Metal Wire covers 11 brush materials with continuous service temperatures from 200°C to 700°C. The material narrows the shortlist; filament diameter, free trim length and density then set the contact pressure the brush actually applies.
What makes Metal Wire different from other material categories?
Short answer: this category groups 11 materials used as brush fill or brush components, spanning 9 material classes: coated ferrous wire filament, copper-alloy wire filament, ferrous metal wire filament, metal wire, nickel-chromium alloy wire, nickel-copper alloy wire and others.
Continuous service temperature across the category runs from 200°C to 700°C.
These materials do not absorb water, so contact pressure does not change between dry and wet service.
In brush terms: the category narrows the shortlist. It does not set the stiffness. Wire diameter and knot or crimp construction then set the aggressiveness, and they are chosen after the alloy.
Which filament materials are available in this category?
The 11 materials in this category, with the behavior that decides each one:
| Material | Key behavior | Best suited for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AISI 304 Stainless Steel Wire | Firm to aggressive metallic wire | General industrial cleaning, weld discoloration removal, rust and scale removal, food-equipment cleaning with controlled chemistry, and wet service without severe chloride exposure | Avoid using AISI 304 as the default in marine, brine, hypochlorite, and persistent chloride environments |
| AISI 316 Stainless Steel Wire | Firm to aggressive metallic wire | Marine and salt exposure, dairy and beverage equipment, food processing, pharmaceutical and laboratory cleaning, chemical washdown, heat-exchanger tubes, and wet-process brush systems requiring improved chloride resistance | Not immune to chloride stress-corrosion cracking or severe crevice corrosion |
| Brass Coated Wire | Firm non-ferrous metallic wire | General wire-wheel and bore cleaning where a steel core is wanted with a brass-colored surface and reduced initial harshness | Avoid on stainless surfaces where copper or ferrous contamination is restricted and on delicate coatings that mark under metal contact |
| Brass Wire | Firm non-ferrous metallic wire | Gentle oxide removal, mold cleaning and surface work on brass, copper and other softer nonferrous parts | Avoid on stainless surfaces where copper contamination is restricted and on delicate coatings that mark under metal contact |
| Carbon Steel Wire | Very firm metallic wire | Fast rust, paint, scale and burr removal from carbon steel, cast iron and robust fabricated parts | Not for soft plastic, glass, PCB, coated solar glass or polished paint |
| Copper Wire | Firm non-ferrous metallic wire | Soft conductive contact, light oxide removal and polishing where steel wire would be too aggressive | not suitable where copper contamination is unacceptable |
| Galvanized Steel Wire | Rockwell B 70–100 (Base-Material Condition) | Industrial cleaning and custom brush configurations requiring the stated material properties | Coating wear and chemical attack can expose the steel substrate |
| Inconel Wire | Firm to very firm | Furnace, turbine, heat-treatment and high-temperature scale cleaning | use only on durable surfaces |
| Monel Wire | Material-specific | Marine, saltwater, chemical equipment and non-ferrous component cleaning | — |
| Phosphor Bronze Wire | Firm non-ferrous metallic wire | Electrical contact, resilient conductive brushing and gentle cleaning where steel contamination is undesirable | — |
| Titanium Wire | Firm with lower density than steel | Corrosion-resistant precision cleaning, aerospace and chemical-process components | — |
How do I choose between Metal Wire materials?
Start from the base metal. Carbon steel wire on stainless leaves free iron that rusts later; brass and bronze are chosen where sparking or marking must be avoided; stainless is used where the surface must stay uncontaminated. The table below is derived from the published figures of the materials in this category:
| If your service condition is… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hot service, above 80°C continuous | Inconel Wire or Titanium Wire | Highest continuous service temperature in this category |
| Wet, humid or washdown service | AISI 304 Stainless Steel Wire or AISI 316 Stainless Steel Wire | Lowest water absorption, so contact pressure holds when soaked |
| Heavy residue, aggressive scrubbing | Phosphor Bronze Wire or Galvanized Steel Wire | Highest filament hardness for point pressure |
| Delicate or coated surfaces | Copper Wire or Brass Wire | Softest filament in this category, lowest marking risk |
| Fine bores, narrow slots and precision work | AISI 304 Stainless Steel Wire or AISI 316 Stainless Steel Wire | Can be drawn to the smallest filament diameter here |
In brush terms: a fine filament of a hard material can be softer in the hand than a thick filament of a soft one. Wire brushes also have a speed rating, and it is a safety figure rather than a performance one — the tool’s no-load speed must not exceed it.
What brush types use Metal Wire?
Short answer: 9 of the brush constructions in the catalogue are built with materials from this category.
- Custom Wheel Brushes
- Custom Roller and Conveyor Brushes
- Custom Road Sweeper Brooms
- Custom Handheld Detail Brushes
- Custom Polishing Buffing Wheels
- Custom Tube & Pipe Bore Brushes
- Custom Cup Brushes
- Custom Spring Brushes
- Custom Strip Seal Brushes
The construction and the service condition together decide the material. Base metal and contamination tolerance together usually leave two alloys worth comparing.
How do I specify Metal Wire for my brush?
Provide these together: give the wire alloy, the wire diameter, whether it is crimped or knotted, the brush type and the operating speed, along with the base metal being worked. These 11 wires run from 200°C to 700°C, and within that range the choice is usually decided by what the wire does to the workpiece — contamination, sparking, plating loss — rather than by how hard it cuts.
Where the work is stainless or food-contact, say whether the brush must be dedicated to that metal — a shared brush carries the previous job’s metal into this one. It is not automatically included with every brush.