Wrought iron was originally processed by a variety of smelters but with the passage of time various techniques to suit the change in requirements were adopted. Currently wrought iron is created from the blows of the hammer and from the scaling caused by the fire. The iron is heated to the point where it becomes soft and malleable. This is also known as hot forged metal as the metal is heated until it reaches its red-hot state. The process is no doubt laborious and requires a lot of expertise.

BLOOMERY PROCESS
This process was amongst the earliest processes used to produce wrought iron and was developed around Iron Age. A bloomery is a type of chimney made up of clay, which produces heat. In this operation, the bloomery is heated prior to a predefined temperature by burning charcoal. Once hot, iron ore and additional charcoal are introduced through the top, in a roughly one to one ratio. Outcome of this process was a small lump of wrought iron of inferior quality but it was enough to make an impact on history.

INDIRECT PROCESS
In the middle age, the bloomery process was largely replaced by the blast furnace, which is an indirect process. The direct bloomery process was replaced by blast furnace as inferior quality wrought iron was produced by indirect process.

To start with, coke was introduced as a fuel in place of charcoal. Not only was the Coke used as fuel, was cheaper, but it was friable allowing the furnaces to be much larger.

Coke as a fuel was not only less expensive but it was less friable too, thus allowed the furnace to become larger. However, charcoal continued to be used as fuel for finery.

PUDDLING
A number of inventions were going on to invent a process better than indirect process and to avoid charcoal as fuel. Later at end of seventeenth century the method of pudding furnace was introduced.

In this method Solid Pig (Cast) Iron was heated vigorously within an enclosed furnace. The fire was then damped down and the iron stirred so as to bring as much as possible in contact with the air.

If we maintain a predefined temperature in the furnace the iron began to solidify with the removal of carbon. Wrought iron produced by this method was not in the usable condition. To make it usable it was taken out from furnace and forged using a 'Shingling Hammer'. A ready to use wrought iron was than produced.

FAGGOTING
Puddling was followed by faggoting process, which is a process to remove impurities within the metal. After the process of faggoting, wrought iron produced was of excellent.