SPIN HELIX WIRE CASTING

Description

BACKGROUND

The process of making metal wires, such as for electrical transmission and communications, is generally complex and intricate and involves the use of sophisticated machinery and fairly elaborate systems. The process may begin with the extraction of raw metal that is then purified and processed into a workable material. This material is heated to high temperatures to make it malleable and then drawn through a series of progressively smaller dies to create a thin wire.

Difficulties in the wire-making process are not only in the physical process but also in maintaining the quality and consistency of the wire. Factors such as the temperature of the metal, the speed at which it is drawn, and the size of the dies all play important roles in determining the final properties of the wire, such as its strength, flexibility, and electrical conductivity. For example, slight deviations in process parameters can result in a wire that is brittle, weak, or otherwise unsuitable for its intended application.

Planned activities for future Moon landings far exceed those of the Apollo missions. There is currently a great deal of focus on methods, materials, and technologies that will allow for habitats, massive exploration, and mining on the Moon. Such activities will need, among other things, energy and ways of transporting the energy from locations of generation to locations of use. Electrical power may be delivered via wires from a solar generation plant to a various facilities, such as living habitats, water extraction plants, and oxygen-producing plants, just to name a few examples. In addition to delivering electrical power, wires on the Moon may be used for data and communication distribution systems.

The complex nature and large footprint of terrestrial-based wire making processes would present significant challenges for lunar and space operations. Transporting the necessary equipment from Earth to the moon, or Mars, for example, is a formidable task given the substantial weight and volume of the machinery involved. Moreover, operating these systems in the lunar environment, with its harsh conditions and limited resources, would be exceedingly difficult. This underscores the need for innovative solutions and adaptations for extraterrestrial manufacturing of wire.

SUMMARY

A system and method involve forming metal wire through the use of a spinning vessel, which may be cylindrical, with a threaded inner wall that creates a continuous helical groove. When molten metal is placed at the bottom of the vessel and the vessel is rotated at a sufficient speed, the centrifugal force pushes the molten metal into the groove. After cooling and solidification, the formed metal wire can then be extracted from the helical groove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying figures of embodiments of the disclosure. The figures are used to provide knowledge and understanding of embodiments of the disclosure and do not limit the scope of the disclosure to these specific embodiments. Furthermore, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a threaded wire-forming vessel with molten metal on the bottom of the vessel, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a threaded wire-forming vessel that is spinning so as to place a centrifugal force on molten metal on the bottom of the vessel, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a cross-section of a threaded wire-forming vessel, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the wall of a threaded wire-forming vessel, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the wall of a threaded wire-forming vessel, according to some other embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the wall of a threaded wire-forming vessel that has a coated surface, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the wall of a threaded wire-forming vessel with cast metal in the threaded grooves, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of a cross-section of an angled threaded wire-forming vessel, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the wall of a threaded wire-forming vessel, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the wall of a threaded wire-forming vessel with cast metal in the threaded grooves, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a process of forming a wire, according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure describes, among other things, systems and methods for forming metal wire. For example, a system may include a cylindrical vessel that has a threaded wall so as to have a continuous helical groove. Molten metal settled at the bottom of the vessel may be centrifugally forced into the groove when the vessel is spun at a sufficient rate of rotation. Subsequently, after the molten metal in the groove has cooled to a solid, a wire has been formed, which may then be extracted from the groove.

Herein, “threaded” refers to a helical structure that wraps around the inside wall surface of a vessel. This helical structure is known as the thread, which is the raised helical rib on the inside wall surface. The raised thread forms a continuous helical groove therein. The formation of a threaded surface may involve “cutting” or scoring a groove into the surface or may involve forming or casting the surface in a threaded mold. Claimed subject matter is not limited to the process of forming the threads or groove. Herein, because threads (e.g., the raised part) accompany a groove, the terms “filling the threads” or “filling the groove” are synonymous with each other, unless the context in which they are used indicates a difference that is explicit.

In some embodiments, a process for forming wire includes having a molten metal settled on a bottom of a vessel that has a threaded wall. For example, the vessel may be cylindrical so that the threaded wall is a cylinder with its inside surface being threaded. The process continues by spinning the vessel so that the molten metal centrifugally climbs the threaded wall and at least partially fills threads (e.g., fills the groove of the threads) of the threaded wall. The molten metal in the threads may then be allowed to cool to a solid metal wire that is subsequently extracted from the threads (e.g., from the groove of the threads).

In some implementations, the molten metal, which may be aluminum for example, settled on the bottom of the vessel may be a result of the metal in its solid state being placed in the vessel and then melted in the vessel. In other implementations, the molten metal settled on the bottom of the vessel may be a result of the metal being heated and melted before it is placed in the vessel.

In some embodiments, a system for forming wire may include a vessel having a bottom and a threaded wall. The bottom is configured to hold a molten metal and a motor may be configured to spin the vessel. A groove among the threads in the threaded wall may be configured to receive the molten metal during spinning of the vessel. For example, as the vessel spins, the molten metal will tend to flow out from the center of the rotation. With a sufficient rotation speed, in response to a centrifugal force, the molten metal may flow up the threaded wall and into the threads, thus at least partially filling the groove of the threads. In some implementations, the threaded wall of the vessel may be conical so that the threaded wall is angled outward from the bottom.

In some embodiments, using the system described above, for example, a method for forming wire comprises placing a molten metal in a cylindrical vessel that includes a helical groove in a wall of the cylindrical vessel, spinning the cylindrical vessel so that the molten metal centrifugally climbs the wall and at least partially fills the helical groove, allowing the molten metal in the helical groove to cool to a solid metal wire, and extracting the solid metal wire from the helical groove. In some implementations, the system may include an electrical meter to measure at least one electrical property of the solid metal wire in the threads. In this way the electrical continuity of the wire may be measured to indicate, among other things, the integrity of the wire in the groove of the threads before the wire is extracted from the groove.

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a threaded wire-forming vessel 100 with molten metal 102 settled on the bottom 104 of the vessel, according to some embodiments. Vessel 100, which may likely be made of refractory material(s) to withstand molten metals, includes a threaded cylindrical wall 106 that includes threads on the inside surface 108.

FIG. 2 illustrates threaded wire-forming vessel 100 that is spinning so as to place a centrifugal force on molten metal 102 on bottom 104 of the vessel. The vessel is spinning counterclockwise, as indicated by arrow 202. At this stage of spinning, based at least in part on the speed of rotation of the spinning, the spinning time, and the viscosity of molten metal 102, just to name a few influencing parameters, molten metal 102 radially pulls away from the center of the spinning vessel, as indicated by arrows 204. This “pulling away” may be attributed to the centrifugal force, which is an apparent force that acts outward on a body moving in a circular path, though it is noted that centrifugal force is not a “real” force in the sense that it does not have a physical origin like gravity or electromagnetism. Instead, it is a result of inertia, which is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion. For example, each portion of the molten metal has a natural tendency to continue in a straight line (due to inertia), but the spinning bottom 104 forces the molten metal to move in a circular path. This creates a conflict between the direction of the velocity of the molten metal portions (which is tangential to the circular path) and the direction they are being forced to move in (which is along the circular path). This conflict gives rise to the centrifugal force, which exists in a rotating frame of reference, which is where the molten metal is located. Accordingly, molten metal 102 moves away from the center of bottom 104 toward threaded cylindrical wall 106.

Though not illustrated in the figure, eventually, with continued spinning and sufficiently high rotation speeds, molten metal 102 may increasingly collect at the base of threaded cylindrical wall 106 and subsequently begin to travel up the wall. The tendency of the molten metal to radially flatten against threaded cylindrical wall 106 results in the upward motion that counters the downward gravity force.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a system 300 that includes a threaded wire-forming vessel 302, according to some embodiments. Vessel 302 may be the same as or similar to vessel 100. Vessel 302 is illustrated to include a molten metal 304 on the bottom 306 of the vessel. Vessel 302 includes a threaded cylindrical wall 308 that includes threads 310 and the associated groove 312 on the inside surface 314 of wall 308.

Though the figure illustrates a cross section of vessel 302, portions 316 of groove 312 are illustrated in a side view of the vessel so as to show how the groove, with its pitch, wraps around the inside of vessel 302. Pitch may be considered to be the distance from one point on a thread to the corresponding point on the next thread, when measured parallel to its axis. Pitch may also be expressed as an angle 318 from horizontal (e.g., or parallel bottom 306).

System 300 may also include a motor 320 that is configured to spin vessel 302, such as with a spinning motion indicated by arrow 202. A control and detection module 322, which may include various electronics and a processor to execute machine-readable instructions, may be configured to operate motor 320. For example, module 322 may operate motor 320 to spin at various rotation speeds, including speeds that centrifugally force molten metal 304 into groove 312. Arrows 324 indicate how the spinning of vessel 302 may force molten metal 304 from the center of the vessel to wall 308 where the molten metal will then flow upward on inside surface 314. As the molten metal flows on the inside surface, the molten metal may at least partially fill groove 312 (e.g., at least partially filling threads 310).

Module 322 may also include various electronics that are configured to measure at least one electrical property, such as voltage, current, resistance, inductance, or capacitance, of the molten or solid metal in the groove. Such measurements may allow for a determination about the integrity of the metal wire that has been formed in the groove of the threads. For example, a measurement (e.g., directly or indirectly determined from measurements of voltage and current) of resistance may indicate if there are any discontinuities in the formed wire, or if the wire is thinner or thicker than expected. Depending on the material of wall 308, measuring capacitance of the formed wire may also be useful to determine characteristics of the formed wire. Similarly, measuring inductance of the formed wire, which is effectively a (loosely wound) coil, may also be useful to determine characteristics of the formed wire.

Module 322 may also include various electronics that are configured to measure the moment of inertia of vessel 302 about the vertical central axis of the vessel as it is spinning so as to detect the distribution of the molten metal. For example, the static moment of inertia of the non-spinning vessel 302 and its contents (e.g. molten metal 304 settled on bottom 306) may likely be substantially less than the moment of inertia of the vessel and its contents (e.g., the molten metal flowing across threads 310) when it is spinning. Thus, measuring a moment of inertia may indicate a stage of flow of molten metal 304 and, for example, if the process of the molten metal filling groove 312 has completed.

In some implementations, molten metal 304 may be aluminum which, among metals, has a relatively low melting point. The molten metal may cool relatively quickly in groove 312 because of the relatively large surface area of the formed wire, which is mostly in contact with the vessel wall material (e.g., within the groove), the temperature of which may be controlled for controlling the rate of cooling the formed wire in the groove.

In some implementations, molten metal 304 may initially be solid metal placed in vessel 302 and then subsequently heated and melted therein. In other implementations, molten metal 304 may initially be placed (e.g., poured) into vessel 302 in its liquid state.

For descriptions of various embodiments below, a portion 326 of wall 308 is illustrated.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of portion 326 of threaded cylindrical wall 308 of vessel 302 described above, according to some embodiments. Portion 326 includes, on inside surface 314, groove 402 and threads 404, which may be the same as or similar to groove 312 and threads 310, respectively. The cross-sectional shape of groove 402 may be flat (as illustrated) on the bottom of the groove with side walls that are angled (as illustrated) or perpendicular to the bottom. For example, the side walls may have an angle 406 with respect to horizontal. The bottom of groove 402 may have rounded or sharp-angled corners 408. Accordingly, at least a portion of a cross-sectional shape of a wire formed in groove 402 may likely have the same or similar shape as the bottom and sides of the groove. The portion of the cross-sectional shape of the formed wire that is not in contact with the bottom and sides of groove 402 may be flat or may be rounded, depending on the surface tension of the formed wire as it cooled from liquid to solid. The surface tension of material 410 of wall 308 with respect to the molten metal may also affect the shape of the top surface of the formed wire.

Groove 402 may have a depth 412 and an entrance width 414. The width 416 of threads 404 is the separation of one “wrap” of groove 402 to the next around the circumference of vessel 302. In some implementations, molten metal may only partially fill groove 402 to depth 412. The difference between depth 412 and a resulting thickness (in cross-section) of the formed wire may be due to any shrinkage (e.g., thermal contraction) of the metal as it cools from liquid to solid and/or surface tension effects, which may result in a concave top surface of the wire. In other implementations, however, molten metal may fill groove 402 beyond depth 412 such that the resulting thickness of the formed wire is greater than depth 412. The difference between depth 412 and the resulting thickness (in cross-section) of the formed wire may be due to any thermal expansion of the metal as it cools from liquid to solid and/or surface tension effects, which may result in a convex top surface of the wire.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of portion 326 of threaded cylindrical wall 308 of vessel 302 described above, according to some other embodiments. Portion 326 includes, on inside surface 314, groove 502 and threads 504, which may be the same as or similar to groove 312 and threads 310, respectively. The cross-sectional shape of groove 502 may be flat (as illustrated) on the bottom of the groove and may transition to side walls with a rounded corner 506. This is in contrast to the relatively sharp-angled corners 408 described above. Avoiding sharp corners may result in improved conforming of the molten metal to the groove surface.

At least a portion of a cross-sectional shape of a wire formed in groove 502 may likely have the same or similar shape as the bottom and sides of the groove. The portion of the cross-sectional shape of the wire that is not in contact with the bottom and sides of groove 502 may be flat or may be rounded, depending on the surface tension of the formed wire as it cooled from liquid to solid. The surface tension of material 410 of wall 308 with respect to the molten metal may also affect the shape of the top surface of the formed wire.

Groove 502 may have a depth 510 and a entrance width 512. The width 514 of threads 504 is the separation of one wrap of groove 502 around the circumference of vessel 302 to the next. In some implementations, molten metal may only partially fill groove 502 to depth 510. The difference between depth 510 and a resulting thickness (in cross-section) of the formed wire may be due to any shrinkage (e.g., thermal contraction) of the metal as it cools from liquid to solid and/or surface tension effects, which may result in a concave top surface of the wire. In other implementations, however, molten metal may fill groove 502 beyond depth 510 such that the resulting thickness of the formed wire is greater than depth 510. The difference between depth 510 and the resulting thickness (in cross-section) of the formed wire may be due to any thermal expansion of the metal as it cools from liquid to solid and/or surface tension effects, which may result in a convex top surface of the wire.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of portion 326 of threaded cylindrical wall 308 of vessel 302 described above, according to some other embodiments. Portion 326 includes, on inside surface 314, groove 602 and threads 604, which may be the same as or similar to groove 502 and threads 504, respectively. Inside surface 314, or at least surfaces of groove 602, may include a surface coating 606 that at least partially covers these surfaces. Surface coating 606 may be a release agent and/or a wetting agent. For example, a release agent may be useful for improving the extraction process for pulling formed wire out from groove 602. Without a release agent, molten metal in groove 602 may strongly physically bond or adhere with material 410 of wall 308, resulting in a difficult extraction process. A release agent that coats the inside surfaces of groove 602 may prevent such a physical bond with material 410. For example, some materials that may act as a release agent or surface coating may be boron nitride, graphite, SiC, aluminum nitride, or an aluminum compatible (e.g., with low wettability) substance. Such examples may be particularly applicably for aluminum molds. In some implementations, a mold may be fabricated from boron nitride to prevent adhesion, oxidation, and erosion, though claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. Boron nitride (BN) is a compound made of boron and nitrogen and may be in any of several crystalline forms, such as hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) or cubic boron nitride (c-BN).

In some implementations, coating 606 may be a wetting agent to reduce the surface tension between material 410 and the molten metal so that the molten metal can more easily flow onto the inside surfaces of groove 602, including relatively sharp corners such as corners 408 described above. Surface coating 606 may be permanently disposed on inside surfaces of wall 308 or may be reapplied each time (or from time to time) wire is formed therein. For example, surface coating 606 may be a consumable that can only function for one wire-forming process.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of portion 326 of threaded cylindrical wall 308 of vessel 302 described above, with cast metal 702 in the groove of threads 704, according to some embodiments. Cast metal 702 may be molten metal, such as 102 or 304, that has cooled and solidified in the groove. At this stage, cast metal 702 is a solid wire that may be extracted from the groove, which is identified in the figure for three consecutive passes (e.g., wraps) around the circumference of vessel 302. As explained above, the thread and the groove are both continuous on inside surface 314 so that, in the figure, a groove 706A is the same groove as 706B and 706C, each being a portion of the single groove that passes around the circumference of vessel 302 and into the cross-sectional portion 326. Accordingly, the cast metal in grooves 706A, 706B, and 706C may be extracted as a single wire. For example, a force 708 may be applied to a portion of cast metal 702 that is in groove 706A to extract the cast metal from the groove by pulling that portion of the cast metal away from the groove. As this portion of cast metal 702 is continued to be pulled away from groove 706A, because the cast metal is continuous (as well as the groove), the portions of the cast metal in grooves 706B and 706C will also be pulled away from the respective grooves. In other words, cast metal 702 forms a continuous wire that may be pulled out of the threaded inside surface 314 with force 708. In some implementations, force 708 may be applied at or near an end of the threads (e.g., the end of the groove) so that an end of cast metal 702 may be grasped (e.g., gripped) by a pulling device, such as an end effector or gripper, to apply force 708 on the end of the cast metal.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a system 800 that includes an angled threaded wire-forming vessel 802, according to some embodiments. Vessel 802 may be the same as or similar to vessel 100. Vessel 802 is illustrated to include a molten metal 804 on the bottom 806 of the vessel. Vessel 802 includes an angled threaded cylindrical wall 808 that includes threads 810 and the associated groove 812 on the inside surface 814 of wall 808. Inside surface 814, if not all of wall 808, may be conical. Though the figure illustrates a cross section of vessel 802, portions 816 of groove 812 are illustrated in a side view of the vessel so as to show how the groove, with its pitch 818, wraps around the inside of vessel 802.

System 800 may also include a motor 820 that is configured to spin vessel 802, such as with a spinning motion indicated by arrow 202 in FIG. 2. A control and detection module 822, which may include various electronics and a processor to execute machine-readable instructions, may be configured to operate motor 820. For example, module 822 may operate motor 820 to spin at various rotation speeds, including speeds that centrifugally force molten metal 804 into groove 812. Arrows 824 indicate how the spinning of vessel 802 may force molten metal 804 from the center of the vessel to wall 808 where the molten metal will then flow upward on inside surface 814. As the molten metal flows on the inside surface, the molten metal may at least partially fill groove 812 (e.g., at least partially filling threads 810). In contrast to vessel 302 described above, threaded cylindrical wall 808 of vessel 802 is angled outward from bottom 806 so that wall 808 is conical with an angle 826 from vertical. The angled wall presents a slope, instead of a vertical wall, that may allow molten metal 804 to more easily climb the wall and fill the threads. This may also allow the spinning vessel to rotate at slower speeds for the molten metal to fill the threads.

Module 822 may also include various electronics that are configured to measure at least one electrical property, such as voltage, current, resistance, inductance, or capacitance, of the molten or solid metal in the threads. Such measurements may allow for a determination about the integrity of the metal wire that has been formed in the groove of the threads. For example, a measurement (e.g., directly or indirectly determined from measurements of voltage and current) of resistance may indicate if there are any discontinuities in the formed wire, or if the wire is thinner or thicker than expected. Depending on the material of wall 808, measuring capacitance of the formed wire may also be useful to determine characteristics of the formed wire. Similarly, measuring inductance of the formed wire, which is effectively a (loosely wound) coil, may also be useful to determine characteristics of the formed wire.

Module 822 may also include various electronics that are configured to measure the moment of inertia of vessel 802 about its central vertical axis as it is spinning so as to detect the distribution of the molten metal. For example, the static moment of inertia of the non-spinning vessel 802 and its contents (e.g. molten metal 804 settled on bottom 806) may likely be substantially less than the moment of inertia of the vessel and its contents (e.g., the molten metal flowing across threads 810) when it is spinning. Thus, measuring a moment of inertia may indicate a stage of flow of molten metal 804 and, for example, if the process of the molten metal filling groove 812 has completed.

In some implementations, molten metal 804 may be aluminum, which has a relatively low melting point among metals. The molten metal may cool relatively quickly in groove 812 because of the relatively large surface area of the formed wire, which is mostly in contact with the vessel wall material, the temperature of which may be controlled for controlling the rate of cooling the formed wire in the groove.

In some implementations, molten metal 804 may initially be solid metal placed in vessel 802 and then subsequently heated and melted therein. In other implementations, molten metal 804 may initially be placed (e.g., poured) into vessel 802 in its liquid state.

For descriptions of various embodiments below, a portion 828 of wall 808 is illustrated.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of portion 828 of threaded cylindrical wall 808 of vessel 802 described above, according to some embodiments. Portion 828 includes, on inside surface 814, groove 902 and threads 904, which may be the same as or similar to groove 812 and threads 810, respectively. The cross-sectional shape of groove 902 may be flat (as illustrated) on the bottom of the groove and may transition to side walls with a rounded corner 906. This is in contrast to a relatively sharp-angled corners (e.g., 408) described above. Avoiding sharp corners may result in improved conforming of the molten metal to the groove surface. Accordingly, at least a portion of a cross-sectional shape of a wire formed in groove 902 may likely have the same or similar shape as the bottom and sides of the groove. The portion of the cross-sectional shape of the wire that is not in contact with the bottom and sides of groove 902 may be flat or may be rounded, depending on the surface tension of the formed wire as it cooled from liquid to solid. The surface tension of material 908 of wall 808 with respect to the molten metal may also affect the shape of the top surface of the formed wire.

Groove 902 may have a depth 910 and an entrance width 912. The width 914 of threads 904 is the separation of one wrap of groove 902 around the circumference of vessel 802 to the next. An angle 916 or 918 between inside surface 814 and side walls of groove 902 may be configured to receive and retain molten metal travelling up wall 808, as explained below.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of portion 828 of wall 808 illustrating groove 902 being partially filled with cast metal 1002, according to some example embodiments. Cast metal 1002 may be molten metal, such as 102 or 304, that has cooled and solidified in the groove. At this stage, cast metal 1002 is a wire that may be extracted from the groove, which is identified in the figure for two consecutive passes around the circumference of vessel 802. As explained above, the thread and the groove are both continuous on inside surface 814 so that, in the figure, a groove 1004A is the same groove as 1004B, each being a portion of the single groove 902 (or 812) that passes around the circumference of vessel 802 and into the cross-sectional portion 828. Accordingly, cast metal 1002 in grooves 1004A and 1004B may be extracted as a single wire. For example, a force 1006 may be applied to a portion of cast metal 1002 that is in groove 1004A to extract the cast metal from the groove by pulling that portion of the cast metal away from the groove. Force 1006 may be applied at a downward angle to account for the angled groove. As this portion of cast metal 1002 is continued to be pulled away from groove 1004A, because the cast metal is continuous (as well as the groove), the portion of the cast metal in groove 1004B will also be pulled away from the respective grooves. In other words, cast metal 1002 forms a continuous wire that may be pulled out of the threaded inside surface 814 with force 1006. In some implementations, force 1006 may be applied at or near an end of the threads (e.g., the end of the groove) so that an end of cast metal 1002 may be grasped (e.g., gripped) by a pulling device, such as an end effector or gripper, to apply force 1006 on the end of the cast metal. Because of the downward angle of groove 902, a process of forming wire with vessel 802 may include continuing to spin vessel 802 during the cooling of the molten metal in groove 902 and slowing or stopping the spinning only after the molten metal has cooled to a solid (e.g., the cast metal 1002). Such continued spinning can prevent the molten metal from falling downward out of angled groove 902.

In some implementations, molten metal may only partially fill groove 902 (e.g., 1004A and 1004B) to depth 910. The difference between depth 910 and a resulting thickness (in cross-section) of the formed wire may be due to any shrinkage (e.g., thermal contraction) of the metal as it cools from liquid to solid and/or surface tension effects, which may result in a concave top surface of the wire. In other implementations, however, molten metal may fill groove 902 beyond depth 910 such that the resulting thickness of the formed wire is greater than depth 910. The difference between depth 910 and the resulting thickness (in cross-section) of the formed wire may be due to any thermal expansion of the metal as it cools from liquid to solid and/or surface tension effects, which may result in a convex top surface of the wire, as illustrated.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a process 1100 of forming a wire, according to some embodiments. The process may be performed by an operator, which may be a person or persons, a computer processor executing computer-readable code, or a combination thereof. Process 1100 may be performed by the operator using a system that is the same as or similar to system 300 or system 800. Accordingly, for the present example, process 1100 is described using system 300, though claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

At 1102, the operator may place molten metal 304 in cylindrical vessel 302 that includes helical grooves 312 in wall 308 of the cylindrical vessel. Accordingly, molten metal may be settled on bottom 306 of the vessel. At 1104, the operator may spin the cylindrical vessel so that the molten metal centrifugally climbs the wall and at least partially fills the helical grooves. At 1106, the operator may allow the molten metal in the helical grooves to cool to a solid metal wire. At 1108, the operator may extract the solid metal wire from the helical grooves. In some implementations, the system may include an electrical meter to measure at least one electrical property of the solid metal wire in the threads. In this way the electrical continuity of the wire may be measured to indicate, among other things, the integrity of the wire in the groove of the threads before the wire is extracted from the groove.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the systems and methods described herein. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments or examples are presented by way of examples for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive of or to limit this disclosure to the precise forms described. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments or examples are shown and described in order to best explain the principles of this disclosure and practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize this disclosure and various embodiments or examples with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of this disclosure be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.