Abstract: A wire-harness use composite wire comprising a first element wire which comprises 0.01-0.25 mass % C, 0.01-0.25 mass % N, 0.5-4.0 mass % Mn, 16-20 mass % Cr,8.0-14.0 mass % Ni, and the balance of Fe and impurities and satisfies that a C+N content is in the range of 0.15 mass %?C+N?0.30 mass %, and a second element wire comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy, the first element wire and the second element wire being twisted together.

Abstract: A high-strength steel wire for heat-resistant springs has both excellent high-temperature tensile strength and excellent high-temperature sag resistance at a temperature as high as 350 to 500° C., particularly at 400° C. or so (these properties are needed for spring materials). The steel wire contains (a) 0.01 to 0.08 wt % C, 0.18 to 0.25 wt % N, 0.5 to 4.0 wt % Mn, 16 to 20 wt % Cr, and 8.0 to 10.5 wt % Ni, (b) at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of 0.1 to 3.0 wt % Mo, 0.1 to 2.0 wt % Nb, 0.1 to 2.0 wt % Ti and 0.3 to 2.0 wt % Si, and (c) mainly Fe and unavoidable impurities both of which constitute the remainder. The steel wire has (a) a tensile strength of at least 1,300 N/mm2 and less than 2,000 N/mm2 before being treated with low-temperature annealing, and (b) a maximum crystal-grain diameter of less than 12 ?m in the ? phase (austenite) in a transverse cross section of the wire.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a wire-harness use composite wire having a further improved corrosion resistance, while having excellent conductivity and strength. [Solving means] A wire-harness use composite wire comprising a first element wire which comprises 0.01-0.25 mass % C, 0.01-0.25 mass % N, 0.5-4.0 mass % Mn, 16-20 mass % Cr, 8.0-14.0 mass % Ni, and the balance of Fe and impurities and satisfies that a C+N content is in the range of 0.15 mass %?C+N?0.30 mass %, and a second element wire comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum alloy, the first element wire and the second element wire being twisted together.

Abstract: A lightweight insulated electric wire and an automobile wire harness using the same insulated electric wire where the insulated electric wire has a conductor portion including one or more first wires and one or more second wires, which are stranded together. The first wires are constituted by metal wires made from at least one type of metal selected from copper, copper alloy, aluminum and aluminum alloy. The second wires are constituted by metal wires different from the first wires and have a relative permeability of 4.0 or less.

Abstract: There is provided a stainless steel wire having both excellent corrosion resistance and an excellent fatigue strength while being fabricable with high productivity. A stainless steel wire consists of 0.01 to 0.25 mass % C, 0.01 to 0.25 mass % N, 0.4 to 4.0 mass % Mn, 16 to 25 mass % Cr, 8.0 to 14.0% Ni and the balance Fe with impurities, wherein the C+N content satisfies 0.15 mass % ?C+N ?0.35 mass %. The stainless steel wire contains 15 vol. % martensite phase induced by a drawing and the balance austenite phase and has a texture which causes the austenite phase to exhibit diffraction intensities satisfying both I(200)/I(111)?2.0 and I(220)/I(111)?3.0 by X-ray diffraction in the longitudinal direction of the steel wire.

Abstract: There are provided a lightweight insulated electric wire capable of reducing influences of external magnetic fields while having an excellent conductivity and an excellent strength and an automobile wire harness using the same insulated electric wire. There is provided a signal electric wire including a conductor portion consisting of one or more first wires and one or more second wires, which are stranded together. The first wires are constituted by metal wires made from at least one type of metal selected from a group consisting of copper, copper alloy, aluminum and aluminum alloy. The second wires are constituted by metal wires different from the first wires and have a relative permeability of 4.0 or less. By setting the relative permeability of the constituent wires of the conductor portion to 4.0 or less, it is possible to suppress temperature rises caused by eddy current loses due to external magnetic fields, thus alleviating degradation of the insulation layer and poor insulation.

Abstract: A high-strength steel wire for heat-resistant springs has both excellent high-temperature tensile strength and excellent high-temperature sag resistance at a temperature as high as 350 to 500° C., particularly at 400° C. or so (these properties are needed for spring materials). The steel wire contains (a) 0.01 to 0.08 wt % C, 0.18 to 0.25 wt % N, 0.5 to 4.0 wt % Mn, 16 to 20 wt % Cr, and 8.0 to 10.5 wt % Ni, (b) at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of 0.1 to 3.0 wt % Mo, 0.1 to 2.0 wt % Nb, 0.1 to 2.0 wt % Ti and 0.3 to 2.0 wt % Si, and (c) mainly Fe and unavoidable impurities both of which constitute the remainder. The steel wire has (a) a tensile strength of at least 1,300 N/mm2 and less than 2,000 N/mm2 before being treated with low-temperature annealing, and (b) a maximum crystal-grain diameter of less than 12 &mgr;m in the &ggr; phase (austenite) in a transverse cross section of the wire.

Abstract: An Ni-based or Ni—Co-based heat-resistant alloy wire excellent in resistance to sag at high temperatures ranging from 600 to 700° C., which excellent resistance is most suitable for spring materials. The heat-resistant alloy wire contains (a) 0.01 to 0.40 wt % C, 5.0 to 25.0 wt % Cr, and 0.2 to 8.0 wt % Al; (b) at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of 1.0 to 18.0 wt % Mo, 0.5 to 15.0 wt % W, 0.5 to 5.0 wt % Nb, 1,0 to 10.0 wt % Ta, 0.1 to 5.0 wt % Ti and 0.001 to 0.05 wt % B; (c) at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of 3.0 to 20.0 wt % Fe and 1.0 to 30.0 wt % Co; and (d) the remaining constituent consisting mainly of Ni and unavoidable impurities. The wire has (a) a tensile strength not less than 1,400 N/mm2 and less than 1,800 N/mm2, (b) an average crystal-grain diameter not less than 5 &mgr;m and less than 50 &mgr;m in a cross section, and (c) a crystal-grain aspect ratio (a major-axis/minor-axis ratio) of 1.2 to 10 in a longitudinal section.

Abstract: A combination of an adjusting shim and a cam used in a valve train in an internal combustion engine for automobiles, the adjusting shim composed of a ceramic material which sets the surface roughness of a sliding surface of the adjusting shim with respect to a cam to not more than 0.1 .mu.m in ten-point mean roughness Rz, and which contains not less than 60 vol. % of silicon nitride or sialon, and the cam composed of cast iron a surface of which is chill hardened and then provided with a phosphate film thereon. The combination of an adjusting shim and a cam is capable of smoothing a sliding surface of the cam by the break-in of the part even if the cam is not subjected to a super-precision finishing process; preventing the seizure and abnormal abrasion of sliding surfaces; stabilizing a smoothed condition of the sliding surfaces of the cam and shim for a long period of time; and providing excellent sliding characteristics of the sliding surfaces owing to a decrease in the friction coefficient thereof.