Abstract
Ni-plated steel wire used for springs in electrical appliances and other devices has good corrosion resistance. It is demanded as an alternative for stainless steel wire in a mildly corrosive environment. Lubricity in spring cold working and surface gloss are required. Ni-plated steel wire drawn using conventional powder lubricants in a continuous-drawing machine exhibits lubricity, but no sufficient surface gloss. To achieve both surface gloss and lubricity, a liquid lubricant is used at the final pass, while soap powder lubricant is used at earlier passes. This basic research has been conducted to investigate the relationship between surface gloss and processing parameters at the final pass such as lubricant oil concentration, die approach angle, die bearing length and reduction in area with the use of an emulsion-type lubricant.
