Temperature distributions in the high speed drawing of high strength steel wire

Abstract

High carbon steel wire is known to be susceptible to low-temperature ageing effects, and it is thought that wire properties can be significantly affected by the heat generated during the drawing process. In this paper, the spherical velocity field used in upper bound calculations has been used in conjunction with a model of frictional heating to calculate temperature distributions arising in wire as a result of drawing. The subsequent temperature profiles existing during cooling by direct water quenches are modelled using a commercial finite-element program. Surface temperature histories calculated using the model have been compared with experimental data. The thermal history of the wire during drawing can thus be established, in order to assess the likely effects of strain ageing on the mechanical properties of the wire.