EoW March 2013

Feature

Die drawing & lubricants

Photo courtesy of Agibi Progetti Srl

N o 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.

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www.read-eurowire.com

March 2013