DIFERRENT LUBRICATION TECHNIQUES BEING ADOPTED IN WIRE DRAWING

N.Raghu ram, School of Mechanical Engineering, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India. raghu1449@gmail.com.

ABSTRACT:
Lubrication plays a prominent role in any of the metal forming processes. The simple reason for this is that the higher the friction, the greater is the load required in producing the same deformation and hence, choosing a metal working lubricant is most important. It also influences factors like tool life and surface finish of product. This paper emphasizes on some of the lubrication techniques being adopted in the wire drawing process. Keywords: lubrication, wire drawing.

1. INTRODUCTION:
For the making of wire, metal rods are drawn through dies of successively decreasing diameter. Lubricant is necessary to reduce friction between the rod and the die. Because the lubricant, normally a soap, does not itself adhere well to the rod, a lubricant carrier is necessary. The carrier must form a tenacious coating on the rod to which the lubricant will readily adhere.

Lubrication in the drawing process is essential for maintaining good surface finish and long die life. The following are different methods of lubrication:

Wet drawing: the dies and wire or rod are completely immersed in lubricant Dry drawing: the wire or rod passes through a container of lubricant which coats the surface of the wire or rod. Metal coating: the wire or rod is coated with a soft metal which acts as a solid lubricant Ultrasonic vibration: the dies and mandrels are vibrated, which helps to reduce forces and allow larger reductions per pass

Various lubricants, such as oil, are employed. Another lubrication method is to immerse the wire in copper sulphate solution, such that a film of copper is deposited which forms a kind of lubricant. In some classes of wire the copper is left after the final drawing to serve as a preventive of rust or to allow easy soldering.

lead on the stainless steel , are the oxalate coatings used with a more conventional soap or oil based lubricants , and various plastic coatings. Plastic coatings are relatively costlier , but they are very effective in reducing the adhesion and pick up when a tube is drawn many times. 2.2 SOAPS: Second category is that of soaps. Soaps are reaction products of fatty acids with alkalis and their properties depend upon the type of fatty acids and the type of alkali used. Most soaps used as wire drawing lubricants are based upon stearate and there is evidence that they give better performance than other soaps. Sodium soap applied to tubes by dipping into hot solution or calcium stearate picked up by a wire from a soapbox adjacent to a die are the most common drawing lubricants for ferrous materials and hard alloys . The most commonly used stearate in dry wire drawing are those of sodium , calcium, and aluminium based while potassium stearate is most exclusively found in wet drawing . Most of the wire drawing soaps incorporates additives in the lubricant. For example free lime is frequently added to wire drawing soaps to make the the lubricant leaner for providing proper balance to the frictional characteristics required. Sodium soaps are especially desirable for the use where the lubricant must be removed from the wire in a subsequent operation as in the operation of liquor finish, galvanizing, tinning . Aluminium soaps are most commonly used in drawing cold heading wire because they give a hard , non tacky film, which minimizes sticking of dies.

2. LUBRICATION TECHNIQUES:
There is wide variety of lubricant compositions available these days to perform different functions. The lubricants can be conventionally be put into following four categories: 2.1LUBRICANT CARRIERS: First category is that of lubricant carriers. Because of the surface extension and the high pressures occurring in the wire drawing , conventional lubricants cannot always be relied upon to prevent metal to metal contact . therefore a solid layer is almost in variably implied on steel wire. This layer is known as the lubricant carrier, and its function is not only to prevent metal adhesion to the die, but also to pick up and carry lubricant through the die. Frequently lime metallic materials (copper, tin, lead ), borax, polymer coatings, as well as conversion coatings (phosphate) may be used on a variety of metals. Lime is probably the most widely used of the lubricant carriers mainly because of its relatively low cost. The advantage of borax over lime is its solubility and its cleanliness. Metal coatings are gradually being replaced in many areas of drawing. Recently the coatings, which have replaced

2.3 SOLID LUBRICANTS: This category is that of graphite and molybdenum disulphide. Actually, these are solid lubricant possessing lamella structures and may frequently be regarded as boundary lubricants, though in many applications they act purely as solid fillers. Graphite mixed with aluminum powder and added to stearic acid as being recommended for cold drawing. However , whereas graphite will find frequent application at temperature up to and above 600C if the exposure time at temperature is short and a suitable carries is selected , molybdenum disulphide oxidize at a lower temperature (around 400C) and its use is limited. Its high pressure properties are said to be superior to those of graphite.

Petroleum grease is frequently used if extra bright or clean finish of the wire is required, such as for coat hanger wire. Petroleum grease is mineral lubricating oil that has been gelled by addition of soap. The most commonly used gelling agent is calcium soap. Addition of lime to grease is some time practiced to adjust frictional characteristics for improved results. Un diluted soap fat paste is used for drawing extra clean and bright wires, where the finish from petroleum grease is not acceptable. Ingot drawing operations, colloidal graphite is the only lubricant, which can adhere to metals at red heat and hence is widely used for hot drawing operations. For the finest drawing through diamond dies, the concentration of colloidal graphite in the lubricant is slightly greater than for coarse wires . For drawing of high speed tool steel and similar other steels colloidal graphite is used . The wire may be dipped, in rod or coil form, into a mixture of suitable water based dispersion of graphite , force dried to ensure that the coatings does not drain off the wire . Then the wire is passed through heated lead or salt bath which rises it to the requisite temperature between 570 and 600C. The pastes and greases are generally preferred when high surface finish is the requirement .

2.4 PASTES AND EMULSIONS: This category includes drawing pastes, greases, oils and emulsions. The wet drawing lubricants are expected to provide a boundary lubricant film and perhaps more important to extract heat from the die and the work piece. In this category are found straight soap solutions of above 15% by weight concentration. Soluble oils are more exactly emulsified mineral oils are used extensively in the drawing of non ferrous fine wire, including bronze and nickel chromium alloys, and of metal coated mild steels. Concentration ranges from 2 to 10 % by volume. Other emulsions are made from fats or fatty oils dispersed with soap or other emulsions in dry drawing, there are three main alternative lubricants: petroleum greases, soap fat paste compounds and the natural tallow.

3.SPECIAL LUBRICANTS: The general types of wire drawing lubricants have been mentioned so far. However, for specific uses there is some variation of lubricant to meet the specific purpose or need. A graphite aluminium stearate powder is used for drawing high tensile steels. though granulated soaps are the most common lubricant for dry drawing of steel , for extra bright finish of fine steel wire , wet drawing of phosphated and soap carrying wires is done through an oil or soap type lubricant for drawing of copper wire, however , soap fat combination is used in a diluted state in various percentages , for wet drawing of fine wires . Sulphur additives would stain copper wire and hence would not be suitable for copper wire drawing . for aluminium wire drawing on the other hand either mineral oil with fatty acids or petroleum is used .for the aluminium wire drawing, however, soap fat combinations with special additives are used or the mineral oils fortified with tallow or lard is used . a very special technique is used for drawing of stain less steel or high nickel alloys . the standard wire drawing processes for stainless steel wire had been to give it a coating of lead to the cleaned wire by dipping it in a molten lead containing flux, generally , zinc aluminium chloride. This technique is gradually replaced by oxallate coating on stainless steel wire followed by special soap with extra pressure additives.

Drawing processes are wire, bar and tube wiring, deep drawing and pressing . the primary aim of lubrication in wire drawing process is to reduce die wear and prevent pick up and scoring of the product. Lubrication for the purpose of reducing the drawing load is often of secondary importance. The combination of low speeds and high die stresses makes lubrication difficult. Extreme measures often have to be taken including the use of various pretreatments such as phosphating for steel , the use of soft metal coatings (lead coating on steels) and the use of thick viscous drawing compounds , often heavily filled and containing additives such as graphite, molybdenum disulphide and E.P compounds . tube drawing usually has similar characteristics, with the added complication that the plug controlling the inside diameter must also be lubricated . deep drawing makes more complex demands on lubrication technique , as well as reducing die wear , avoiding pick up , and reducing drawing loads the lubricant controlls the way in which the metal flows into the die . Some latest wire drawing lubricants are derived from botanical based renewable resources. These are used in wire drawing of soft metals.

4.CONCLUSION:
There are no hard and fast rules in the selection and usage of lubricants. Most of the metal working lubricants have been chosen and adopted just simply by hit and trial method. The only consideration is that the lubricant selected must provide a film, which separates the sliding surfaces, and it is easily sheared.

5.BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1) www.traxit.com/downloads/TRAXI T_E.pdf 2) www.iocl.com/peoplecareers/Indian_ Oil_Golden_Jubilee_22_June.pdf 3) www.bridon.com/x/.../wire/Informati on%20sheet%20Borax.pdF 4) www.valbiom.be/files/.../survey5_va lbiom_2602091239114192.pdf 5) www.scribd .com 6) www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_dr awing 7) Technology of metal forming processes by surrender kumar. 8) Fundamentals of Metal Forming Processes by b.l.juneja.