Six Simple Ways To Reduce Wire Forming Costs

It can be hard to predict how much a wire forming job will cost. There are many different variables that go into the cost of wire forming. If you’re on a budget, you may be looking for ways to reduce wire forming costs without sacrificing the quality and function of your parts.

Using cheaper wire forming materials is an obvious way to lower your wire forming costs. Yet, cheaper materials can affect the quality of your parts. The good news is that it’s possible to use the best quality materials and still save money on wire forming.

There are many different ways to reduce your wire forming costs. We rounded up the best ways that won’t compromise the quality and performance of your products. Before we start, we want to mention that wire forming is the best method to use if you want to save money. It’s a much cheaper and quicker method than hand-bending or air-bending. It’s because you don’t need any extra tooling. So if you’re set on wire forming, you’re already on the right path.

1. Use Lower Tolerances

Lower tolerances equal greater savings. It’s because the tighter the tolerances, the more accurate everything has to be. That means more stringent standards and more thorough inspections. This adds a lot of time to the production process, which means you would have to pay more money.

If you can open up the tolerances without sacrificing the integrity of your pieces, do it. That will keep the costs down.

2. Put As Many Bends As Possible Into The Same Plane

In wire forming, you bend a wire around a tool. The faster you complete the job, the less expensive it will be. So if your part needs bends on different planes, the process slows down quite a bit. It’s because the pieces will need to be run through the machine more than once. That means higher production costs for you.

The good news is that there’s an easy way to avoid the need for bends on different planes. It’s to try and put as many bends as feasible into the same plane. By “plane”, we mean one side of the wire. If you can bend the wire around a tool one time to complete the job, all the bends are on one plane. If you can keep bends in the same plane, you reduce the number of operations involved in forming your wire.

3. Dimension All The Wire Bends On An Interior Angle

When designing your pieces, be sure to dimension all the wire bends on an interior angle. That means the plane that comes in contact with the tool during the wire bending process. Doing this keeps the costs down. It’s because:

• Interior angles are easier to measure
• Interior angles are easier to quality check
• Interior angles are easier to control in production

All these things keep the production process as quick and streamlined as possible. That leads to lower production costs.

4. Nearshore Your Manufacturing To Mexico

Are you in a position to move your manufacturing elsewhere anytime soon? If you want to save money and still produce high quality parts, Mexico is a strong contender. Mexico is an ideal location for US and Canadian auto parts manufacturers for many reasons. A big reason is because contracting with a good Mexican manufacturer will both save you money and yield high quality parts.

• Low shipping costs: Shipping costs can eat into your savings. That’s especially the case with overseas manufacturers. Oceanic shipping is quite expensive these days. You don’t have to worry about being over budget on shipping costs if you contract with a Mexican manufacturer. Mexico’s proximity to the US and Canada means low shipping costs. You can also choose from a variety of shipping options, all of which are cheaper than oceanic shipping.
• Low labor costs: Did you know that Mexico has some of the lowest labor costs in the world? A good wire forming company will pass the savings along to you. Mexico also has some of the most skilled laborers in the world, too. Win-win.

This guide has all the information you need about finding a quality wire forming company in Mexico.

5. Avoid Square Holes

Use round holes unless square holes are absolutely necessary. In wire forming, square holes are more expensive than round holes. It’s because the corners become rounded with stamping. If your part design comes with square holes, the laborers will need to “square out” the round corners. This increases the costs because:

• Extra tools are needed
• Extra labor is needed
• It slows down productivity

To keep costs down, leave the round corners as is.

6. Use An Affordable And Effective Packaging Solution

The costs don’t start and end with the manufacturing process. You may incur extra costs after the parts are shipped to you. Sometimes wire formed parts can get all tangled up or balled up during shipping. If you get a shipment with wire formed parts in this condition, you would need to spend even more money on manual detangling and sorting.

A good way to avoid this costly situation is to use effective (but affordable) packaging that will prevent or minimize tangling or balling. A good wire forming company will help you come up with the best packaging solution that will save you money in the long run. Here are some examples of effective packaging:

• Putting fewer parts in the same bag
• Rubber banding parts
• Scattering parts over sticky paper

If you have any questions about saving money on wire forming, you’re welcome to get in touch with us.