Typical application cases and practical maintenance skills of steel wire​

With its diverse properties, steel wire has excellent performance in different scenarios, and specific application cases can show its value more intuitively; at the same time, scientific maintenance can extend the service life of steel wire and avoid safety risks.The following will introduce the practical application of steel wire through typical cases and share practical maintenance skills.​
1. Analysis of typical application cases of steel wire​
1. Application of steel wire in large-scale bridge construction​
In the construction of a cross-river bridge, the steel strand (made of multiple high-carbon steel wires twisted together) assumed the key task of prestressing and tensioning.The main span of the bridge has a span of 500 meters and needs to withstand huge self-weight and the load of passing vehicles.The construction party selected a high-strength low-relaxation steel strand with a diameter of 15.2mm, and its tensile strength reached 1860MPa. After a strict tensioning process, it effectively offset the tensile stress generated by the concrete when it is under load, greatly improving the carrying capacity and cracking resistance of the bridge.​
In the construction process, the quality control of steel strand is particularly critical.Before each batch of steel strands enters the market, they need to undergo visual inspection, diameter measurement and mechanical properties testing to ensure that there are no surface cracks or rust, the diameter deviation is controlled within ±0.1mm, and the tensile strength and elongation meet the design requirements.At the same time, in order to prevent corrosion of the steel strand after tensioning, the construction personnel applied special anticorrosive grease to the surface of the steel strand and wrapped it with plastic bellows, forming a double protection to ensure the long-term safe and stable operation of the bridge.​
2. Application of ultra-fine steel wire in the field of medical devices​
The special steel needle for orthopedic minimally invasive surgery produced by a medical device company uses ultra-fine stainless steel wire (316L material) with a diameter of 0.5mm.This kind of stainless steel wire has excellent biocompatibility, can avoid causing rejection reactions in the human body, and at the same time has high strength and toughness, which can meet the needs of bone fixation during surgery.​
During the processing of the steel needle, the stainless steel wire rod is gradually drawn to a diameter of 0.5mm through a precision drawing process. During the process, the stainless steel wire rod is annealed several times to eliminate internal stress and ensure the dimensional accuracy and performance stability of the steel needle.The finished steel needle also needs to be polished to make its surface roughness Ra≤0.8µm to avoid damage to human tissues during surgery.The steel needle has been widely used in fracture fixation surgery of tiny bones such as fingers and toes. The surgical wound is small, the patient recovers quickly, and the clinical effect is significant.​
3. Application of steel wire in agricultural greenhouses​
In a large agricultural planting base in the north, galvanized steel wire is used for the skeleton support of the greenhouse.The greenhouse of the base has a length of 100 meters and a width of 12 meters, which needs to withstand the load of snow and strong winds in winter.The selected galvanized steel wire has a diameter of 4mm and a thickness of 85µm zinc layer. It has good corrosion resistance and can adapt to the high temperature and humidity environment in the greenhouse.​
During construction, the galvanized steel wire is fixed to the columns and arch poles of the greenhouse at a certain spacing (1.5 meters horizontally and 2 meters vertically) to form a stable support structure.Compared with traditional bamboo poles or steel pipe skeletons, galvanized steel wire is light in weight, easy to install, and has a service life of more than 10 years, which greatly reduces the maintenance cost of the greenhouse.At the same time, the steel wire has good light transmittance and will not block sunlight, ensuring the photosynthesis of crops in the greenhouse, and improving the yield and quality of crops.​
2. Practical maintenance skills for steel wire​
1. Maintenance of outdoor exposed steel wire​
For galvanized steel wires or plastic-coated steel wires that have been exposed to the natural environment for a long time, such as outdoor fences and power transmission lines, daily maintenance needs to focus on anti-corrosion.​
Regular inspection: Conduct an appearance inspection of the steel wire every 3-6 months to check whether the zinc layer falls off, the plastic coating is damaged, and the rust is on the surface.If local rust is found, sandpaper should be used to polish and remove rust in time, and then anti-rust paint or special anti-corrosion coating should be applied to prevent further spread of rust.​
Cleaning and maintenance: Every spring and autumn, rinse the dust and dirt on the surface of the steel wire with water. For the oil stains attached to the surface, use a neutral detergent to wipe it clean to avoid long-term attachment of corrosive substances to the surface of the steel wire.​
Anti-wear measures: For the connection parts of the steel wire and other components, such as the nodes of the fence, rubber pads or plastic sleeves can be installed at the contact points to reduce the wear of the steel wire during use and extend its service life.​
2. Maintenance of steel wire in industrial equipment​
In industrial equipment such as machine tools and cranes, steel wires (such as wire ropes and spring steel wires) are important transmission and force components, and improper maintenance can easily cause equipment failures and even safety accidents.​
Lubrication and maintenance: For wire ropes, special wire rope grease needs to be applied regularly, generally every 1-2 months.Grease can not only reduce the friction between the steel wires inside the wire rope, but also isolate air and moisture and prevent corrosion.When applying, the grease should be evenly applied to the surface of the wire rope and ensure that the grease penetrates into the internal gaps of the wire rope.​
Tension inspection: Regularly check whether the tension of the steel wire meets the requirements of the equipment.For spring steel wire, if the spring elasticity is found to decrease or permanent deformation occurs, it should be replaced in time; for crane wire rope, if the tension is found to be uneven, it may cause increased wear or fracture of the wire rope, and the tension adjustment device of the equipment needs to be adjusted in time.​
Fatigue damage detection: Steel wires in industrial equipment withstand alternating loads for a long time and are prone to fatigue damage.Detection methods such as magnetic particle flaw detection or ultrasonic flaw detection can be used to detect fatigue damage to the steel wire every six months to one year, and defects such as cracks and broken wires inside the steel wire can be found in time to avoid safety accidents caused by steel wire fractures.​
3. Maintenance of steel wire in medical equipment​
Steel wires in medical devices (such as surgical sutures and orthopedic fixation nails) have extremely high requirements for cleaning and disinfection, and improper maintenance will affect the use effect and patient health.​
Cleaning and disinfection: The steel wire of medical equipment after use must be treated in accordance with a strict disinfection process.First rinse the blood and tissue residues on the surface with saline water, then soak and disinfect in a special disinfectant (such as chlorine-containing disinfectant, the soaking time is not less than 30 minutes), and finally rinse with sterile water, dry and reserve.​
Avoid collision damage: Medical device steel wires are usually smaller in size and have higher accuracy. During storage and use, collisions with hard objects should be avoided to prevent deformation, bending or surface scratches of the steel wires, which affect the performance of use.​
Storage conditions: Store the sterilized medical device steel wire in a sterile, dry and ventilated environment, away from direct sunlight and high temperature and humidity.The steel wire can be placed in a special aseptic packaging box, and the use period can be marked on the packaging box to ensure that the steel wire is used within the validity period.