At California Fine Wire Company, we’ve been manufacturing made-to-order precision wire for over 60 years. We specialize in cutting-edge custom wire technologies purpose-built to support demanding requirements across industries, from medical fine wire to electronics and aerospace.
CFW supports multi-step manufacturing with a broad range of processing options and configurations. Start by choosing a material from our database of over 900 metals and alloys, or reach out to inquire about sourcing something new. Whether it’s gold wire, insulated wire, or flat wire (ribbon wire), California Fine Wire Co. has the flexibility, capability, and expertise to deliver fully customizable, made-to-order wire solutions built around your exact requirements.
Read on to learn more about our wire products and services, or contact us today to get started.
Our Fine Wire Products
California Fine Wire Company offers a wide range of precision wire products built on custom wire technologies that deliver consistent performance and reliability. From made-to-order ultra-fine diameters to specialized geometries and coatings, our products are manufactured with your exact requirements in mind.
Drawn Wire
CFW uses precision drawing dies to manufacture wire across a wide range of sizes, with diameters ranging from .0004” (10 µm) to .040” (1 mm), depending on the material and customer requirements. Using high-precision drawing processes and controlled die selection, we deliver consistent mechanical and dimensional performance across a variety of alloys. Wire can be supplied on standard or bonding-style spools, or as cut-to-length pieces based on your specifications.
For applications requiring tighter dimensional control and superior surface quality, we offer Ultra Finish processing. This secondary drawing operation utilizes specialized diamond dies to precisely control wire diameter, roundness, and surface condition.
Insulated Wire
CFW offers a wide range of insulated wire solutions supported by over 25 enamel coating lines, enabling scalable production across a variety of wire sizes and configurations. We apply insulation using controlled coating and curing processes to achieve consistent thickness, reliable dielectric performance, and strong adhesion across a broad range of alloy substrates.
Our capabilities include multiple insulation types such as enamel, ceramic, and polymer-based coatings, allowing us to tailor electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties to your specific requirements.
Learn more about our insulated wire capabilities and offerings.
PTFE Insulated Wire
CFW manufactures PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) insulated wire for applications requiring low friction and exceptional chemical resistance. PTFE’s non-stick and chemically inert properties make it well-suited for medical fine wire and other demanding applications where consistency is essential.
Our proprietary PTFE coating process is designed for fine wire applications, providing excellent adhesion and consistent coverage at sizes that are challenging for other manufacturers.
Electroplated Wire
CFW offers electroplated wire solutions for both round and flat (ribbon) wire geometries. We provide reel-to-reel electroplating for spooled round and ribbon wire, as well as barrel electroplating for cut-to-length wire components.
Electroplating is an electrochemical process used to deposit a metallic coating onto a conductive substrate to enhance conductivity, corrosion resistance, solderability, or to create diffusion barriers for microcircuitry. Plating thickness and underplate configurations are carefully controlled based on substrate material, wire geometry, and customer requirements, allowing us to deliver reliable, made-to-order plated wire.
Flat Ribbon Wire
CFW manufactures flat wire using precision rolling processes to achieve tight dimensional control over thickness, width, and edge geometry. This approach allows us to support high aspect ratios (up to 40:1) while maintaining dimensional consistency and clean surface finishes. These advantages make our flat wire well suited for applications such as lead ribbon, coil winding, microelectronic interconnections, and medical devices.
In addition to ribbon and flat wire profiles, we support shaped wire configurations, including square wire with controlled corner radii. Our processes enable consistent performance across a wide range of materials and custom geometries. Learn more about our flat wire and shaped wire capabilities.
Stranded Wire
CFW offers made-to-order stranded and twisted fine wire. Stranded wire is designed to improve flexibility, fatigue resistance, and handling characteristics in demanding applications. Our proprietary stranding equipment can combine multiple extremely fine conductors without stretching or damaging individual strands, ensuring the end product has consistent mechanical and electrical performance.
We support a range of standard and custom constructions, including multi-strand, twisted pair, and center-core configurations. Typical constructions range from 2 to 19+ individual strands, with the number of twists per inch controlled and tailored to meet your requirements.
Our processes can strand both bare and coated conductors, with options for overcoating and bifilar configurations available after stranding is completed.
Learn more about our stranded wire capabilities and offerings.
Our Fine Wire Services
In addition to our fine wire products, California Fine Wire Company offers a range of supporting services designed to streamline development and production. From material selection and process customization to secondary operations and packaging, our team partners with customers to deliver made-to-order custom wire technologies and solutions.
Annealing
CFW offers precision annealing services for wire, including strand (reel-to-reel), batch, and vacuum annealing. Controlled heat treatment allows us to tailor the mechanical and tensile properties of wire by influencing the material’s grain structure, enabling performance to be tuned to meet customer-specific requirements.
Wire Straightening
Controlled straightening processes reduce residual curvature, cast, and helix in both spooled and cut-to-length wire, improving wire handling, dimensional consistency, and downstream performance. Wire is straightened to meet customer-specific requirements for feeding, forming, and assembly.
Packaging & Spooling
Precision spooling ensures consistent wire handling and feeding, especially for flat and fine wire. CFW supports a range of spool types and materials, including plastic, composite, and metal spools (bonding configurations available). DIN configurations and custom spooling jigs and fixtures are available upon request. In addition to spooled solutions, cut-to-length wire packaging options are also available.
Special Handling & Processing
Many of our customers operate at the forefront of advanced applications, requiring precise control over handling, cleanliness, and performance. To support these needs, CFW provides in-house secondary processing capabilities, including ultrasonic and chemical cleaning for high-purity applications, along with material testing and inspection to verify mechanical, electrical, and dimensional properties. Integrated processing enables greater control, faster turnaround, and reduced reliance on secondary vendors.
Learn more about our special handling and processing capabilities.
Fine Wire Testing
Our range of fine wire testing services includes tensile testing, dimensional inspection, and electrical resistance measurement for customer-specific requirements. Our measurement systems are extremely high fidelity, capable of an accuracy of ±.00005” or 1.27 µm. CFW is ITAR registered and supports compliance with DFARS, RoHS, REACH, and CMRT requirements.
Ultra Finish
Ultra finishing is a precision secondary drawing process used to achieve extremely tight dimensional tolerances and superior surface finishes. By drawing wire through customized diamond dies under controlled conditions, we refine diameter, roundness, and surface quality for high-performance applications. Standard Ultra Finish sizes typically range from 0.0003″ to 0.004″ (7.6 µm to 102 µm), with roundness on the order of 0.000025″ (0.64 µm).
Top Applications of Our Fine Wire Products
California Fine Wire Company's custom wire technologies are engineered to meet the rigorous performance requirements of aerospace, electronics, and medical applications. Our made-to-order framework allows customers to iterate at low volumes and scale to full production as designs mature. From space-based systems to next-generation microelectronics, CFW provides the capability and experience to support your needs.
Aerospace
Fine wire plays a critical role in aerospace electronics and avionics, from guidance, navigation, and control systems to sensors and communications. With a long history of supporting the aerospace industry, CFW leverages its custom wire technologies to deliver high-quality fine and ultra fine wire for applications where performance and reliability are mission-critical.
Electronics
Fine wire is a fundamental necessity for modern electronics manufacturing, from microelectronics and sensors to semiconductor packaging and interconnect systems. CFW’s custom wire technologies and made-to-order framework support iterative design and scalable production for electronics applications where consistent and reliable electrical performance is required.
Medical Fine Wire
Medical fine wire is critical for modern medical device manufacturing, supporting applications from minimally invasive systems to implantable technologies. CFW’s custom wire technologies enable precise control over material properties and geometry, including round, square, and flat wire, to support development and scalable production for life-saving applications such as catheters, pacemakers, neuroprosthetic implants, and diagnostic devices.
Learn more about our medical fine wire offerings and capabilities.
Research & Prototyping
Early-stage development requires flexibility and rapid iteration. CFW supports research and prototyping efforts with made-to-order custom wire solutions available in both small and scalable production volumes. With over 60 years of experience, we serve as a one-stop partner for researchers, universities, and corporations developing cutting-edge technologies. Our custom wire technologies and collaborative approach enable efficient iteration and performance validation without the constraints of high-volume production.
Temperature Measurement TC Wire
Fine wires are often used for temperature measurement. Thermocouple (TC) devices utilize wires made of two different metals that will change voltage when heated or cooled. Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs) are another application of fine wires, offering higher levels of accuracy than thermocouples. RTDs contain a wire made from a single element, often platinum, copper, or nickel. As these materials change temperature, their resistance will change in a predictable manner that makes it possible to identify the temperature.
Read more » What is Thermocouple Wire?
Semiconductor Bonding Wire
Bonding wire plays a critical role in semiconductor devices, creating the electrical connections within integrated circuits that enable signal transmission. As devices continue to shrink and performance demands increase, consistency and reliability at this scale become essential.
At California Fine Wire Company, we manufacture high-purity bonding wire using gold, aluminum, and other materials designed for semiconductor applications. We offer a range of wire diameters, spool configurations, and custom solutions to match specific customer requirements.
Resistance Wire
Resistance wire can be found in a wide array of industries, from automotive to medical. Applications for this wire include heating elements, neuroprobes, bathythermograph equipment, and speed sensors. This type of wire is commonly composed of copper, platinum, or nickel; however, other metals and alloys are also available.
Precious Metals Fine Wire
Precious metal wire is used in high-performance applications where conductivity, corrosion resistance, and reliability are critical. Materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and platinum alloys are commonly used in electronics, medical devices, and bonding wire applications.
At California Fine Wire Company, we manufacture precision fine wire from a range of precious metals with controlled purity levels to meet demanding specifications. Our robust supply chain allows us to source and process high-quality materials consistently, supporting both standard and custom requirements.
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Commitment to Customer Service
Selecting the right wire design can be a complex process. With over 60 years of experience, California Fine Wire Company works closely with customers to provide technical guidance and deliver precise, made-to-order wire solutions. Our portfolio of custom wire technologies and processing expertise allows us to partner with customers to bring their requirements to life.
Our ISO 9001 certified quality management system ensures consistent performance, repeatability, and full material traceability from material sourcing through final inspection.
From early-stage development to full production, our team delivers responsiveness, technical expertise, and attention to detail you can rely on.
Contact us to start the conversation and see how CFW can support your next project.