United Wire Works

Manufacturers of Wirecloth  -  Granton Park Avenue, Granton

Drawing the Wire  -  1992

 Edinburgh at Work  -  United Wire Works

©  Copyright: Peter Stubbs.    Please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk                                         Photograph taken July 29, 1992

 

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   Edinburgh at Work  -  United Wire Works ©

 

United Wire Works

Wire Weaving

Background

When I visited United Wire Works in 1991 and 1992, the company manufactured much of its own wire, copper, nickel, etc, but not stainless steel.  That was bought in.

However the United Wire Works wire manufacturing plant closed around 2001.  The company now buys in all the wire that it weaves, most of it being stainless steel.

Manufacturing the wire

The furnaces produced wire in continuous strands from its furnaces.  This was first spooled, and was then ready to be drawn.

Drawing and Annealing the wire

The photo above looks down on some of the drawing machines.  The wire produced was then drawn through a succession of these machines, each time becoming longer and thinner.  Sometimes the drawings continued until the wire was only 0.25mm thick.

The wire was also annealed by heating to soften it and restore some of its properties after having been stressed by the drawing. 

Weaving the Wire

Looms were then used to weave the wire.  Here is one of them, photographed in 1992.

Edinburgh at Work  -  United Wire Works ©

 

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