The wire drawing process is commonly perceived as one of the best studied metal forming processes in almost every aspect; however, when considering elastic deformation, researchers usually focus on the uniaxial tensile forces after the material exits the drawing die and not the elastic deformation region before entering the drawing die, even though it may have a significant impact on the strength parameters and the nature of metal flow inside the drawing die. The aim of this research is to theoretically and experimentally identify the deformation in the elastic region and to further link the shape of this region and the values of stress occurring in it with the geometrical parameters of the drawing process and assess its impact on its strength parameters. In order to achieve the assumed goals, numerical analyses using the finite element method and experimental research on the drawing process in laboratory conditions were carried out using Vickers hardness tests and resistance strain gauges measuring deformation in stationary and non-stationary conditions. The obtained results indicate that the shape and the extent of the region of elastic deformations generated in the material before the plastic deformation region during the drawing process depends on the applied deformation coefficient and stationarity of the process.
Keywords: Cu-ETP; elastic deformation region; numerical and experimental analyses; plastic deformation region; wire drawing process.