A ‘pencil’ is a cast billet of metal that can be fabricated in to other products. In this example it is rolled down in to ‘square wire’ (see first photo). Once it is a small enough gauge, ‘dies’ will be selected to draw the wire through to give it a round profile and to make any fine gauge adjustments. The finished ’round wire’ product is commonly used as feed for chain machines or in manufacturing of handmade jewellery.
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- ‘Pencil’ is the large round billet, it is rolled to ‘sqare’ wire.
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- Selecting the correct ‘dies’ to draw the wire through is a crucial step
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- Wire is threaded through the dies on its way through the rollers
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- Finished product round wire in different alloys can be used for chain or other products
