History of Wrought Iron
Wrought …essentially means to derive.When the shape & form of the product the craftsmen wishes to derive is intricate,he requires a specific metal which can easily take that form.Thus the advent of wrought iron in 1784, in England by a process of making it called the Puddling process. This gives a unique texture to the Iron due to its unique method of manufacture. The grain structure ( Only Seen through Microscope ) obtained makes it workable to the point of failure.Wrought Iron is very different in properties than steel. Wrought iron has very low carbon content with respect to cast iron. Due to its softness,ductility,high level of elasticity and tensile strength it is possible to shape it in almost any form, be it a gate , grill , railing or any artistic artifact. Therefore we can heat ,reheat and work on it to form different shapes.
Although wrought iron exhibits properties that are not found in other forms of ferrous metal, it lacks the carbon content necessary for hardening through heat treatment. Wrought iron may be welded in the same manner as mild steel, but the presence of oxides or inclusions will provide defective results.The use of wrought iron found its place when blacksmiths found it to be useful in making Chisels,swords, knives,axes and other items which had sharp edges.Then came the era where almost all artillery used during war like shields ,ironclad helmets,hand and elbow shields, horseshoe were made using wrought iron.
Engineering applications included rivets,chains, nails,hammers,and most importantly railway couplings and then came the most sought after use which went on for centuries and decades & even now…. Wrought iron Ornamental Baroque ironwork. And we take pride to be associated with the art form for the last three decades.
Future OF Wrought Iron In India
India is fast catching up with the world economies and with the development of Smart Cities a lot of infrastructure development is taking place. Many of the developments will have monumental resemblance and the world will look over with pride. We at Wrought Iron World wish we would train youngsters about the manufacturing process and take part in the Skill India Movement. The Make In India concept of Hon. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi will also be supported if the European style artifacts are available here. The alternatives of wrought iron namely wood , aluminum and fiber are all costly and not environment friendly . Therefore Clients, Architects and Interior Designers are emphasizing on the application of the age old Wrought Iron and we feel pride that we never parted with our concepts even in testing times……We therefore with positivity say……Wrought Iron Days Are Here Again….!!!!
