Wire Drawing and Rolling

Initial Taste

• Video - rod is pulled through a die, and every pass means smaller diameter. Starts with 9 mm rod? [1]
• Copper - pulled through many dies to very fine size - [2]
• Multiple dies are loaded one at a time, then drawing starts. Are all spools pulling? Likely so, as the thinnest wire pulling would break from tension of larger wire size - [3].
• Silver pulled by hand, starting with a small roller mill - [4].

OSE Notes

• Pull from one spool to next from a starting spool. Challenge is the first spool - that is a lot of material.
• If start with 3/8" size, need significant spool to start with as far as starting stock goes.
• If start with 20' of 3/8", end up with over 1000 feet of welding wire spool. (1 mm wire)

Industry Standards

• Schlatter automated line for cold rolling or drawing down to 4 mm [5]
• Invimec - cold rolling down to welding wire [6]

Cold Rolled Wire

• Cold rolled wire making machines from China - [7]

Welding Wire

• Copper coated to help it feed. [8]. It seems that the copper flakes off and makes it harder to feed at FeF.
• Welding wire production lines - described - [9]. Drawing, not rolling.
• Invimec proposed wire rolling over drawing. For drawing you have the issue of starting the feed. Roller feeding is easier. Modular rolling machine - [10]