Why is it important to accurately measure wire drawing dies? In this question accuracy, perhaps not unexpectedly, is the key word. Wire drawing dies must meet rigorous standards of accuracy in order to manufacture wire that meets its required specifications – regardless of whether that is for a high-precision function or for wire used in manufacturing fences, for example. In this blog, we’ll consider why that’s the case and what the potential consequences are if it isn’t.
5 reasons why accurate measurement of wire drawing dies is crucial
Let’s start with five clear reasons why accurate wire drawing die measurement is table stakes for successful manufacturing outcomes:
- Quality Control: In manufacturing, the role of the wire drawing is (as we know from part 1) to reduce the diameter of a wire being pulled through either it or more likely a series of dies with progressively smaller diameters. In very simple terms, to ensure that a wire ultimately meets its specified dimensions the die must also accurately match the requirements. Of course, dimensions and quality are different aspects, but here we are talking about delivery according to the desired requirements. Variations in those dimensions will result in irregularities in the drawn wire, and these can affect its mechanical properties, surface finish, and potentially performance in subsequent manufacturing processes. In short, everything in the production chain relies on a drawing die with the correct properties.
- Performance Optimization: Precise measurement of wire drawing dies enables the optimization of the drawing process itself. Various parameters, for instance die clearance, reduction ratio, and drawing speed are in part dependent on consistency of dimensions in the dies being used. When a manufacturer knows with confidence the dimensions of its dies, it can adjust the above parameters to achieve the desired wire diameter, mechanical properties, and surface finish sought while at the same time reducing energy consumption and wear on the equipment used.
- Tool Life: In manufacturing processes, wire drawing dies are subject to consistent mechanical and thermal stresses. These will generally result in wear and degradation over time meaning consistent measurement is necessary to monitor the condition of equipment (in this case dies) and predict their lifespan. Tracking wear patterns and dimensional changes in wire drawing dies allow manufacturers to plan maintenance and replacement of worn dies proactively, minimizing downtime and production disruptions.
- Cost: Inaccurate (unmeasured) dies inevitably lead to greater scrap volumes and necessary rework, increased material waste and higher production costs. Given the importance of sustainability in industry today as well as cost savings and productivity to manufacturers, the price of accurate die measurement is a relatively small cost to pay compared to the consequences of inaccuracy.
- Consistency: Wire diameter must be consistent, particularly in industries like automotive, aerospace, and electronics, where precise tolerances are required. It’s principally through measurement of wire drawing dies that consistent quality in the final products in order to meet customer specifications and performance requirements is assured.
- Wire Breaks: Wire breaks are an important consequence of using out-of-spec dies. Even in manufacturing inexpensive wire with wide tolerances, the die set used for drawing must be precisely composed. It’s not just in industries like aerospace and medical that everything must be perfect. For cheap fence wire too, the accuracy of the dies used for drawing are critical.
What happens if wire drawing dies are inaccurate or out of specification?
Having now understood why measurement is important, let’s turn to what happens when it’s ignored because inaccurate (meaning out-of-specification) wire drawing dies can have several consequences. Perhaps the most important of these are:
- Inconsistent wire diameter: When wire drawing dies aren’t accurate the inevitable result is variations in the diameter of the drawn wire. For example, if dies are oversized, they are unlikely to correctly reduce the wire diameter to the required specification, in this case leading to wire diameters that are too large. The opposite, using dies which are undersized, will result in smaller-than-required-specification wire diameters. Either way, inconsistencies in the dimensions of the final wire products will reduce their suitability for the specific applications they’re intended to be used in and lead to quality issues.
- Surface finish issues: Out-of-specification wire drawing dies will likely also result in surface imperfections on the drawn wire. Here, oversized dies can be expected to lead to excessive friction which can cause surface defects such as scratches, scoring, or roughness in the wire while undersized dies can lead to excessive strain and stretching, resulting in surface irregularities or micro-cracks in the wire. These kinds of imperfections generally compromise the mechanical properties, aesthetics, and performance of the wire.
- Mechanical property problems: Inaccurate wire drawing dies have consequences that impact the mechanical properties of the drawn wire. Variations in wire diameter and surface condition, described above, frequently result in changes to a wire’s tensile strength, ductility, and hardness. This leads to inconsistencies in the wire’s performance and reliability. That’s especially problematic where precise mechanical properties are critical for the final application, such as automotive components or electronic connectors.
- Sustainability: Inaccurate wire drawing dies inevitably mean increased production scrap and rework. When the manufactured wire doesn’t meet its target dimensional or quality specifications it may have to be discarded or at least reprocessed, causing material waste, increased production costs, and process inefficiency not mention production delays and disruptions, missed delivery schedules and reduced customer satisfaction.
- Wear and tear: Out-of-specification wire drawing dies can lead to excessive wear and damage to the drawing equipment itself. The increased friction we noted earlier emanating from oversized dies can lead to premature die failure and downtime while the excessive strain and stress in undersized dies can lead to deformation, fatigue, or breakage leading to costly repairs, maintenance, or complete replacement of equipment components being necessary.
Summary
We’ve (hopefully) established why accurately measuring wire drawing dies is so critical and understood the consequences if it’s overlooked. They’re significant and affect the quality of the drawn wire, the efficiency of the wire drawing process, and the overall productivity and profitability of the manufacturing operation. Investing in measurement systems that assure accuracy should be a table stakes part of the manufacturing process.
Conoptica is a leading source of high accuracy measurement systems in the wire & cable industry, offering a variety of different measurement systems applicable to the medical manufacturing industry.
These enable accurate measurement, so users can track consistency and take appropriate actions – avoiding excessive quality deterioration and enabling better production outcomes.
Conoptica has been providing high tech camera-based measurement solutions since 1993. We make sure that the metal working industry has access to key quantitative data about their products and tools.