The service life of the wire drawing die is revealed: tips and precautions

Wire drawing dies are a key tool for wire and cable production in the wire and cable industry, which plays an important

role in achieving continuous stretching and ensuring product quality. To maximize the service life of the drawing die and 

obtain high-quality drawn products, it is necessary to consider not only the material of the wire die, but also the hole 

design and other conditions of use of the drawing die. With the wide application of high-speed drawing machine, the

life problem of iw drawing die is becoming increasingly prominent. In order to prolong the service life of the wire 

drawing die, in addition to selecting the right material and reasonable hole size, improving the drawing die 

manufacturing level to meet the process requirements, it is also necessary to determine a reasonable pass compression 

rate, improve the use conditions, and carry out regular drawing die maintenance. The wire drawing die should be 

cleaned and replaced regularly and ensure that good lubrication is maintained during the stretching process.

In long-term use, the wire die wall of the drawing die will be subjected to strong friction and erosion of the metal wire, 

resulting in wear. One of the most common forms of wear is the formation of annular grooves at the bottom of the work 

area. The appearance of annular grooves exacerbates the degree of wear of the die holes. Because the loose core 

material in the groove is small particles, the metal wire will be carried into the die hole working area and sizing area, 

playing the role of abrasive, and the metal wire accelerates the wear of the die hole like a grinding needle. If not replaced

and repaired in a timely manner, the groove will continue to expand, making repair work more difficult, and may even

lead to cracks in the deeper grooves, making the drawing die unusable.

As a rule of thumb, it is very cost-effective to establish standardized maintenance standards and regularly overhaul the wire

drawing dies. Once the drawing die is slightly worn, polishing in time can restore the drawing die to its original polished 

state more quickly, and the hole size of the drawing die has not changed significantly.

The use of stretching equipment also has a significant impact on the life of the tool under specific stretching process

conditions. The asymmetry between the tensile axis of the wire and the center line of the die hole can lead to uneven 

stress on the wire and drawing die, and the impact caused by mechanical vibration will also subject the wire and drawing

die to higher stress peaks, both of which will accelerate the wear of the die.

Especially for hand-inlaid wire drawing dies, if there is a significant shift in the centerline of the drawing die, it will

exacerbate the expansion of the die hole and lead to uneven wear, making the die hole oval. In addition, frequent stops

can also increase the wear and tear of the tool, because the tensile stress generated during the start of the drawing is 

greater than the friction generated during the normal drawing.