Heading wire coating good for efficiency, die life and environment

Citation

(2002), "Heading wire coating good for efficiency, die life and environment", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 49 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2002.12849ead.005

Heading wire coating good for efficiency, die life and environment

Heading wire coating good for efficiency, die life and environmentKeywords: Wire, Coatings, Alloys

It is reported that a new wire coating for all heading alloys has been designed to perform with high efficiency, improve heading tool life and eliminate the cost and environmental problems associated with the emission and disposal of nitric acid used in copper-cleaning operations.

KnightCote coating is described by Carpenter Technology Corporation as a relatively thin and adherent coating that can be applied uniformly on any heading-grade wire produced at its mill. It is considered suitable for cold as well as warm heading in many alloy systems, conditions and applications.

Developed to prevent metal-to-metal contact, the new coating can, it is claimed, minimise die wear, while preventing seizure, scoring, galling and welding of parts. It is also said to withstand the high impact forces, heavy loads and elevated temperatures that are characteristic of severe upsetting and extrusion.

KnightCote coating is available as a stand-alone coating over bare wire, or as an addition to copper-coated wire. When used without copper, the new coating is said to obviate the need for cleaning acids which carry metal ions, and can form NOx, a mixture of nitrogen oxides capable of causing smog and acid rain. The new product can be removed with more environmentally-friendly alkaline detergent solutions and agitation.

Carpenter informs us that wire with the new coating can be considered for use in heading and forming operations that require high production rates, severe forming or extrusion. It has been used to produce a variety of fasteners with a wide range of difficulty in upsetting and extrusion. Many of the headed parts have been made successfully from stainless steels and high temperature alloys.

KnightCote coating is applied to the heading wire by a proprietary process that results in minimal variation within or between coils. The new coating can be used in a higher-temperature forming process than typical molybdenum disulfide-type coatings. Heading wire with the new coating is available in diameters of 0.150in. to 0.450in., in coil packages of 34in. ID minimum to 50in. OD maximum, in weights of 500 to 2,000lb.

Further details are available from: Carpenter Technology Corporation. Tel: +1 800 527 6900; Web site: www.cartech.com