Traxit FAQ: Technical Solutions for better Performance, Process Stability and Efficiency in Wire Drawing

Dry drawing lubricants are solid lubricants in powder form at room temperature and are widely used in wire production. They are placed in so-called lubricant boxes through which the wire runs during the drawing process. As the wire passes through, it picks up the dry drawing lubricant on its surface and carries it into the drawing die. Due to heat and pressure in the die, the lubricant softens or melts and forms an adherent lubricating film. This reduces friction, wear and temperature during the drawing process.

The selection of a suitable dry drawing lubricant depends on many different parameters, such as the steel grade processed, the starting diameter, the reduction stages and drawing sequence, the target final diameter, the pretreatment, for example pickled or phosphated, and the final application, such as welding wire, spring wire or rope wire. We are happy to support you in selecting the right product.

Dry drawing lubricants are often based on calcium soaps, sodium soaps or combinations of both. Depending on the process and the requirements for the final surface, such as film stability, temperature, cleanliness and downstream processing, the appropriate system is selected. The key difference lies in the lubricating properties at different drawing speeds and temperatures.

Calcium soaps are

• less water-soluble and usually provide higher lubricant adhesion.
• Their melting point is generally lower.
• They are ideal for lower drawing speeds and high degrees of deformation in the drawing die.

Sodium soaps are

• more water-soluble and offer higher thermal stability.
• Their melting point tends to be higher.
• They are ideal for higher drawing speeds, thinner wires or applications using pressure dies.

The drawing lubricant forms a lubricating film in the drawing die. This film influences friction, temperature and wear and therefore affects the wire surface, process stability, drawing speed and die service life.

Wet drawing lubricants are liquid lubricants that are often used in baths during wire drawing, with the drawing dies positioned in the same system. The wire runs through the wet drawing lubricant, creating a stable lubricating film on the wire surface. This film reduces friction, temperature and wear in the drawing die and enables higher drawing speeds as well as fine final diameters. Wet drawing lubricants are mainly used for fine and ultra-fine wires and in high-speed processes.

• Wire material and pretreatment
• Drawing speed and machine concept
• Cooling performance and filtration system
• Requirements for wire surface and downstream processing

An optimally adjusted wet drawing lubricant makes a decisive contribution to process stability, wire quality and energy efficiency.

Coating agents are used to pretreat the wire surface. They create the basis for uniform uptake of the drawing lubricant, act as an adhesion promoter between wire and lubricant and support the formation of a stable lubricating film during the drawing process. Typical coating agents include phosphating systems or alternative coating systems that are specifically matched to the drawing lubricant.

• Improving adhesion of the drawing lubricant to the wire surface
• Stabilizing the lubricating film in the drawing die for higher drawing speeds
• Reducing friction and wear
• Supporting a uniform wire surface

The right combination of coating agents and drawing lubricant is essential for a stable and economical drawing process. Both systems must be matched to achieve optimal results in terms of surface quality, service life and process reliability.

An oil-free and VOC-free corrosion protection system is an innovative concept for temporary wire preservation that completely avoids conventional oil-based protective media and volatile organic compounds. Instead, a stable protective film is created directly in the production process. Modern protective films are applied inline, directly after the drawing process, and form a uniform protective layer on the wire surface. This can eliminate the need for additional process steps such as corrosion protection oil or complex protective packaging.

• High process stability through clean and controlled application
• Reduction of additional process and handling steps
• Consistent and reproducible wire surface quality
• Potential energy and cost efficiency through integration into the production process
• Support for increasing environmental and occupational safety requirements by avoiding oil and volatile organic compounds

This concept sets new standards in the wire industry and helps manufacturers to make their production more efficient, more reliable and to reduce their use of traditional oil-based and VOC-based protective agents. The new process is currently in the patent application phase.

Targeted optimization of drawing lubricants supports stable processes, reduces lubricant consumption, improves the consistency of drawing quality, extends die service life and can enable energy savings. The greatest potential lies in precisely matching the customer-specific drawing process, wire products and drawing lubricants. Only an optimally coordinated overall system creates measurable benefits for more ecologically and economically efficient production.

Yes, by optimizing dry drawing lubricants, energy costs in wire drawing have been reduced by up to 2% in customer projects, depending on the drawing process and equipment and even higher savings have been achieved in individual cases. The decisive factor for the savings potential is the precise alignment of the drawing lubricant with the machine, drawing dies, drawing speeds, wire quality and other process parameters

A well-selected drawing lubricant forms a stable lubricating film in the drawing die and can help reduce wear and unplanned downtime. The goal is a consistent process with reduced setup and downtime while maintaining a high-quality surface finish.

The drawing lubricant has a direct influence on surface quality because it reduces contact between wire and drawing die and remains on the wire surface. Especially in sensitive applications, such as welding wire or stainless steel wire, surface stability is key to reproducible quality.

The TOTAL USE concept is based on customer consulting tailored to the customer-specific drawing process. Based on the overall process, we analyze how the drawing lubricant can be used for longer in production without loss of quality. Customer projects have shown that lubricant savings of up to 20% can be achieved.

The wet drawing lubricant plays a central role in the drawing process because it is responsible for both lubrication and cooling. Both factors have a direct impact on drawing performance.

An optimally adjusted wet drawing lubricant offers the following advantages:

• Reduction of friction and drawing forces
• Stabilization of process temperature at high speeds
• Extension of die and tool service life
• Improved wire surface quality
• Enabling higher drawing speeds and finer final diameters

By contrast, an emulsion that is not optimally matched can lead to unstable processes, increased wear or quality problems. The right balance of concentration, cooling, filtration and adaptation to the process parameters is crucial.

Coating agents are a key factor for drawing performance because they form the basis for lubricant uptake and stability on the wire surface. An optimally matched carrier coating improves drawing performance through: 

• uniform lubricating film formation,
• reduced friction and drawing force,
• increased process stability across several drawing stages,
• improved lubricant carry-in,
• fewer surface defects,
• longer service life of dies and tools and higher drawing speeds.

If the coating agents is not optimally adjusted or is not compatible with the drawing lubricant, this can lead to an unstable process with increased wear and quality fluctuations. The decisive factor is therefore the holistic coordination of pretreatment, carrier coating and drawing lubricant as an integrated system in order to achieve maximum and stable drawing performance.

Various technical challenges can arise in the wire drawing process that affect product quality, process stability and profitability. Common issues include:

• Wire breaks or microcracks in the material
• Build-up or lumps in the drawing box
• Dust generation and increased strain on people and equipment
• Unsteady or unstable drawing process
• Scratches, scoring or uneven wire surfaces
• High tool wear or short die service life
• Excessive temperatures in the drawing process
• Insufficient lubricating film formation
• Fluctuating wire quality or problems in downstream processing

These challenges can have a range of causes, for example in the interaction between drawing lubricant, coating agent, material, process parameters and equipment technology.

We know these issues from practice and are happy to support you in analyzing the causes and developing a tailored solution.

Lump formation and deposits in the lubricant box are often related to the process temperature window and the thermal stability of the drawing lubricant. For a targeted root cause analysis, process data such as temperatures, reductions, drawing stages and lubricant parameters should be evaluated together. On this basis, suitable optimization measures can be derived and implemented.

Dust is generated during the drawing process as fine particles, including particles from the drawing lubricant and abrasion in the drawing process. Two key levers are important for reducing dust exposure:

• drawing lubricant optimization
• and suitable extraction and filtration technology,

because emissions such as metal dust, scale and lubricant abrasion must be reliably extracted.

Yes, the drawing lubricant can be a relevant influencing factor because it directly affects friction, heat generation and therefore process stability. For a reliable assessment, however, a holistic analysis of the drawing process is required, taking into account material, pretreatment, drawing dies, reductions, drawing speeds and other process parameters.

In wet drawing, the drawing lubricant is responsible for both lubrication and cooling. Problems often arise when the emulsion is not optimally adjusted or maintained.

Typical influencing factors are:

• Incorrect emulsion concentration
• Insufficient filtration or contamination in the system
• Temperature rise due to insufficient cooling capacity
• Unstable emulsion or incorrect water quality
• Unsuitable matching to wire material and drawing parameters

To ensure efficient and reliable process optimisation, emulsion parameters, process conditions and the plant design should be analysed holistically and specifically coordinated with one another.

If the coating agent does not fulfill its function, this directly affects lubricating film formation and process stability.

Possible causes may include:

• Insufficient or uneven coating quality
• Poor coordination between coating agent and drawing lubricant
• Fluctuations in pre-treatment (e.g. pickling or descaling)
• Incorrect coating thickness or poor adhesion to the wire surface
• Process fluctuations in temperature or dwell time

What matters is the coordinated consideration of pre-treatment, coating and drawing lubricant as an overall system.

Corrosion can occur at various points in the process. During production as well as during interim storage or transport.

Common causes include:

• Insufficient or uneven corrosion protection film
• Moisture ingress or unfavorable storage conditions
• Residues from the drawing process
• Too much time between production and downstream processing
• Unsuitable packaging or missing protection during transport

Modern approaches rely on integrated, process-safe solutions in which corrosion protection is applied directly within the production process, reducing additional handling and sources of error. We are happy to help you identify the causes and develop a suitable process-integrated solution.

We are also happy to advise you on how the drawing lubricant influences this.

Borax-free products are actively being developed and offered in the industry. The background includes requirements relating to occupational safety, product safety, environmental protection and regulation. For a recommendation, it is important to understand where borax is used in the process (for example as part of pre-coatings and/or carriers, or in specific drawing lubricant formulations) and what performance targets you have.

In wire drawing, lubricant consumption and energy costs can primarily be reduced through a detailed analysis and targeted alignment of the overall process. This includes selecting the appropriate drawing lubricant, monitoring lubricant consumption, setting relevant process parameters, and aligning the lubricant with the drawing dies, drawing speed and machine concept.

With the TOTAL USE concept from Traxit Wire Lubrication, the customer-specific drawing process is analyzed in order to use the drawing lubricant more efficiently and identify concrete savings potential. Customer projects have already achieved measurable reductions in both lubricant consumption and energy consumption. Potential effects on emissions depend on the specific process, energy use and underlying calculation method and are therefore evaluated on a project-specific basis.

Yes, we offer vegan drawing lubricants (without ingredients of animal origin) in our portfolio. Our products were the first in the world to receive the Vegan Trademark from The Vegan Society. Selecting the right product depends on your process: we review your application and requirements and recommend the appropriate vegan drawing lubricant.