What are cold forming lubricants and which one should you choose? EXTRUGLISS and EXTRUDEX

Cold forming is how screws, bolts and fasteners are made, and there the lubricant is key so that parts come out right and dies last. In this guide we explain what cold forming is, what the lubricant is for in this process and which lines we carry at NAT MAC: EXTRUGLISS and EXTRUDEX, from the CONDAT brand.

What is cold forming and why does it need lubricant?

Cold forming means shaping metal by pressure, without heating it. This group includes operations such as heading, cold extrusion, stamping and thread rolling, used to make screws, bolts, nuts and all kinds of fasteners at high speed.

When metal is deformed cold, a lot of friction and very high pressures are generated between the part, the dies and the punches. Without a good lubricant, the metal scratches, tools wear or seize, and rejected parts increase. Forming lubricant creates a strong film that reduces friction, protects the tooling and improves the finish of the part.

What is a cold forming lubricant for?

A good cold forming lubricant performs these functions:

The cold forming lubricants we carry

We carry two lines of CONDAT straight oils for cold forming, both chlorine-free. This table summarizes them:

EXTRUGLISS: dual-function multipurpose oil

EXTRUGLISS is CONDAT's line of multifunctional neat oils for heading, extrusion and cold forming operations. Its dual-function technology lubricates the deformation zone, the dies and the machine's mechanical systems at the same time, so you can use a single oil for the process and the equipment, without the loss of performance caused by mixing lubricants. Its formulations are chlorine-free and cover everything from general operations to complex parts with multiple extrusions and severe reductions.

Typical applications: cold heading of screws and bolts, fastener manufacturing, cold extrusion, thread rolling and forming, hollow-body forming, parts with multiple extrusion stages, and lubrication of guides and moving components. Materials: carbon steels, stainless steels and microalloyed steels.

EXTRUDEX: for the most severe cold forming

EXTRUDEX is CONDAT's line of neat oils for the most demanding heading, extrusion, stamping and cold forming operations. It offers high lubricity, extreme-pressure protection and good heat transfer in the deformation zone, protecting dies and punches even under severe reductions. Its formulations are chlorine-free, control smoke formation and make cleaning the parts afterward easier.

Typical applications: high-demand cold heading, manufacturing of screws, bolts and nuts, moderate and severe cold extrusion, parts with multiple extrusion stages, sharp reductions, metal drawing and stamping, and die cooling. Materials: carbon steels, stainless steels and microalloyed steels, light alloys and copper-base alloys.

EXTRUGLISS or EXTRUDEX? How to choose

The choice depends on how severe the operation is and what you want to lubricate:

• If you need an oil that lubricates both the process and the machine (dual function) for general to medium-high duty heading and extrusion, the choice is EXTRUGLISS.
• If you do severe cold forming, with heavy reductions, and need to cool and protect dies and punches as much as possible, the choice is EXTRUDEX, which is also the one recommended for light alloys and copper-based alloys.

Why buy your lubricants at NAT MAC?

We are a CONDAT distributor with more than 54 years of experience in the industry and ISO 9001 certified quality. We don't just supply the lubricant: we analyze your forming process and recommend the right line for your operation.

Tell us about your forming process and the parts you produce, and we will recommend the right line. Request your free quote.

Sources: NAT MAC Lubricants catalog; CONDAT Lubricants; CONDAT, Cold heading lubricants.