Steel Wire Cylinder Brushes

Steel wire cylinder brushes are suitable for a wide variety of applications and are generally the most economical of the different metal brush options. Steel wire is the hardest of the commonly offered brush wires, providing a high fatigue life and durable cutting action. Steel wire is most appropriate for work on steel and iron work pieces, but may also be used on wood, concrete, and other softer metals. As a general guideline, the softer the material coming in contact with the brushing action, the more likely that a steel wire brush will cut into and remove base material in addition to any targeted coating or contamination.

Heat and Moisture:

Steel brush wire is appropriate for applications up to constant operating temperatures of 275° F, but can be used where the cylinder brush will come in contact with higher temperatures for shorter periods of time. When ambient temperatures will exceed 275°F, stainless steel cylinder brushes should be considered. Cylindrical stainless steel brushes should also be considered for wet applications or when corrosion can be a factor.

The following types of steel wire can be incorporated into your cylindrical brushes:

Spiral Designation Description Size Range Applications
SST: medium to aggressive wire High Tensile, Oil Tempered, High Carbon Steel 0.008″ up to 0.035″ in diameter Surface preparation, removal of paint or corrosion, weld preparation, roughening, deburring
SHS: fine wire Hard Drawn, High Carbon Steel Wire 0.003″ to 0.006″ in diameter Removal of light surface deposits, polishing
LC: Low Carbon Medium Tensile, Mild Steel, High Ductility 0.003″ to 0.006″ in diameter Polishing and light scrubbing, some corrosion resistance, high magnetic properties.
Brass Plated Steel Hard-Drawn, High Carbon Steel Wire 0.008″ through 0.028″ Corrosion resistant steel wire brushes.
Galvanized Steel Cable Hard Drawn, High Carbon Steel 3/64″ @ 1×19 ply, and other sizes upon request Long wearing and corrosion resistant

Cylindrical steel wire brushes are ideal for conveyor cleaning or wide face brushing or cleaning in production environments. Spiral wound steel cylinder brushes are based on our strip brush technology, and are individually designed to meet the customer’s specifications. Paddle wheel style steel conveyor cleaning brushes also utilize our strip brush technology and offer a customer-refillable brush core.

Spiral Brushes has steel cylinder brush design experience in a broad range of applications including:

  • Conveyor cleaning
  • Bakery conveyor cleaning
  • Scrubbing applications
  • Material handling applications
  • Cleaning metal parts without removing any of the base material.
  • Satin finishing aluminum extrusions or sheet

To learn more about steel cylinder brushes, view our Spiral Brushes catalog PDF catalog or contact us.

Steel Cylinder Brush Mounting Options:

  • Shaft: We can manufacture a solid or tubular shaft to your drawings or specifications, or you can supply your own shaft. Shafts may include keyways as required for drive purposes. Steel cylindrical brushes can be welded directly to the shaft or secured by means of metal clips attached to the shaft. Brushes mounted on a shaft are typically refillable as long as the shaft remains in good condition.
  • Throw-Away Core: For the convenience of easy replacement, we can assemble the cylinder brush on an economical thin wall tube with end-bushings to be mounted onto the customer’s driven shaft. Rather than maintaining a spare brush on hand and returning the entire worn brush for refill, simply order a new brush and install it in the place of the old brush.
  • Refillable Core: For a more economical long term solution, the core can be made from heavier wall tube and can be returned for refill multiple times. The shaft or journals may be an integral part of the core design or may be removable for ease of replacement. Refilling saves the cost of remaking the shaft or core.
  • Unmounted Brush Refill: Customers may choose to buy the loose wound brush coil to mount on their own shaft or cores.
  • Dynamic Balancing: For cylinder brushes operating at higher speeds, in excess of 350 to 500 revolutions per minute and also depending also on size and weight, dynamic balancing may be recommended to reduce vibration and improve the consistency of brushing action.
  • Crating: Due to weight, size, and other shipping considerations, cylinder brushes over a certain size will be considered for packaging in a wooden crate which may be reused for future refill transportation purposes. This determination is made at the time of brush design, and the cost of the crate is quoted separately.

To learn more about cylinder brush mounting options, contact us.

Contact Spiral Brush For Your Cylindrical Steel Brush Needs

Our engineers and experienced customer service associates work with you to understand the application, the material to be brushed, the desired finish, the operating environment, and the equipment on which your steel cylinder brush will be installed. We will help you to determine the appropriate core, shaft, channel size and brush materials, establish power requirements, a recommended range of operating speed, and determine the need for dynamically balancing the cylinder brush. To learn more about steel cylinder brushes, or to request a quote, contact Spiral Brushes today.