Analysis, Validation and Optimization of the Multi-Stage Sequential Wiredrawing Process of EN AW-1370 Aluminium

• Published in: Metals (Basel ) Vol. 9; no. 9; p. 1021
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Alabanda, Óscar, Romero, Pablo E., Molero, Esther, Guerrero-Vaca, Guillermo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2019
• Subjects: Alloys; aluminium wiredrawing; Aluminum; Cold; cold forming; Cold working; Conductors; Continuous casting; Deform2D; Design optimization; Electric conductors; EN AW-1370 aluminium; Exact solutions; finite element method; Friction; Mechanical properties; Metal forming; multistage wiredrawing; Numerical analysis; pure aluminium; Raw materials; Software; Strain hardening; Wire drawing; Wire rod; wiredrawing; Spain
• DOI: 10.3390/met9091021
• ISSN: 2075-4701

For the wiredrawing of aluminium, the initial wire rod is obtained by continuous inverted casting. The raw geometry is industrially processed in a linear multi-step wiredrawing sequence to obtain a wire that is commonly used for the manufacture of electrical conductors. In the present work a complete study of the material has been made. The experimental procedure consisted in the realization of a sequence of section reduction stages in the laboratory, a sequence designed following the technological criteria recommended by the manufacturer of the drawing machine in which the industrial process will be implemented. From the specimens corresponding to each reduction step, it has been possible to know the evolution of the main mechanical properties when this pure aluminium is processed by wiredrawing. This information has led to establish the hardening law by which it is possible characterize the plastic behaviour of this pure metal when it is transformed by this specific sequential process of cold forming. The strain hardening law has been implemented in a numerical simulation software application and the experimental setup has been simulated for its validation. Finally, the classic analytical solution founded in the “slab method” has been applied for the design of a proposal for the optimization of the industrial wiredrawing process.