SteelKey facts
- EN 10244-2 sets requirements for coating mass, other properties and testing of zinc coatings on steel wire.
- ASTM A641 covers zinc-coated carbon steel wire in coils, in soft, medium and hard temper.
- EN 10218-2 sets the tolerances on diameter for round steel wire, bright or coated.
- EN 10270-1 applies to patented cold drawn unalloyed steel wire for mechanical springs.
- Reinwent is a trading and sourcing company, not a mill.
What should an importer look for in a wire maker?
A plant’s description of itself does not tell you whether your order will arrive as specified. What does tell you is how the plant answers a precise request: whether it names the standard it will meet, states a tolerance, offers a sample and puts the coil packing in writing. The checks in this guide are built around that idea.
This guide does not list companies. Reinwent does not publish supplier names, and the plant that suits a heavy-coated galvanized order may not suit fine annealed tie wire. The questions below let you test any offer, whoever sends it.
Which standard should each wire product name?
The first check is simple. Does the offer name a standard, and is it the right one for the product? The table follows the standards our product pages give, with the ranges we quote.
| Product | Standard to name | What the offer must state | Reinwent range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot-dip galvanized wire | EN 10244-2 or ASTM A641 | Coating class or g/m² from that standard | 0.8 to 8 mm, zinc 50 to 300 g/m² |
| Black annealed wire | EN 10218-2 | Diameter tolerance and tensile band | 0.8 to 8 mm, 300 to 450 N/mm² |
| Cold drawn wire | EN 10218-2 | Diameter tolerance and tensile band | 0.8 to 6 mm, 500 to 1,000 N/mm² |
| High carbon spring wire | On request | Grade and standard confirmed in the quotation | 1.3 to 4 mm |
For zinc-coated wire, EN 10244-2 covers coating mass, other properties and testing of zinc and zinc alloy coatings on steel wire. ASTM A641 is the American document for zinc-coated carbon steel wire supplied in coils, in soft, medium or hard temper. Each has its own coating classes, and a class letter in one does not mean the same zinc in the other. A plant that offers to “match” a class across the two systems is a warning sign; ask it to quote to the one you named. Our zinc coating classes guide shows the two systems separately.
For uncoated wire, EN 10218-2 specifies the dimensions and the tolerances on diameter for round steel wire, whether bright, metallic coated or non-metallic coated. That makes it the reference for black annealed and cold drawn wire on this site.
For spring wire, two standards are commonly named: EN 10270-1, which applies to patented cold drawn unalloyed steel wire for mechanical springs, and ASTM A227, which covers cold-drawn steel wire for mechanical springs that are not subject to high stress. We publish no grade for spring wire; it is agreed per order. Our spring wire standards guide explains the scope of each.
How do you test a plant’s claims about size, zinc and strength?
Turn every claim into a figure the offer must carry.
Diameter. Ask for millimetres and a tolerance under the standard named. Gauge numbers come from several tables that do not agree, so convert any gauge with our wire gauge chart before you send the request.
Zinc. Ask for the coating mass in g/m² or the class from your chosen standard, and for the galvanizing process. A missing figure is not a neutral omission: both galvanizing standards allow wire to be supplied with a regular coating when no class is named.
Strength or temper. For annealed and drawn wire, give the tensile band you need within the published range. For galvanized wire to ASTM A641, state the temper.
If a plant answers these fields only in general words, the offer is not finished. Send it back with the missing fields marked.
Why do samples and a written specification matter?
The specification is the document every party works from, and the sample is how you check that a plant can meet it. In the process we follow, production starts only after you approve the sample and the test results. For wire, the sample shows the diameter, the surface and the coating you will actually receive, and its test results can be held against the standard in the order.
Attach the approved sample’s figures to the order, so production is measured against the same numbers, and change the specification only in writing.
What should the quote request contain?
A quote request asks each plant to price the same specific products. Ask for more than the unit price: payment terms and the quality level belong in the answer too. The more detail you give, the fewer assumptions each plant has to make, and the easier the replies are to set side by side.
For wire, a complete request names:
- the product and the diameter in mm, with the tolerance standard;
- the coating class or g/m² figure, or the tensile band, and the one standard;
- the temper, where ordering to ASTM A641;
- the coil weight or packing you prefer;
- the quantity in tonnes and the destination;
- the delivery term and the port it refers to;
- any sample or test you need before production.
Our guide to importing steel wire from Türkiye walks through each field, and the container loading guide covers how coil packing affects a load.
How do you compare offers on one basis?
Line the offers up field by field before you look at the totals. Each one should state the same diameter and tolerance, the same standard, the same coating or tensile band, the same packing, the same quantity and the same delivery term. Where one offer is silent on a field, treat it as different until the plant confirms otherwise.
Offers that look close often differ in coating mass, packing or delivery term. Our galvanized wire guide for importers shows the same method for zinc-coated wire.
Is Türkiye a sensible place to look?
At the level of steel, the evidence is public. The Turkish Steel Producers Association and the Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association both publish figures on the country’s steel production and exports. Wire is drawn from steel, so the raw material base is on record.
We stop there. Neutral published figures for wire on its own are hard to confirm, so this guide gives no wire export volumes, rankings or tariff codes. For galvanized wire manufacturers and the other wire types, the useful test is still the one above: does the plant answer your specification in writing? To weigh Turkish against Chinese origin, read Türkiye vs China as a source. The steel wire hub lists the four wire types we quote from Türkiye.
How Reinwent does this for you
Reinwent is a trading and sourcing company, not a mill. For each order we collect prices from many suppliers and put the offers on one basis, so you compare like with like. Some products are available from stock. You receive a quotation within 12 hours, and we stay in continuous contact while we manage the process from start to finish. Our how we work page sets out the steps. When your fields are ready, request a quote.
