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CPC Subclass Not Allocatable
B21F

WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE (rolling of metal wire B21B1/16; by drawing, auxiliary operations used in connection with metal-working without essentially removing material B21C)

Description

B21F covers mechanical operations performed on metal wire without material removal, including drawing, twisting, coiling, straightening, and bundling processes. This subclass encompasses machinery and methods for transforming wire stock into finished or semi-finished products for applications such as fasteners, springs, cables, and reinforcement materials. Operations typically involve plastic deformation, bending, or assembly of wire components rather than cutting or grinding. Related wire coating, insulation, and electroplating processes are excluded, falling instead under classes B05, B29, or C23.

Filing statistics

CPC subclass B21F recorded 20,343 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 703 in 2013 to 2,160 in 2023 (+207%), peaking at 3,062 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B21 are JFE STEEL (2,667 applications), NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION (2,049 applications) and POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) (1,967 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

23 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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  • B21F 13/00 Splitting wire
  • B21F 17/00 Jacketing or reinforcing articles with wire
  • B21F 19/00 Metallic coating of wire (by extruding B21C23/24; by soldering or welding, e.g. cladding or plating, B23K)
  • B21F 25/00 Making barbed wire
  • B21F 31/00 Making meshed-ring network from wire
  • B21F 39/00 Making wheel spokes from wire
  • B21F 41/00 Making umbrella frames or members from wire
  • B21F 43/00 Making bands, e.g. bracelets, from wire

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B21, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. JFE STEEL JP 2,667
  2. NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION JP 2,049
  3. POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) KR 1,967
  4. NSSMC (NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL) JP 1,800
  5. SMS GROUP DE 1,538
  6. JFE STEEL 1,150
  7. ARCELORMITTAL LU 1,142
  8. BAOSHAN IRON & STEEL COMPANY 821
  9. HYUNDAI STEEL COMPANY KR 808
  10. THYSSENKRUPP STEEL EUROPE DE 660