MWS Wire /
The Most Versatile Flat Wire
Flat wire is used in many different industries such as aerospace, industrial, and medical because of the wide degree of versatility that can be achieved through a custom rolling process. From catheters to flat magnetic coils, heaters to vacuum sealers, flat wire is in every industry.
Flat wire starts out as regular round wire that is flattened by a precision rolling process to produce the desired mechanical or electromagnetic characteristics. Flat wire can be made to precise resistance or geometric tolerances.
MWS has a wide selection of flat wire already in inventory and ready to ship.
Flat Wire by Engineering Specification
MWS produces flat rolled wire by taking round wire and passing through one of our two rolling mills.
Size ranges from .0005" thickness and widths up to .125". Most alloys including copper and aluminum are available as rolled wire. High width to thickness ratios can also be insulated with custom dimensions and bond coats.
Pure gold and silver flat wire are common products MWS has been producing for years.
A flat shaped wire has space advantages over round and can be tailored to size and conductor material for specialty applications.
Shaped Magnet Wire Calculator
General and Rectangular Conversion
Results
Round Eq.
inches
Ampacity
amps
Copper
Resistance
Ω/ft
Resistance
Ω/kft
Aluminium
Resistance
Ω/ft
Resistance
Ω/kft
- The calculator tool is to help determine the bare conductor size and properties
- For insulation options see our Insulation Page: Insulation - MWS Wire
- MWS inventories many different metals that are not included in the tool but can be
shaped and insulated to your requirements - Please contact one of our Sales Engineers who can provide more information
Flat Wire Technical Data
Need more info about Flat Wire? See the Data Sheet in our Tech Book.
Flat Wire by Use & Industry
Industrial Products
Flat wire is frequently used as a heating element in both domestic and industrial applications for hot wire cutting, sealing, and other heat treatments. Chromium based flat wires have high resistivity and high mechanical strength operating at temperatures up to 2192°F.
MWS produces heating wires with specifications similar to Kanthal, Nichrome, and other heating wires.
Flat Wire by Alloy
Flat gold and silver wires are used in various industries due to their high conductivity, corrosion resistance, and biomedical compatibility. Gold and silver flat wires are used in electrical components where high speed transmissions are needed.
MWS has been producing for years. Here are some alloys that can be made into flat wire.
Trade Name Cross Reference
| MWS Wire | Carpenter Tech. | Driver-Harris | Harrison | Hoskins | Jelliff | Kanthal | Molecu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MWS - 875 | Alchrome 875 | - | HAI-FeCr Al25 | Alloy 875 | - | Kanthal A-1 | - |
| MWS - 800 | Evanohm | Karma | HAI-431 | Chromel R | Alloy 800 | Nikrothal L | Moleculoy |
| MWS - 675 | Tophet C | Nichrome | HAI-NiCr 60 | Chromel C | Alloy C | Nikrothal 6 | Electroloy |
| MWS - 650 | Tophet A | Nichrome V | HAI-NiCr 80 | Chromel A | Alloy A | Nikrothal 8 | Protoly |
| MWS - 294 | Cupron | Advance | HAI-CuNi 102 | Copel | Alloy 45 | Cuprothal 294 | Neutroloy |
| MWS - 294R | Kovar | - | HAI-373 | - | - | - | - |
| MWS - 180 | 180 Alloy | Midohm | HAI-180 | Alloy 380 | Alloy 180 | Cuprothal 180 | - |
| MWS - 120 | Balco | Hytemo | HAI-380 | - | Alloy 120 | - | Pelcoloy |
| MWS - 90 | 90 Alloy | #95 Alloy | HAI-90 | Alloy 290 | Alloy 90 | Cuprothal 90 | - |
| MWS - 60 | 60 Alloy | Lohm | HAI-60 | Alloy 260 | Alloy 60 | Cuprothal 60 | - |
| MWS - 30 | 30 Alloy | #30 Alloy | HAI-30 | Alloy 230 | Alloy 30 | Cuprothal 30 | - |
*All trademarks are the property of their respective owners
Electronics and Electrical Components
Flat wire has several advantages when used in electronic devices. Its large contact area makes it ideal for transformers, inductors, electrical connectors and fuses. Its low profile makes flat wire very valuable in consumer electronic devices, or any electrical device where space constraints limit the cross sectional area of the wire or flexible flat wire cables are required.
Other uses include:
- Power Generators
- EV Chargers/Motors
- Flat Braided Wire
Aerospace and Military Applications
Flat wire is used for several different applications in aircraft including various avionics systems like communication devices, radar systems, and navigation equipment as well as in exhaust systems contributing to the flexibility and durability of these components
Medical Products
Flat wire is used in the medical industry in a variety of ways including stents, catheters, and neurovascular devices. Flat wire provides both structural support and flexibility for precise medical procedures. Flat wire in a nickel titanium alloy is used for retrieval devices such as kidney and bladder stone extractors.
Looking for stainless steel flat wire? Visit our medical page.
Custom Flat Wire
Do you have an application for flat wire that we haven't listed here? Contact our sales team.
Flat Wire Custom Spooling
Due to its unique shape and properties, flat wire spooling matters. We care as much about the spooling as we do the wire. Improperly spooled wire can lead to kinks, tangles, insulation or surface damage. Layer winding is a winding technique used to ensure wire is wound in an orderly way on the spool to ensure the proper tensile force on the wire and to preserve the wire's properties.
Special Processes
- Nickel, Silver, or Gold Plating
- Can be made to resistance
- Discrete lengths cut to size
- Bare wire or insulated
