Galvanized Carbon Steel Keeps You Safe in the Rain
Stainless Steel for Windshield Wiper Manufacturers
Visualize your drive to work during Spring. Puffy clouds hover above. The sun is out of sight. Inevitably, rain douses the windshield of your vehicle. Whether your on-board computer knows it or not, your windshield wipers must be switched “on” to keep you and others safe. With properly functioning wipers, driving through the elements is possible. These seemingly menial devices are a necessity that Ulbrich is proud to help manufacture.
Ulbrich’s role in the production of windshield wipers is as a supplier of wiper arms that connect the blades to the wiper motor. For several years, our company has supplied galvanized carbon steel to major original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) in making wiper blades for the automotive industry. We also supply alloys for automotive trim, and automotive engine components. Underneath rubber components and layers of black paint within wipers are thin strips of precision-milled steel, also classified as rolled flat wire. This material makes for what can be best described as the “skeleton” of wiper blades. Steel flat wire within each blade allows wiper blades to keep their shape, even after a million wipes of a windshield.
Specifications:
• Galvanized Steel - Carbon grade – C1018 or C1035 series
• Approximate profile dimensions: 0.1" X 0.4”
Our specialty flat wire used in the creation of windshield wipers is manufactured in Westminster, South Carolina at Ulbrich Specialty Wire Products. Contributions from our USWP product managers, engineers, sales representatives and production employees result in custom-made solutions that solve everyday problems. Automotive OEM’s who choose USWP as a supplier of specialty flat wire reap the following benefits: decreased scrap rates, increased machine up-time and improved production lead-times. As a dedicated supplier with a Total Quality Commitment, Ulbrich is meticulous in its approach to engineering, processing, and testing all specialty items.
Therefore, our production of galvanized steel for wiper blades includes the same attention to detail as would our production of metals being used within medical devices or nuclear reactors. Now in our 95th year of operation, Ulbrich prides itself on our capabilities as a value-added, material developmental partner for an international customer base. The Ulbrich advantage provides a customer-centered focus, constant communication, engaging technical support, a devotion to continuous improvement and a unique perspective that considers the entirety of the manufacturing supply chain. If that’s not enough, remember, we help to keep your windshield clear and your drive safe.
Did you know?
• American inventor, Mary Anderson is popularly credited with devising the first mechanical windshield wipers in 1903.
• The first windshield wipers were operated by manually moving a lever inside automobiles in a back and forth motion.
• A typical wipe angle for a passenger car is about 67 degrees.
• Windshield wipers aren’t only used by cars, vans, buses, trucks, trains and other types of ground transportation. Airplanes and space shuttles also require windshield wipers to guarantee visibility while on route to their destinations.
• Some new models of jet fighters have advanced past wipers, using ultrasonic technology that vibrates water off glass. However, this advancement comes at a major cost and consumers can expect to rely on ever-improving wiper blades for the foreseeable future.