We are currently drawing steel wire in diameters from .197 to .437 to be welded. We clean in an alkaline based cleaner after draw and before weld. Does anyone have any suggestions for determining if the wire is clean enough to be welded? Currently it is just a visual or occasionally wiping the wire with a clean towel to see if anything rubs off. Would like something more definite.

Hello,

Instead of continually checking, wouldn't it be great if there was no dirt on the wire at all.

I suggest you carefully check out these web sites:

DynaPower Inc. www.dynapowerinc.com/ (The demonstration I witnessed was quite impressive.)

GEO-Reinigungstechnik GmbH www.geo-reinigungstechnik.de/en/ (Note that there is an English version.)

Plasmait GmbH (Austria) www.plasmait.com Plasma wire cleaning.

Vapor Blast Manufacturing Company (Liquid Honing) www.vaporblast.com/ (I once saw inner coax conductor liquid honed before expanded polystyrene insulation was extruded onto it.)

Kindest regards,
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com

Thanks for the reply. An investment in a new cleaning process is not an option for us right now.

I guess what I am looking for is a quick way to confirm that the wire is clean enough to be welded.

Wave of the Future

I am assuming you have made sure that your drawing soaps and lubes are water soluble - as much as possible - most likely sodium or a blend. The old toilet paper test for a set period of time is not a bad empirical test. You can use a gram scale to measure gross residue or take it further (quantifiable results) and get a lab to do an ether extraction residue analysis.