ISO 1684:1975

Overview

ISO 1684:1975 - "Wire, bar and tube drawing dies - Specifications" defines the main dimensional and identification requirements for a range of drawing dies used in metal forming. The standard provides a codified short designation for dies, rules for marking, and tables of main pellet, case and bearing/bore dimensions for wire, bar, tube and shaped dies. Where the standard does not specify details, those are left to manufacturers or to national standards. Annex A compares bearing and bore dimensions for die types; Annex B gives multilingual terminology for die elements.

Key topics

• Scope and purpose: Standardizes main dimensions and designation/marking conventions for drawing dies used with steel and non‑ferrous metals.
• Codified designation: A short ISO designation sequence that includes:
  • reference letter for application (A–F, L, N, R, S),
  • case shape code (cylindrical Z or tapered K),
  • pellet diameter (d2), case diameter (d3), bearing or bore size (d1 or a×b), and drawing angle or toric radius.
  • Examples from the standard: AZ 14/28/3.5/16 ISO, DK 25/75/9/99/R ISO, NZ 45/100/15 X 15/20 ISO.
• Marking rules:
  • Entry side: manufacturer trademark, short designation, bearing/bore dimensions.
  • Exit side: the mark “ISO” and pellet diameter.
• Dimensional tables: Detailed dimension ranges for:
  • wire drawing dies (steel A, non‑ferrous B),
  • bar drawing dies (steel C, non‑ferrous D),
  • tube drawing dies (steel E, non‑ferrous F),
  • shaped dies and hexagon bars (L, N, R, S).
• Technical parameters: pellet (hard‑metal) diameter, case diameter, bearing/bore size, drawing angle (or toric radius for special profiles), tolerances and recommended limits depending on material tensile strength and draw angle.
• Notes on use: Inch conversions permitted; some diameter limits beyond the scope are called out; details like tolerances and special profiles may be specified by users or manufacturers.

Applications

• Standardizes procurement and specification of drawing dies for wire, bar and tube production.
• Helps die manufacturers, tool designers and drawing‑shop engineers select correct pellet, case and bearing/bore dimensions.
• Facilitates interchangeability and clear communication between suppliers and users on multi‑draw benches, push/pull drawing methods, and mandrel usage.
• Useful for quality control, tooling documentation, and international trade/specification of metal drawing tooling.

Who uses this standard

• Die and tooling manufacturers
• Metal‑drawing workshops and cold‑drawing shops
• Tooling procurement and quality assurance teams
• Standards committees and national standards bodies

Related standards

• ISO 2804 (referenced) - dimensions for hard‑metal rough pellets intended for dies.
• National standards may supplement ISO 1684 where details are not specified.