EoW March 2013

Feature Die drawing & lubricants

Cost-effective solutions

Lab investment for UKfirm As part of its ambitious expansion plan and commitment to quality and service, leading wire drawing lubricant specialist Metalube has acquired almost £60,000 worth of new laboratory equipment. With a £40,000 investment, the Mettler TGA/DSC is a laboratory highlight. This cutting-edge instrument carries out simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis in a single test enabling the evaluation of oxidative stability and evaporation rates under a variety of conditions. Technical director Chris Nettleship said: “This new Mettler TGA/DSC is particularly good news for wire and tube drawing manufacturers. It allows us to study the ageing of oils and therefore extend the service life. We can also investigate how lubricants behave during the annealing cycle, working alongside customers to optimise product and processes. This all results in enhanced tube quality.” Another recent addition to Metalube’s lab is an £18,000 Reichert M2 friction and wear tester. This latest model with variable speed and load allows the company’s chemists to study the frictional and wear reduction properties of Metalube’s wire drawing products (copper and aluminium). Mr Nettleship added: “Investment is key to our growth and ensures that Metalube continually provides the class of products that meet our customers’ needs. We are 100 per cent committed to quality and innovation. This requires equipment that meets 21 st century demands.” Metalube Ltd – UK Website : www.metalube.co.uk 40 years’ experience Die Tec is an established Mexican company with 40 years’ experience in the manufacture of wire drawing dies and special tools for the wire, tube and bar drawing industry. The company also works with stamping dies and special tooling that requires high quality materials to improve productivity and extend life expectancy. All tools are manufactured under the worldwide known brand of “Diamex”. Die Tec International – Mexico

Tecnofil has been designing and manufacturing wire-working machinery since 1994, offering cost-effective solutions in the wire industry. The latest developed machine is the ADR-4. Tecnofil ADR-4 is a machine for fully automatic reworking of tungsten carbide dies, using CNC technology to give the highest productivity, reliability and die geometry precision.

The line is composed of: • input die magazine holding up to 20 pieces

• electronic control panel with PLC and touch screen to set working parameters • fully automatic die shifting along the three work stations (cone grinding, cone polishing, cylinder calibration) • fully automatic identification and selection of input/output dies • automatic diamond paste feeding.

▲ ▲ The ADR-4 from Tecnofil

ADR-4 line works as follows : 1° Station – Cone grinding : The line picks one die from the magazine and inserts in the rotating pliers; the machine automatically sets the contact point and then starts grinding the dies. The control of die diameter is made by adjustable steps to get highest precision level. 2° Station – Cone polishing : The die is picked from grinding station and is delivered to the rotating pliers of the polishing station. Diamond paste is automatically inserted in the die, then the machine sets the contact point and starts polishing the die. The polishing pin can be automatically reground after the desired number of cycles. The control of the die diameter is made by adjustable steps to get the highest precision level. 3° Station – Cylinder calibration : The die is picked from the cone finishing station and delivered to the rotating pliers of the cylinder calibration. The diamond paste is automatically inserted in the die, then the machine sets the contact point and starts polishing the cone by vibration and position control. The re-worked die is placed in the finished die magazine. Technical features: Die diameter range from 0.4 to 6mm, production speed: 50 dies/hour. Tecnofil SpA – Italy Website : www.tecnofil.net

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March 2013