Wire forming is a mechanical manufacturing method with a long history, and it remains a widespread technique today. It involves bending, coiling, shaping, or flattening a length of wire into a desired form, such as a hook, clip, spring, pin, or other shape.
There are several ways to form wire into shapes, depending on the application, component design, and type of wire being used. These include:
- Manual Wire Forming. This uses handheld tools to apply the force needed to create bends and curves.
- Coil Wire Forming. Specialized equipment tightly coils wire into spring shapes.
- Fourslide Wire Forming. A piece of wire is fed into a machine with cams that drive dies into the wire from four different directions to create complex shapes or features.
- CNC Wire Forming. Computer numerical control (CNC) machines are programmed to apply force and bend wire with great precision and speed.
In furniture industry applications, wire forming is often used to make structural, fastening, coiled, and other components. Wire components may be installed in furniture frames with fasteners, attached to the outside of pieces, or even welded into a gridwork or mesh panel. Keep reading for more examples of how wire forming is used.
Office Furniture
Wire formed components are often used to make furniture more durable, ergonomic, and comfortable for the end consumer. The wire material and gauge are determined by things like loading requirements, flexibility versus rigidity of the design, exposure to moisture or outdoor conditions, and secondary finishing processes like paint or powder coating.
Office furniture applications include things like:
- Shelving
- Computer and desk chair springs
- Internal cushion reinforcements
- Pins to secure telescoping tubes on height-adjustable desks and tables
- Hooks used to link rows of chairs
- Storage baskets
- Mesh panels for benches, furniture panels, or tabletops
Consumer Furniture
Home and consumer furnishings often include wire formed elements, some visible and some providing structure inside larger pieces. This category includes both indoor and outdoor items, so options like stainless steel or powder coated or painted steel wire may be appropriate for some applications.
Examples include:
- Reinforcing grids or frames for sofas, lounge chairs, recliners, or dining chairs
- Mattress springs
- Handles, racks, or shelves in bookcases or kitchen carts
- Wire mesh panels on benches or baskets
- Decorative elements on chairbacks, table legs, or shelves
- Lawn chairs, benches, or tables
Stadium Seating
Heavier gauge wire can also be used to reinforce, connect, and secure banks of stadium seating, typically found in areas and other large venues. These applications are often exposed to wind, rain, snow, and UV radiation, and receive heavy use. Seating designed with flip-down seats may also use wire coiled into torsion springs to help retract and hold seats out of the way when not in use.
Custom Furniture Wire Forming From Rockford Specialties
Rockford Specialties serves the furniture and other industries as a full-service wire forming manufacturer specializing in custom steel and stainless steel wire components. We rely on our state-of-the-art metal fabrication equipment and offer secondary services to protect and finish wire components for a variety of applications. Finishing options include plating (i.e., zinc, nickel, chrome), powder coating, electropolishing, nylon coating, and vinyl coating. Laser cutting, welding, and assembly are also available, along with engineering support and prototyping for project success.
For over 40 years we have provided high-quality wire formed components and products in both large and small quantities. We work with companies of many sizes to supply custom wire forms that meet their requirements, from small local businesses to national names like furniture manufacturer Herman Miller.
Contact us today to learn more about our wire forming capabilities and to discuss your application!