West Midlands-based Alloy Wire International (AWI) is returning to Düsseldorf for the first time since Covid-19 with its largest ever presence (Stand 11 E26) at Wire 2022, which will be taking place between 20-24 June.

Security of supply, unrivalled lead times, technical expertise and a potential new alloy will be just four areas highlighted by the UK’s leading manufacturer of round, flat and profile wire. The company is looking to target spring, semiconductor and fasteners manufacturers involved in automotive, aerospace, electronics and the booming oil and gas sector.

AWI has recently invested more than £500,000 into a new warehouse extension in Brierely Hill alongside its Narrowboat Way factory and will take 10 staff over to Germany as it looks to reinforce its reputation as a hub of technical knowledge for clients and suppliers.

This will be reinforced by sales representatives covering more than 13 individual territories, reflecting the truly global nature of Wire 2022.

Mark Venables, AWI managing director, said: “This event has been a long time coming and will be a fantastic showcase for everyone connected with the wire industry.

“With all the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, our customers are really looking for security of supply and that involves knowing there is the right volume and variety of material available and that we can still deliver within our expected short lead times”

He continued: “Every decision we made during Covid-19 was taken to ensure we continued to give the same level of manufacturing quality and reliable delivery, and this has paid off with the start of this year turning out to be our busiest yet, something we hope to build on at Wire 2022.

“Our biggest ever stand will have display cases with sample round, flat and shaped wire alongside a video screen showing behind-the-scenes manufacturing processes of wire being produced in our factory in the UK.”

AWI will use the industry’s largest show to introduce Inconel: 61®, a nickel-chromium-cobalt-molybdenum-aluminium alloy. This is its latest addition to a 60-plus range of alloys and delivers a combination of increased strength and stability at elevated temperatures (up to 1,100°C), while retaining the high temperature resistance of Inconel alloy 601.

It has been a busy period for the firm’s R&D programme, which has also just started testing and production trials of Inconel alloy 686 ahead of a potential launch at the end of 2022.

Following requests by design engineers and customers, AWI is looking to make this wire available as part of its standard range and this is set to be of major interest to petrochemical customers and clients involved in chemical processing, pollution control, waste processing and paper manufacture.

Andrew Du Plessis, technical director at AWI, said: “This single-phase, austenitic Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum-Tungsten∞ alloy offers outstanding corrosion resistance to both reducing and oxidising acids and to mixed acid solutions”, added .

“The Molybdenum (Mo) and Tungsten (W) elements in the alloy aid resistance to localised corrosion, such as pitting, with resistance to crevice corrosion being enhanced by the combined alloying of Cr+Mo+W.”

He concluded: “Its qualities place it in the same arena as corrosion resistant alloys, such as C276, C22 and Inconel alloy 625.”