EoW March 2013

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Photo courtesy of Agibi Progetti Srl Die drawing
& lubricants
No maker of wire – a thin strand of
metal which must be protected
throughout production – requires to be
instructed in the importance of lubricants
in the correct formulation and amounts,
properly applied by mechanisms as
precisely calibrated as any in the plant.
Not only must the liquid or dry lubricant
solution be adapted to the individual
surface finish; it must facilitate feedability,
accommodate high line speeds, and
avoid contamination-related problems.
Circulation, filtering and temperature
control must be responsive to conditions
at all times and at every point in the cycle.
The soaps, oils, greases and pastes in
the inventory of a state-of-the-art wire
mill must also fulfil a second assignment
as important as the first: enabling the
precious dies through which the wire
passes to render the longest possible
service life of which they are capable. This
dual responsibility – to the tools as well
as to the product – is well understood by
the suppliers reviewed in this section of
EuroWire.
46 March 2013
Feature