Wiredrawing Machines

The simplest form of a wiredrawing machine consists of a powered capstan that pulls wire through a single die. As the reduction in size at a single die is limited, most wiredrawing machines have a number of dies and power-driven capstans. The capstans are arranged in sequence with speeds to suit the elonga­tion of the wire at each reduction. There are three basic types: non-slip models, where the capstans run at exactly the same speed as the wire; slip-type models, where the capstans run faster than the wire, allowing the wire to “slip”; and accumula­tion-type machines, which collect more wire on each block than is necessary to feed the following reduction. Many systems are designed to draw one wire, but additional wires can be simultaneously drawn.