HB Wire
Hard bright wire, drawn down and high tensile.
Applications
As per Indian Standards
These are the Indian Standards HB Wire is commonly supplied to. Where one is quoted, the published standard governs, not our summary of it.
| Standard | IS 280 |
|---|---|
| Covers | Mild steel wire for general engineering purposes, 0.125 mm to 12.5 mm diameter |
| Condition | Hard drawn |
| Chemistry | To IS 7887 |
| HSN | 72171090 |
| GST | 18% |
HSN codes are given for reference and are to be confirmed with the supplier before billing.
| Standard | What it covers | Where we use it |
|---|---|---|
| IS 280 | Mild steel wire for general engineering purposes | HB, binding and GI wire |
| IS 7887 | Mild steel wire rods for general engineering purposes | Wire rod |
Indian Standards are published by the Bureau of Indian Standards and are their property. They are named here so you can check a figure against the source, and quoted only as far as is needed to say what a number means. A material test certificate travels with the vehicle.
Weight by diameter, worked from d squared over 162
| Diameter | SWG | Weight per MTR | Metres per kg | A 50 kg coil | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 mm | 18 G | 0.0089 kg | 112.5 m | 5625 m | Binding and bailing |
| 1.6 mm | 16 G | 0.0158 kg | 63.3 m | 3164 m | Binding and bailing |
| 2 mm | 14 G | 0.0247 kg | 40.5 m | 2025 m | Nails and welded mesh |
| 2.5 mm | — | 0.0386 kg | 25.9 m | 1296 m | Nails and welded mesh |
| 2.64 mm | 12 G | 0.0430 kg | 23.2 m | 1162 m | Nails and welded mesh |
| 3 mm | 11 G | 0.0556 kg | 18.0 m | 900 m | Nails and welded mesh |
| 3.15 mm | — | 0.0612 kg | 16.3 m | 816 m | Nails and welded mesh |
| 4 mm | 8 G | 0.0988 kg | 10.1 m | 506 m | Nails and welded mesh |
| 5 mm | — | 0.1543 kg | 6.5 m | 324 m | Cement pipes and fabrication |
| 5.5 mm | — | 0.1867 kg | 5.4 m | 268 m | Wire drawing |
| 6 mm | — | 0.2222 kg | 4.5 m | 225 m | Wire drawing |
| 8 mm | — | 0.3951 kg | 2.5 m | 127 m | Wire drawing |
| 10 mm | — | 0.6173 kg | 1.6 m | 81 m | Wire drawing |
| 12 mm | — | 0.8889 kg | 1.1 m | 56 m | Wire drawing |
Worked from d squared over 162, which is steel at 7850 kg per cubic metre, so it is the steel itself. IS 280 covers mild steel wire and sets the tolerance on diameter; IS 4826 sets the zinc coating on galvanised wire, which adds weight on top of these figures. The heavier the coating the bigger the difference, so a GI coil of a given length weighs more than this table says. The trade quotes the smaller sizes by gauge, so the standard wire gauge has a column of its own, filled where the millimetre figure is that gauge rounded: 18 G is 1.219 mm, 16 G is 1.626, 14 G is 2.032, 12 G is 2.642, 11 G is 2.946 and 8 G is 4.064. The sizes left blank are metric and have no gauge within reach of them. SWG is nominal and these weights are worked from the millimetre diameter, not the gauge, so the diameter is what to confirm on an order. How it is packed. Bright annealed runs 0.90 to 6.00 mm in coils of 100 to 800 kg; black annealed the same sizes in 50 to 100 kg. HB wire is 0.45 to 0.95 mm on coils or spools of 50 to 800 kg for steel fibre, and 1.00 to 4.00 mm at 50 to 100 kg for nails or up to 800 kg for welded mesh. HD wire to IS 432 Part 2 runs 2.65 to 7.00 mm in 50 to 800 kg coils. The last column is what each is usually bought for. That is trade practice, not something the standard fixes, so tell us the job if it is not one of these.
Weights worked from d squared over 162; sizes and packing from the KHERO working sheet, October 2026