on in February 2000 to be certified by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance to QS9000. In 2006 we have also achieved certification to TS16969.
What details do CDP require in order to quote me?
Please see our Enquiry Form on this website. The details requested there are necessary as a minimum in order to deal quickly and efficiently with your enquiry. If you have more information than this please pass it to us. We will require technical drawings for complex profiles.
What is cold drawing?
In the cold drawing process, standard shape rod is pulled through dies which have been contoured to the exact shape of the part you need. The drawing process changes the shape or reduces the size of the metal. Several passes may be required through smaller and smaller dies depending on the final shape, or the complexity of the finished product. Sometimes annealing may be required between the drawing operations to restore the ductility of the metal.
What is rolling ?
Rolling is a process whereby the material is shaped using a system of rolls to deform the material to a pre-defined shape. This process tends to alter the grain structure of the steel and leads to work hardening. The hardening is proportionate to the deformation carried out.
Cold Rolling is carried out at ambient temperatures and there are limits to the amount of work that can be done at each stage of the process. In Hot Rolling the temperature of the steel is selected to achieve the optimum formability of the steel.