August 19, 2026
How wire forming builds a structure
Coil to structure: straighten, CNC bend, cut-to-length, then resistance weld or TIG. The sequence is the product. 4–14 mm in Northeast Ohio.
A structure is not one hit on a press. It is a sequence. Coil in, straighten, feed, bend, cut. Then the joints that make separate members into one part. Skip a step and you buy someone else’s scrap as a secondary.
The cell
- Straighten — cast and helix out of the coil before the first bend.
- 2D or 3D CNC — Numalliance Robomac on 4–14 mm from coil.
- Cut-to-length — in-line or a separate shear, through 14 mm rod.
- End work — chamfer, coin, flatten, pierce when the print mates.
- Join — cross-wire resistance weld on grids; TIG or MIG on rims, 330, and joints a nugget cannot reach.
- Inspect — interfaces and pitch, not ±0.005 on every leg.
Weld flat, then form the channel
Tray and guard returns want the grid welded flat, then the channel bent. Form a closed 3D mesh first and the electrodes cannot get in. That is how a production grid becomes a TIG sculpture. Sequence belongs on the print.
Why the band matters
Below 4 mm this cell is the wrong quote. Above 14 mm the CNC is the wrong machine. Structures in this shop live in the middle: heavy enough to span, light enough to feed from coil. That is the whole point of 4–14 mm.