Chapter 6 (Rod, Wire and

Tube Drawing)

Introduction
Drawing is an operation in which the cross-sectional
area of a bar or tube is reduced or changed in shape
by pulling it through a converging die (dies are
usually tapered).
The drawing process is somewhat similar to
extrusion, except that in drawing, the bar is under
tension, whereas in extrusion it is under
compression.

Introduction
Although drawing applies tensile stress, compression
also plays a significant role since metal is squeezed as it
passes through die opening.
Rod and wire drawing are generally finishing process,
and the product is either used as produced or is further
processed into other shapes, such as by bending or
machining.
Rods are used for various applications, such as small
pistons, structural members, shafts, spindles, and as raw
material for making fasteners such as bolt and screws.
Wire and wire product have a wide range of applications,
such as electrical wiring, electrical equipment's, cables,
springs, fencing, welding electrodes and shopping carts.
Wire diameter may be as small as 0.025 mm

Rod products

Wire products

Drawing
The concept of drawing involves pulling wire, rod, or bar
though a die, or converging channel to decrease crosssectional area in increase length.
In the majority of the cases the cross section is circular,
although none-circular cross sections may be drawn/ or
created by drawing.
In a comparison to rolling, drawing offers
1. Much better dimensional control.
2. Lower capital equipment cost.
3. And extension to small cross sections.
. In comparison to extrusion, drawing offers
1. Continuous processing.
2. Lower equipment cost.
3. And extension to small cross sections.

Drawing
Large quantities of wires, rods, tubes and other
sections are produced by drawing process which is
basically a cold working process (Drawing is usually
performed at room temperature, thus classified a cold
working process, but it may be performed at elevated
temperatures for large wires to reduce forces). In this
process the material is pulled through a die in order
to reduce it to the desired shape and size.
In a typical wire drawing operation, once the wire is
gripped and pulled to pass through the opening of the
die, its diameter reduced to the desired one.

Cold drawing properties

Improved Size and Section

Tighter size & section tolerances
Dimensional consistency within each bar
Dimensional consistency from bar to bar
Improved Surface Finish / Reduces surface machining
Improved Straightness
Improved Cost Effectiveness / Production of Precision Shapes to
Precision Tolerances
Increased Mechanical Properties / Can reduce the need for
hardening.
Yield strength
Tensile strength
Hardness

Wire Drawing vs. Bar Drawing

Difference between bar drawing and wire
drawing is stock size
Bar drawing - Large diameter bar and rod
stock (bar drawing usually involves stock that is
too large in cross section to be coiled. Round
bar stock may be 1 to 10 cm in diameter or
even larger)
Wire drawing - Small diameter stock - wire
sizes down to 0.025 mm (0.001 in.) are possible
Although the mechanics are the same, the
methods, equipment.

Drawing Practice and Products

Drawing practice:
Usually performed as cold working
Most frequently used for round crosssections
Products:
Wire: electrical wire; wire stock for
fences, coat hangers, and shopping carts
Rod stock : for nails, screws, rivets, and
springs
Bar stock: metal bars for machining,
forging, and other processes

How dose drawing work

Why not simply stretch wire, rod or bar?

It can be argued, at least in principle, that some of the
objectives of drawing could be achieved by simply
stretching the wire with a pulling force.
The cross section could be reduced and elongation
accomplished, but dies would not be needed and the friction
and metal flow issues presented by die could be a voided.
The principle problem with just stretching the wire with a
pulling force is the necking phenomena. Basically, after a
certain amount of uniform stretching, all further elongation
will be concentrated at a single location ( a neck), which will
rapidly thin and break.
This occurs because the decrease in cross-sectional area
eventually weakens wire more than any strengthening that
occurs by work hardening.

How dose drawing work

Simple explanation of drawing process.
In the drawing process, a pulling force and a
pressure force from the die, combine to cause the
wire to extend and reduce in cross-sectional area,
while passing through the die as shown in the figure
:

How dose drawing work

Because of this combined effect , the pulling force
or drawing force is less than the force that would
cause the wire to stretch, or neck and break
downstream from the die.
On the other hand, if a reduction too large in crosssectional area is attempted at the die, the drawing
force may break the wire.
In commercial practice, engineering pulling loads
are rarely above 60% of the as-drawn strength, and
the area reduction in a single drawing pass is
rarely above 30% or 35%, and is often much lower.
A particular common reduction in none ferrous
drawing is the American Wire Gage (AWG)

Wire Drawing
Wire drawing involves stock that can be easily coiled
and subjected to sequential or tandem drawing
operations with as many as a dozen or more draws
occurring with a given drawing machine.
Each drawing operation or pass will involve delivery of
the wire to the die from a coil on capstan OR drum,
passage through the die, and take-up on a capstan that
pulls the wire through the die
Continuous drawing machines consisting of multiple
draw dies (typically 4 to 12) separated by accumulating
drums
Each drum (capstan) provides proper force to draw wire
stock through upstream die
Each die provides a small reduction, so desired total
reduction is achieved by the series of dies.

Wire Drawing
Fine wire drawing typically refers
to round wire with a diameter of less
than 0.1 mm.
Ultra fine wire drawing typically
refers to round wire as fine as 0.0025
mm in diameter.

Wire Drawing

Annealing before each drawing operation permits large

area reduction (Annealing sometimes required between
dies to relieve work hardening). Because of the strain
hardening, intermediate annealing between passes may
be necessary in cold drawing in order to maintain
sufficient ductility to the material and avoid failure.
Tungsten Carbide dies are used to for drawing hard
wires, and diamond dies is the choice for fine wires.

Bar Drawing
Bar drawing usually involves stock that is too large in cross section, and hence
must be drawn straight.
Round bar stock may be 1 to 10 cm in diameter and even larger.
Accomplished as a single-draft operation - the stock is pulled through one die
opening
Beginning stock has large diameter and is a straight cylinder

Hydraulicall
y operated
draw bench
for drawing
metal bars

Bar Drawing
The reduction in area is usually
restricted to 20 to 50%,
because greater reductions
would exceed the tensile
strength of the material,
depending on itsductility. To
achieve a certain size or shape
multiple passes through
progressively smaller dies or
intermediateannealsmay be
required

Tub Drawing
Tubes produced by extrusion or other process (such as shape rolling)
Also tubes can be reduced in thickness or diameter by tube drawing.
The shape of tubes can be changed by using dies and mandrels with
various profiles

Tube drawing
Tube drawing is also similar to wire drawing,
except that a mandrel of appropriate
diameter is required to form the internal hole.
Here three arrangements are shown in figure
(a) with a floating plug and (b) fixe plug
drawing(c) with a moving mandrel

Fixed plug drawing

This is the oldest tube drawing method.
Fixed plug drawing, also known as stationary mandrel
drawing, uses a mandrel at the end of the die to shape the
ID of the tube.
This process is slow and the area reductions are limited
(lengths of tubes are limited), but it gives the best inner
surface finish of any of the processes.

Floating plug drawing

Floating plug drawing, also known as floating mandrel
drawing, uses a mandrel that is not anchored whatsoever to
shape the ID of the tube.
The mandrel is held in by the friction forces between the
mandrel and the tube.
The greatest advantage of this that it can be used on
extremely long lengths, sometimes up to 1,000 feet (300 m).
The disadvantage is it requires a precise design otherwise it
will give inadequate results. This process is often used for oiltubing

Floating plug drawing

Moving mandrel drawing

Is the process that draws the tube with a mandrel
inside the tube; the mandrel is drawn with the tube
(moving mandrel). Tubes as large as (30 m)in diameter
can be drawn.
The advantage to this process is that the mandrel
defines the ID and the surface finish.
The disadvantages are that lengths are limited by
the length of the mandrel, usually no more than 100
feet (30 m), and that a second operation is required to
remove the mandrel, called reeling. This type of
process is usually used on heavy walled or small ID
tubes.
Common applications include super-high pressure
tubing and hydraulic tubing

Moving mandrel drawing

Also known as semi-floating mandrel drawing, is a mix
between floating plug drawing and fixed plug drawing. The
mandrel is allowed to float at the end of tube, but it still
anchored.
This process gives similar results to the floating plug
process, except that it is designed for multiple diameter of
straight tubes. It gives a better inner surface finish than
rod drawing.

Preparation of the Work for

Wire or Bar Drawing
Annealing to increase ductility of stock
Annealing: This is a thermal treatment
generally used to soften the material being
drawn, to modify the microstructure, the
mechanical properties and the machining
characteristics of the steel and/or to remove
internal stresses in the product. Depending on
the desired characteristics of the finished
product, annealing may be used before, during
(between passes) or after the cold drawing
operation, depending on material requirements.

Preparation of the Work for

Wire or Bar Drawing
Raw Stock: Hot rolled steel bar or rod coils are used as raw
material. Because the hot rolled products are produced at
elevated temperatures (1700 2200 i.e. hot rolling), they
generally have a rough and scaled surface and may also
variations
in section
and to
size.
exhibit
Cleaning
- To prevent
damage
work surface and draw die
(Abrasive scale (iron oxide) on the surface of the hot rolled
rough stock is removed) it is done by pickling process.
Pointing to reduce diameter of starting end to allow
insertion through draw die (Several inches of the lead ends of
the bar or coil are reduced in size by swaging ,so that it can
pass freely through the drawing die. Note: This is done
because the die opening is always smaller than the original
bar or coil section size) and also to prevent die from wearing.
Coating: The surface of the bar or coil is coated with a
drawing lubricant to aid cold drawing.

Lubrication
Proper lubrication is important in drawing operations.
The basic methods of lubrication used in wire drawing are:
Dry drawing : in dry drawing, the surface of the wire is
coated with various lubricants, depending on the strength
and frictional characteristics of the material. The rod to be
drawn is first surface treated by pickling, which removes
the surface scale that could lead to surface defects and
considerably reduce die life (because of its abrasiveness).
The bar then goes through a box (stuffing box) filled with
soap powder to coat it

Picklingis ametalsurface treatment used to remove

impurities, contaminants,rustorscalefromferrousmetals,
copper, andaluminumalloys. A solution called pickle liquor,
which containsstrong acids, is used to remove the surface
impurities. It is commonly used to descale or cleansteelin
varioussteelmakingprocesses

Lubrication
Wet drawing : in wet drawing, the dies and rod are
completely immersed in a lubricant. Typical lubricants
include oils and emulsion (containing fatty or chlorinated
additives) and various chemical compounds.
Metal coating : for high - strength materials, such as
steels, stainless steels, and high-temperature alloys, the
surface of the rod may be coated with a softer metal or
with conversion coating. Conversion coatings may
consists of sulfate oxalate coatings on the rod, which
typically are then coated with soap, as a lubricant.
Copper or tin can be chemically deposited as a thin layer
on surface of the metal, whereby it acts as a solid
lubricant
Polymers may also be used as a solid lubricants, such as
in drawing titanium

Features of a Draw Die

Entry region - funnels lubricant into the die to prevent
scoring of work and die
Approach - cone-shaped region where drawing occurs
Bearing surface (land) - determines final stock size.
The purpose of the land is to size, that is, to set the final
diameter of the product
Back relief - exit zone if the exit of die bearing has a
sharp edge, this can shave the wire. This will produce
metal particles, dust or fines, which will
Pollute drawing lubricant
Block the entrance of the next die

Features of a Draw Die

Back relief
The friction against sharp edge also imparts
vibration to the wire, which can be
transmitted through the machine. The
negative results of this are:
1. Abnormal wear of the die
2. Poor wire quality
3. Numerous wire breaks
To avoid this sharp edge, it is necessary to produce
A well smooth transition zone between the bearing
and the exit zone

Die materials
Die materials for drawing are generally alloy tool
steels, carbides, or diamond.
For drawing fine wires the die may be diamond, either
a single crystal or a polycrystalline diamond.
Carbide and diamond dies are made as inserts or nibs,
which are then supported in a steel casting as shown:

Die Wear

A typical wear
pattern on a
drawing die is
shown below.
The die wear is
highest at the
entry. Although the
pressure is highest
in this region and
may be partially
reasonable for

Die Wear
Other factors that are involved in
wearing of die include:
1. Variations in the diameter of the
entering wire.
2. Vibration, which subjects the dieentry contact zone to fluctuating
stresses
3. The presence of abrasive scale on the
surface of entering wire.

Equipment
Drawing equipment can be of several designs. These designs can
be classified into two basic types; Draw bench, and Bull block:
1. A draw bench : A draw bench uses a single die and the pulling
force is supplied by a chain drive or by hydraulic means. Draw bench
is used for single length drawing of rod or tube with diameter
greater than 20mm (may be 1 to 10 cm in diameter and even larger).
Length can be as much as 30 m. similar to a long horizontal tensile
testing machine but with hydraulic or chain-drive mechanism, is
used for single draws of straight rods with large cross sections and
for tubes with length up to 30 m.
2. Bull block : smaller cross sections are usually drawn by a bull
block, which is basically a rotating drum around which wire is
wrapped. The tension in the setup provides the force required to
draw the wire

Equipment
Drawing
equipment can be
of several designs.
These designs can
be classified into
two basic types
1. Draw bench for
rod and tube
2. and Bull block for
wire
A draw bench uses a single die and the pulling force
is supplied by a chain drive or by hydraulic means.
Draw bench is used for single length drawing of rod
or tube with diameter greater than 20mm. Length

Draw bench

Bull block

Drawing Defects
Defects in drawing are similar to those observed in
extrusion especially center cracking.
The factors influencing center cracking are:
1. The tendency for cracking increase with increasing die
angle.
2. Decreasing reduction per pass.
3. Friction
4. The presence of inclusions in the material.
.A type of surface defect in drawing is the formation of
seams. These are longitudinal scratches or folds in the
material which can open up during subsequent forming
operation, such as by upsetting, heading, thread rolling,
or by bending of the wire or rod.

Drawing Defects

Residual stress in drawing operation

Because of inhomogeneous
deformation that the material
undergoes, a cold drawn rod,
wire, or tube usually contains
residual stresses.
Typically a wide range of
residual stresses can be
present within the rod in
three principles directions :
1. Transverse direction
2. Longitudinal direction.
3. Radial direction.

Residual stress in drawing operation

For very light reductions, the surface residual
stresses are compressive. Note that light
reductions are equivalent to shot peening or
surface rolling which induce compressive
residual stresses on surface, thus improving
fatigue life.
Residual stress can be significant in stress
application causing cracking or in warping of
the component when a layer is subsequently
removed, as by machining or grinding

shot peening
Shot peeningis a cold working process used
to produce acompressiveresidual stresslayer
and modify mechanical properties ofmetals. It
entails impacting a surface with shot (round
metallic, glass, or ceramic particles) with force
sufficient to createplastic deformation

Mechanics of rod and wire

drawing
The major variables in drawing process
are:
1. The reduction in cross-sectional area
2. Die angle
3. Friction also plays a major role

Idea drawing force-with no friction

The drawing stress, d, for the simplest case of ideal
deformation-no strain hardening ( that is no friction or
redundant work ) is obtained by :

Where Y is the yield

stress of the material

For the material that exhibits strain hardening with the

true-stress-strain behavior, Y is replaced by an average
flow stress :

The quantity, , is obtained from the

expression:
Where is the average
flow stress

Idea drawing force-with no friction

The ideal drawing force ( that is no friction or
redundant work ) is obtained by :

Where
iis the average flow stress and can be
obtained by :

A0: is the initial cross sectional area.

Af: is the final cross sectional area.
K is the stress (strength) coefficient, n is the strain hardening (work

Idea drawing force-with friction

Friction at the die-workpiece interface increases
the drawing force because work has to be supplied
externally to overcome friction.
The drawing stress with friction is obtained by
following expression: .

Die pressure
Noting that the compressive stresses in the two
directions are equal to p, the die pressure along
the die contact length can be obtained:

p Yf

Yf :is the flow stress , :is the tensile stress

in the deformation zone.

Yf

Example
A round rod of annealed 302 stainless
steel is being drawn from a diameter of 10
mm to 8 mm at s speed of 0.5m/s. assume
that frictional and redundant work together
constitute 40% of the ideal work of the
deformation.
Calculate the power required for this
operation?
Calculate the die pressure at the exit of the
die?

Comparison of bulk deformation

processes

Comparison of bulk deformation

processes

Comparison of bulk deformation

processes