Increasing production yield of coated wire elements

1. A method for producing a plurality of wire elements, comprising:

a. providing a metal wire, wherein the metal wire comprises an inner metal core layer;

b. coating the metal wire with a first layer to obtain a first coated wire, wherein the first layer has a first thickness;

c. subjecting the first coated wire to a first quality control process;

d. marking any first defects identified in the first quality control process;

e. coating the first coated wire with a further layer to obtain a further coated wire, wherein the further layer has a further thickness;

f. introducing two or more repeating units along the further coated wire by reducing the first thickness, the further thickness, or both;

g. cutting the further coated wire between at least one pair of neighbouring repeating units to obtain the plurality of wire elements;

wherein prior to cutting the further coated wire in g to obtain the plurality of wire elements, a first length of the first coated wire is less than 10% longer than a further length of the further coated wire.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, before the two or more repeating units are introduced, the following are performed:

a. subjecting the further coated wire to a further quality control process;

b. identifying further defects;

c. marking the further defects.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the further quality control process comprises at least one or all of the following:

a. inspecting the further coated wire;

b. testing at least one dimensional property of the further coated wire.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, after the two or more repeating units have been introduced, the following are performed:

a. subjecting the repeating units to an additional quality control process;

b. identifying additional defects;

c. marking the repeating units that comprise at least one additional defect with a reject mark.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the additional quality control process comprises at least one or all of the following:

a. inspecting at least one repeating units;

b. testing the number of subsections in at least one repeating units;

c. testing at least one dimensional property of at least one repeating units.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, prior to coating the metal wire with the first layer, the following are preformed:

a. subjecting the metal wire to an another quality control process;

b. identifying another defects;

c. marking the another defects.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the another quality control process comprises at least one or all of the following:

a. inspecting the metal wire;

b. testing at least one physical property of the metal wire,

c. testing at least one dimensional property of the metal wire.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein laser ablation is used for at least one or all of the following:

a. marking the first defects, the further defects, or both;

b. reducing the first thickness, the further thickness, or both;

c. applying the reject mark.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the repeating units has a length in the range of 1 mm to 110 mm.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first quality control process comprises at least one or all of the following:

a. inspecting the first coated wire;

b. testing at least one physical property of the first coated wire;

c. testing at least one dimensional property of the first coated wire.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first length of the first coated wire is in the range of 1000 m to 6000 m.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the time required for performing steps b. through f. in claim 1 is in the range of 1 m/min to 900 m/min.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one or all of the following is true:

a. at least 80% of an another length of the metal wire is coated with the first layer;

b. at least 80% of the first length of the first coated wire is coated with the further layer.