High expectations of spring manufacturers
Spring manufacturers rely on spring wire with two key properties:
– High mechanical properties: maximum spring force with minimum material us-age.
– Cost efficiency: stable and low prices, especially with long-term supply commitments. Traditionally, springs are made from carbon steel as it offers both high mechanical properties and cost efficiency. However, in corrosive environments, customers are demanding the use of stainless steel wire. This poses a challenge, as the mechanical properties of stainless steel wire are of-ten lower and the costs are considerably higher due to the high nickel and chromium content.

The solution: “UGI 4462 HS”
To meet these challenges, Ugitech has developed “UGI 4462 HS”, a duplex spring wire that offers the following advantages:
– Improved corrosion resistance: the duplex structure of 1.4462 steel significant-ly improves corrosion resistance compared to conventional austenitic stainless steels such as 1.4310/AISI 302. Measurements of pitting potential in various chloride media demonstrate the superior corrosion resistance of “UGI 4462 HS”.

Outstanding mechanical properties
Direct collaboration between the Ugitech Research Center and its wire drawing mills has led to the development of wire drawing programs that deliver a version of these wires with high mechanical properties described in ISO Standard 6931-1: “Stainless steels for springs – Part 1 – Wires”. As the graph below shows, the minimum tensile strength (U.T.S.) of UGI 4462 HS is on average 200MPa to 250MPa higher than the tensile strength of a spring wire made of 1.4310 NS / AISI 302 (Normal Strength).

Greater price stability
While the prices for 1.4310 / AISI 302 spring wire are subject to considerable price fluctuations due to the nickel content of over 8%, the prices for 1.4462 HS spring wire are more stable as this steel only contains 5% nickel. This re-duces the price fluctuations for “UGI 4462 HS” wire by almost half. Ugitech controls the entire production chain from liquid metal to drawn wire and carries out quality controls at every stage of production, guaranteeing compliance with the high standards for critical applications. These elements make Ugitech a preferred partner, especially for spring manufacturers who want to serve more demanding, higher value-added applications, such as medical or automotive.

Ugitech, based in Uginé, France, a Swiss Steel Group company with production sites throughout Europe, the USA and Canada, masters the entire production chain from liquid metal to drawn wire. This extensive know-how enables Ugitech to develop and offer advanced materials such as “UGI 4462 HS” to meet the ever-increasing demands of the industry.

Swiss Steel Group
Emmenweidstrasse 90
6020 Emmenbrücke/Switzerland
Contact person is Helmut Freiherr von Fircks
Tel.: +41 79 5484-895
h.freiherrvonfircks@ext.swisssteelgroup.com
www.swisssteelgroup.com