The role of wire drawing dies and the factors influencing die life

摘要

Since the introduction of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) dies inthe late 1970s, today's product range offers a complete diamond solution forwire drawing dies. These range from synthetic single crystal diamond dies formicron size wire drawing to large PCD dies for the drawing of rods up to 20 mmin diameter This paper, by M.A. Fleming and P.K. Sen, reviews some basiccharacteristics of PCD dies, such as the role of different microstructures in termsof performance, abrasion resistance, tool life, thermal stability in diemanufacture and use. The paper introduces a new die blank concept in a range ofsizes focusing on the issues of dimensional flexibility, quality consistency, andthe overall economics of inventory and delivery which will benefit both thediemaker and the wire drawer Among the many variables present in a wiredrawing operation, those that have the most adverse effect on the performanceand life of a die are identified, and possible measures that may be adopted toavoid premature die failure are proposed.