Infrared thermography for process control and predictive maintenance purposes in steel wire drawing machine

Abstract

The industrial drawing process reduces the section of the wire rod by pulling the material through a hard die. This process generates heat by deformation and friction. The heat generated must be immediately removed after every reduction diameter step, otherwise the final quality of wire and the drawing performance will be poor. That is the reason why the improvement of the cooling efficiency in the drawing machine is of great importance. The better the cooling efficiency, the greater the wire quality and the productivity of the process will be. Nowadays, the infrared thermography control offer the possibility to analyze how the drawing aspect is affecting the cooling efficiency and how this technique allows the drawing process improvements. As you look at the capstans in the wire process control, you are doing at the same time, predictive maintenance in the machine.