WIRE NEWS WN September 2019 | Page 13

Reduction zone, bearing and the exit of a PCD die The significant increase in accuracy with these new methods give die manufacturers as well as wire producers, the possibility to notably improve their production process. The standard equipment only determines the angle and bearing length, leaving information as to how the results were obtained unaccounted for. With the new method of the DIAM 6, not only will the measurements be displayed, but also the actual form of the reduction angle and of the bearing. Precise and accurate calculations! In reality, these are often not straight lines, but more or less larger curves, which in respect to bearings will have an effect on die life and can affect properties of the wire. Image A shows a straight cylinder (bearing) and image B below hardly a cylinder at all, but mostly a radius. Results from conventional die checking methods will read the same for both, when in fact they do not correspond with reality. Many drawing die producers and wire manufacturers, like to have the wire entry area in the die made to a specific shape or “Fingerprint” as illustrated in Image C with a smaller angle before the cylinder (bearing) of the die. These specific shapes play a decisive part with respect to die quality, wire resistance and wire surface. It is possible to determine die shapes, with proper measurement results and have them reproduced independently from the operator experience. With this instrument, wire manufacturers have been given the ability to design their own drawing die shape and most of all, the ability to check those measurements, accurately! . Top to Bottom: Image A, B and C WIRE NEWS September 2019 13