Lecture 21: Wire/Rod Drawing

Jayadeep U. B.
Dept. of Mechanical Engg., NIT Calicut.
 Introduction
Unlike the case of strips, wires/rods and tubes are often produced
by the drawing process.
The process involves pulling (drawing) a cylindrical workpiece
through a conical die so as to reduce its diameter.
The objectives of an analysis in this case include the following:
Determine the drawing force/stress and power requirement
Find the maximum possible reduction without tearing failure
In this lecture, we will be considering slab method of analysis.
Additionally, we consider other forms of energy requirements,
and discuss about the deformation efficiency of the process.
Since, these additional energy dissipations are difficult to quantify,
usually the ideal plastic work for uniform deformation is divided
by deformation efficiency to get the total energy requirement.
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 The Drawing Process
Since the objective is to reduce the diameter, drawing involves
sending the wire through conical dies.
A typical drawing die has four regions:
A bell-shaped entrance zone for proper guidance of workpiece.
A conical work zone.
A straight and short cylindrical zone for stability of operation.
A bell-shaped exit zone.
Sometimes a back tension (Fb) is provided to keep the input
workpiece straight.
A major concern in drawing process is the possibility of tearing
cracks introduced due to the axial tension.

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 Drawing Reduction Ratio
The degree of drawing operation is normally expressed in terms
of the reduction factor of the cross-sectional area known as
drawing reduction ratio (R). 2
Ai Af di2 d f2 df
R= = 2
= 1
Ai di di
The corresponding (homogeneous) true strain is:
Ai 1
= ln = ln
Af 1 R
It may be noted that the drawing reduction ratio was indicated by
r in the previous lecture, but a different symbol is used in this
lecture to avoid confusion with the radius.
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 Schematic Diagrams
Analysis is based on the following schematic diagrams:
Complete System

Stresses on an r
Element in Drawing
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 Drawing Force Calculation
This is an axisymmetric problem.
The following assumptions are made in the analysis:
Coefficient of friction and half-cone angle are small.
Rigid perfectly plastic material (Levy-Mises material model).
p and x are principal stresses.
x does not vary in radial direction also.
Considering the equilibrium in x-direction:
dx dx
( x + d x ) ( r + dr ) x r + p 2 r cos + p 2 r sin = 0
2 2

cos cos

Substituting for dx in terms of dr and simplifying:

r d + 2
x + p 1 + dr = 0
tan
x
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 Drawing Force Calculation contd.
Radial equilibrium of the segment gives:
d
( p cos p sin )( r + r ) d dx r r d dx 2 sin r dx = 0
2

Simplifying, we get:
p (1 sin ) + r r d dx = 0 r = p (1 sin ) p
The circumferential strain rate is equal to the radial strain rate.
Hence using Levy-Mises relation, we have r =
Axial, hoop and radial stresses are assumed as principal stresses.
Such a state of stress in which any of the two principal stresses are
equal is called a cylindrical state of stress. A cylindrical state of
stress is equivalent to uniaxial state of stress in plasticity. Hence:
7 x + p = Y or p = Y x for both Tresca & von Mises criteria.
 Drawing Force Calculation contd.
Substituting, we get:
r d x + 2 x + ( Y x ) dr = 0; = (1 + tan )
Integrating:
dr d x ln Y ( 1) x
r = 2 Y + (1 ) x ln r =
2 ( 1)
+C

di Fb
We can obtain the constant of integration from r = x =
2 Ai
Substituting the value of C, and a minor rearrangement gives:
2( 1)
2r Y ( 1) x
=
di Y ( 1)( Fb Ai )

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 Drawing Force Calculation contd.
Last equation can be rearranged to obtain:
2( 1) 2( 1)
x Fb 2r 2r
= + 1
Y Y Ai di 1 di
We can obtain the drawing stress by substituting 2r = df:
2( 1) 2( 1)
xf Fb d f df
= + 1
Y Y Ai di 1 di
Hence, the drawing force is, F = xf Af
If the drawing speed (exit velocity) is V, the power required for
the drawing operation is P = FV.

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 Maximum Drawing Reduction
Maximum possible drawing reduction occurs when the drawing
stress is equal to the tensile yield strength of the material, i.e.,
xf Y = 1
Hence, we get the maximum drawing reduction as:
1
Rmax = 1 1 ( 1)
Fb ( 1)

A
Y i
For materials with small amounts of hardening, average yield
strength between entry and exit can be used to calculate the
drawing stress.
However, maximum drawing reduction is to be calculated with
the increased yield strength after plastic deformation (max. Y).
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 Work Considerations
The amount of energy consumed purely in the homogeneous
plastic deformation is called ideal work:

U p = d ; = ln ( Ai Af )
0

This integration can be performed if the maximum strain and the

constitutive relationships for the material are known.
Additional energy is expended in frictional dissipation and for
redundant deformation.
Friction always opposes relative motion between interfaces and
dissipates energy (frictional work, Uf) as heat.

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 Redundant Deformation and Deformation
Efficiency

Redundant deformation as shown above, requires additional

energy known as redundant work (Ur).
Total work, U T = U p + U f + U r
Deformation efficiency, = U p U T ; drawing ~ 50% 65%
Deformation efficiency can be defined for other processes also.
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For example, extrusion ~ 30% 60% and rolling ~ 75% 95%
 References
Hosford, W.F. and Caddell, R.M., Metal Forming,
Cambridge University Press.
Dieter, G.E., Mechanical Metallurgy, McGraw Hill.
Ghosh, A. and Mallick, A.K., Manufacturing Science,
East West Press.
Hoffman, O. and Sachs, G., Introduction to the Theory of
Plasticity for Engineers, McGraw-Hill Book Company.
Hill, R., The mathematical theory of plasticity, Oxford University
Press.
Johnson ,W. and Mellor, P.B., Plasticity for Mechanical Engineers,
van Nostrand Company Ltd.

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