Erasing Surface Scratches: From Micro-Polished Dies to Mirror-Finish Wire
Solving surface scoring with proprietary bore polishing. A high-end electronic wire manufacturer reduced defect rates from 2% to 0.3%.
The Challenge
A manufacturer of silver-plated copper wire for high-frequency data transmission faced high rejection rates (approx. 2%) due to longitudinal surface scoring. Manual polishing of the dies resulted in inconsistent bearing surfaces, creating microscopic peaks that scratched the delicate silver plating.
Titan Engineering Solution
We implemented our proprietary multi-stage ultrasonic bore polishing process. Unlike manual methods, this automated technique achieves a surface roughness of Ra < 0.05μm consistently across every die. We also optimized the reduction angle to facilitate smoother material flow.
Fig 1. Analysis and Implementation
The Results
The defect rate dropped from 2% to 0.3% within two weeks of implementation. The mirror-finish dies also generated less friction heat, better preserving the integrity of the silver plating and reducing lubricant breakdown.
Key Takeaways
- Surface finish consistency is critical for plated wires.
- Ultrasonic polishing eliminates human variability.
- Lower friction leads to lower drawing temperatures.
Facing a similar issue?
Our application engineers can audit your current setup and propose a similar high-performance tooling solution.
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