Overall, the production of wire is a linear, nine-stage process that begins with coking coal and iron ore and ends with finished wire. The materials are heated twice at very high temperatures before being moulded, pressed, shaped and cooled to produce the final product.
Initially, coking coal and iron ore are fed into a blast furnace, where they are heated to approximately 1,300°C. The resulting material is then transferred through pipes to an arc furnace operating at a much higher temperature of 1,800°C. At this stage, reduced coal is added to the mixture. Next, lime is introduced in a second arc furnace, also heated to 1,800°C, while unwanted gases are removed. This produces liquid metal, which is transported to a vat.
Afterwards, the molten metal is poured into moulds to create solid metal blocks. These blocks are then fed into a series of rollers, where they are pressed and shaped into long, thin wires. Following this, the wire passes through a cooling unit at around 150°C before undergoing a final cooling stage. Eventually, the finished wire is wound into large coils, ready for storage or distribution.