In the process of drawing copper wire, the following types of wire drawing dies are commonly used on the market: polycrystalline diamond (PCD) dies, natural diamond dies, and tungsten carbide (TC) dies. When choosing a wire drawing die for drawing copper wire, let’s first analyze the advantages and disadvantages of drawing copper wire using different materials of drawing dies.
1. Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) dies
Advantages:
High hardness and wear resistance: Polycrystalline diamond has extremely high hardness and wear resistance, which can effectively resist the wear and friction of copper wires, thus maintaining a longer lifespan in long-term use.
Excellent thermal conductivity: PCD dies have excellent thermal conductivity, which can effectively dissipate heat, avoid dies overheating, and improve production efficiency and quality stability.
Reducing friction and preventing adhesion: Due to the low friction coefficient and excellent non-adhesion of polycrystalline diamond, it can reduce the friction and adhesion between copper wire and PCD dies, thereby improving the smoothness and stability of wire drawing.
Disadvantages:
High cost: Compared to traditional dies materials such as tungsten carbide, the manufacturing cost of PCD dies is relatively high, which may increase equipment investment and production costs.
Brittle material: Although polycrystalline diamond has high hardness, it is also a brittle material that may cause fracture or damage under unexpected impact or excessive stress.
Polycrystalline diamond dies have advantages such as high hardness, strong wear resistance, good thermal conductivity, and reduced friction and adhesion in copper wire drawing. However, the relatively higher cost than TC drawing dies is a factor to consider. In special applications that pursue high quality and efficiency, PCD dies may be an ideal choice, but in copper wire drawing applications with generally low requirements, the use of tungsten carbide(TC) dies will have a higher cost-effectiveness.
2. Natural diamond wire drawing dies
Advantages:
Can supply the precision wire with excellent surface finish, very suitable for fine and ultra-fine wires
Low surface friction can achieve high wire drawing performance and low power consumption.
High-temperature resistance, providing ultra-high precision dies.
Chemical corrosion resistance: Natural diamond has high corrosion resistance to chemical substances such as acid and alkali, and can resist corrosion and oxidation during the copper wire production process, extending the service life of the dies.
Disadvantages:
l High cost and Scarcity: natural diamond is a valuable and scarce resource, so its manufacturing cost is high, which may increase equipment investment and production costs.
Limited size and shape: As the formation of natural diamonds is a natural process, their original shape and size may be limited, and additional processing techniques may be required to meet specific mold requirements.
Difficult to process and adjust: Compared to synthetic materials, the processing and adjustment of natural diamonds are more difficult and require professional technical and equipment support.
Natural diamond dies have advantages such as high hardness, strong wear resistance, good thermal conductivity, and chemical resistance in copper wire drawing. However, high cost, Scarcity, size and shape constraints, and difficulties in processing and adjustment are factors that need to be considered.
In special applications and highly demanding scenarios, natural diamond dies may be an ideal choice. However, in general, in copper wire drawing applications, suitable dies materials can be selected based on specific needs and economy.
3. Tungsten carbide (TC) dies:
Advantages:
Strong wear resistance: tungsten carbide dies are made of high-hardness materials such as tungsten carbide, which can withstand high pressure and friction. They have excellent wear resistance and can maintain a longer lifespan in continuous use.
Good corrosion resistance: Hard alloy molds/tungsten carbide dies can resist the corrosion of copper wires and related chemicals, helping to maintain the surface smoothness of the mold and reduce material loss.
Relatively low cost: Compared with some high-end materials, the manufacturing cost of tungsten carbide dies is relatively low, making them more common and cost-effective in general copper wire drawing applications.
Disadvantages:
Limited to medium to low-strength copper wires: tungsten carbide dies may face certain challenges when processing high-strength copper wires. Due to their relatively low thermal conductivity and fatigue resistance, it may be necessary to limit speed or increase cooling measures to avoid overheating and damage.
Rough surface quality: Compared to advanced dies materials, tungsten carbide dies may not provide comparable smooth surface quality in some applications. For applications that require high surface quality, such as electronic devices, it may be necessary to consider the selection of other materials.
tungsten carbide dies to have advantages such as strong wear resistance, good corrosion resistance, and lower cost in general wire drawing applications for processing medium and low-strength copper wires. However, in high-strength copper wire and applications with high surface quality requirements, it may be necessary to consider the selection of other materials.
Through the analysis of the different materials mentioned above, we can draw a more intuitive comparison:
Economy: TC dies > PCD dies > ND dies
Efficiency: PCD dies = ND dies > TC dies
High precision: ND dies > PCD dies > TC dies
Durability: ND dies >PCD dies > TC dies
Corrosion resistance: ND dies > PCD dies > TC dies
Customizable: TC dies = PCD dies > ND dies
During the process of drawing copper wire, tungsten carbide dies(TC dies) perform better in terms of economy and affordability, while PCD dies are relatively affordable, while natural diamond dies are usually more expensive.
For high-strength copper wire and applications with high surface quality requirements, PCD dies and natural diamond dies have greater advantages. They can provide better performance and quality. In addition, due to the physical properties of diamonds, their service life usually far exceeds that of tungsten carbide (TC) dies, making them more durable in long-term use.
Our suggestion for selecting the drawing die for copper wire is:
In environments with low requirements for copper wire application scenarios, choosing tungsten carbide (TC) dies is the best cost-effective choice. It can meet general needs and is cost-effective.
If it is necessary to ensure the smoothness of copper wire and more efficient production efficiency, such as in high-speed wire drawing, PCD dies are the best choice. It can provide a smoother wire drawing process and higher production efficiency. In existing environmental applications, PCD dies are also a choice for more customers. The efficient/stable production performance determines that it has become the product with the largest supply and demand.
For high-precision applications, using natural diamond dies is the best choice. It has excellent accuracy and quality, which can meet the requirements of fine machining.
Choosing appropriate dies materials based on specific application needs can achieve better product quality and production efficiency.
Changsha 3 Better Ultra-hard Materials CO., Ltd can manufacture the wire drawing dies of the above three materials. The product quality is excellent and the price is also very competitive. Welcome to consult online.
