WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE

Introduced: September 1968

Classification Context

Section:: PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Class:: MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
Subclass:: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE

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

IPC subclass B21F recorded 67,229 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 2,053 in 2013 to 9,443 in 2023 (+360%), peaking at 10,492 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B21 are JFE STEEL (2,318 applications), JFE STEEL (2,294 applications) and POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) (2,083 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

In class comparison

B21F ranks 4th of 9 subclasses with filings in B21, with 67,229 applications between 2013 and 2023, 10.2% of the class. Annual filings grew 360% from 2013 to 2023, above the class as a whole (+146%).

Subclasses of class B21 by patent applications, 2013–2023
Rank	Subclass	Title	Applications	Share
1	B21D, Working or Processing of Sheet Metal or Metal Tubes, Rods or Profiles Without Essentially Removing Material; Punching Metal	Working or Processing of Sheet Metal or Metal Tubes, Rods or Profiles Without Essentially Removing Material; Punching Metal	351,007	53.1%
2	B21C, Manufacture of Metal Sheets, Wire, Rods, Tubes, Profiles or Like Semi-Manufactured Products Otherwise Than by Rolling; Auxiliary Operations Used in Connection With Metal-Working Without Essentially Removing Material	Manufacture of Metal Sheets, Wire, Rods, Tubes, Profiles or Like Semi-Manufactured Products Otherwise Than by Rolling; Auxiliary Operations Used in Connection With Metal-Working Without Essentially Removing Material	84,269	12.8%
3	B21B, Rolling of Metal	Rolling of Metal	71,906	10.9%
4	B21F	Working or Processing of Metal Wire	67,229	10.2%
5	B21J, Forging; Hammering; Pressing Metal; Riveting; Forge Furnaces	Forging; Hammering; Pressing Metal; Riveting; Forge Furnaces	53,883	8.2%
6	B21K, Making Forged or Pressed Metal Products, e.g. Horse-Shoes, Rivets, Bolts or Wheels	Making Forged or Pressed Metal Products, e.g. Horse-Shoes, Rivets, Bolts or Wheels	18,766	2.8%
7	B21H, Making Particular Metal Objects by Rolling, e.g. Screws, Wheels, Rings, Barrels, Balls	Making Particular Metal Objects by Rolling, e.g. Screws, Wheels, Rings, Barrels, Balls	9,223	1.4%
8	B21L, Making Metal Chains	Making Metal Chains	2,434	0.4%
9	B21G, Making Needles, Pins or Nails of Metal	Making Needles, Pins or Nails of Metal	1,702	0.3%

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Additional Content

Limiting references

Metal rolling methods or mills for making semi-finished products of solid or profiled cross-section, for rolling wire or material of like small cross-section Manufacture of metal sheets, wire, rods, tubes, profiles or like semi-manufactured products otherwise than by rolling; Auxiliary operations used in connection with metal-working without essentially removing material

Application references

Processes for changing of physical properties of metals ,

Related Keywords

BENDING wireCOILING wire to form helices or spiralsmaking wire FABRICSjoining, connecting or uniting METAL(S) parts or objectswire NETTINGmaking wire SLAT(S) fabriccoiling wire to SPIRAL formTWISTING or tying wires togetherworking or processing WIRE(S) in general(3) using WIRE(S), e.g. for jacketing or reinforcing

23 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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B21F 1/00 Bending wire other than coiling; Straightening wire
B21F 11/00 Cutting wire
B21F 13/00 Splitting wire
B21F 15/00 Connecting wire to wire or other metallic material or objects; Connecting parts by means of wire
B21F 17/00 Jacketing or reinforcing articles with wire
B21F 19/00 Metallic coating of wire
B21F 23/00 Feeding wire in wire-working machines or apparatus
B21F 25/00 Making barbed wire
B21F 27/00 Making wire network, i.e. wire nets
B21F 29/00 Making fencing or like material made partly of wire
B21F 3/00 Coiling wire into particular forms
B21F 31/00 Making meshed-ring network from wire
B21F 33/00 Tools or devices specially designed for handling or processing wire fabrics or the like
B21F 35/00 Making springs from wire
B21F 37/00 Manufacture of rings 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
B21F 45/00 Wire-working in the manufacture of other particular articles
B21F 5/00 Upsetting wire

Top Applicants

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

JFE STEEL 2,318
JFE STEEL JP 2,294
POSCO (POHANG IRON AND STEEL COMPANY) KR 2,083
NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION JP 1,650
NSSMC (NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL) JP 1,631
SMS GROUP DE 1,472
BAOSHAN IRON & STEEL COMPANY 1,181
SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) 1,079
ANHUI JIANGHUAI AUTOMOBILE 984
HYUNDAI STEEL COMPANY KR 980