Wire drawing dies
The wire drawing process involves drawing wire of a larger diameter through a die with a smaller diameter bore. This reduces the diameter of the wire to produce the desired size and tolerance of the wire, while the volume remains the same. Wires are sized by drawing them through a series of wire drawing dies, with each successive die having smaller bore diameter than the one preceding it. The final die in the series forms the wire to its final size.
Rod and bar drawing dies
Bars and rods are drawn in a similar fashion to wire, only they tend to be much thicker. A wide variety of metals are used for this purpose, including many steel and copper alloys. A cut-off knife is used to size the rods and bars to length.
Tube and pipe drawing dies
Tube, or pipe, drawing dies can be round, hex or square as well as any custom shapes desired. The process is similar to the wire drawing process; however, a mandrel is used to form the inner dimensions of the tubing. The mandrel is placed at the throat of the die and used to determine the wall thickness and inner diameter. A properly formed mandrel will provide for a smooth surface on the inside of the tube or pipe.
