Copper is used mainly as an electrical conductor in industry. Electrical conductivity, the most distinguished property of copper, is improved to the required level by electrolytic refining in a tankhouse. The classical refining process at ER-BAKIR starts with melting blister copper and / or suitable copper scrap obtained from domestic and foreign sources in a Thomas type furnace. Natural gas is as fuel in the melting process. During the melting in Thomas furnace copper gives a typical green color to the flame The liquid copper gets the suitable form for loading into the electrolysis cells after solidification in the moulds. Electrolytic copper scrap arising at various stages in the plant can be reutilized in the refining. Copper is one of those few materials which can be recycled again and again.

Pure copper deposits on the cathode plates during the long electrorefining process. The cathodes taken out of the tankhouse cells have a fantastic color which is first indicator of the ER-BAKIR wire quality, highly appreciated by its customers.

Electrolytic copper is the most widely used material for electrical energy and signal transmissions that are the most fundamental and essential requirements of the modern world. The copper rod which is the main input material for the plants making copper conductors is produced metuculously by people devoted to their jobs at ER-8AKIR Continuous Casting and Hot Rolling Plant. The liquid copper obtained by melting cathodes in the shaft furnace flows first into the holding furnace and then is directed through launders and tundish to the casting machine. One of the important factors influencing the quality of the rod is the solidification process which takes place in the HAZELETT casting machine. The hot cast bar 50 obtained is transformed to rod in the rolling mill. The rod then passes a pickling line where it gets a bright surface, cools down and is sprzr,'ed with a protective solution and then directed to the coiler. There, it is formed into coils. The production is completed by the packing operation. In 1985, ER-BAKIR has started wire rod production by continuous technology of Italian Properzi with 7tonnes/h capacity. With the know-how and experience gained in time, in 1999, CONTIROD plant furnished by modern automation systems with 18 tonnes/h capacity is implemented. In 2009, after renovation of CONTIROD plant, capacity is increased to 30 tonnes/hour.The capacity of CONTIROD plant has been increased to 30 ton/hour with the investment in 2009

Products conforming both to national and international standards as well as products meeting specific customer requirements are produced by knowledgeable, experienced people who accept quality as a of living. The rod produced in the Continuous Casting and Hot Rolling Plant is processed in the Wire Drawing, Bunching and Stranding Plant which is equipped with the state-of-the-art machinery. The high capacity and standard of equipment installed in this department have enabled Er-Bakir to establish a significant and important position in this market sector. Wire rods in 8 mm diameter are processed in coarse wire drawing machines in various diameter as either annealed or hard copper wire form. These coarse wires have diameters ranging from 1.15 mm to 4 mm are either sold or used for tin plating or used as inlet wire for intermediate single end and multi-wiredrawing processes. Tin plating is an electrolytic process and tin plated wires are either sold or used as inlet wire for intermediate single end and multi-wiredrawing processes.

Plating

Besides plain wire, in accordance with the customer demand and related standarts, tin or nickel plated wires could be produced.

Tin Plating

Wires in diameters from 1.00 mm to 2.60 mm can be plated in 25 micron wall thicknes by electrolytic tin plating.

Nickel Plating

Wires in diameters from 0.80 mm to 2.60 mm can be plated up to 27 percent by weight by nickel plating. Tin or nickel plated wires are either sold or used as inlet wire for intermediate single end and m ulti-wiredrawing processes. Wires processed by intermediate single end and multi-wiredrawing machines can be sold or used as inlet wire for bending processes.

Bare, tin or nickel plated annealed wires processed by single and multi- wire drawing machines are used as inlet wire for bunching machines. These wires are bunched in Double Twist, Single Twist, Planet Strander and Rigid Strander machines in cross sections areas ranging from 0.05 mm2 to 360 mm2 and in geometrical shapes (normal bunched, concentric stranded and ropelay conductors) and in pitches in accordance with the customers' requests and standards, then transported after packing.