Extrusion tips & dies
Tips, dies and nozzles made to your conductor and cable sizes, in hardened steel with tungsten carbide inserts where wear demands it, for Sai heads and other makes.
Tips (left) guide the conductor and form the inside of the insulation; dies (right) set the finished diameter.
What we make
- Tips (guiders, nozzles) with bores matched to the conductor, from fine wire upwards.
- Dies with the cone and land length to suit your compound and line speed.
- Pressure and tubing tooling for insulation and for sheathing or loose jackets.
- Flat, sector and shaped bores for flat cables and shaped conductors, cut by wire EDM.
- Skin tools for skin-layer heads, and matching sets for dual and triple-layer heads.
- Carbide-insert tooling: tungsten carbide at the working end for long life.
Pressure or tubing tooling?
| Pressure tooling | Tubing tooling | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Melt meets the conductor inside the die under pressure | Melt is formed into a tube and drawn down onto the cable |
| Bond to the core | Tight, fills between strands | Loose, strips easily |
| Typical use | Primary insulation | Jackets and sheaths, high line speeds |
Hardened steel or carbide?
Hardened tool steel suits most PVC and PE work. Tungsten carbide inserts at the tip nose and the die land last much longer where wear is fast: long runs, abrasive filled compounds such as HFFR, and very small bores where a few microns of wear change the product. You can order the same size in both, then keep carbide for the sizes you run most.
Replacement tooling for other makes
We make replacement tips, dies and parts for heads from other makers, including Maillefer, Erocarb, Eurotek, Microdia and Unitek, as well as for Sai heads. Brand names are used only to show compatibility. Send the worn part, a drawing or the main dimensions: flange diameter and length, bore, cone angle and thread.
Signs your tooling needs replacing
- Wall thickness or concentricity drifting even though the head is set correctly.
- Scratches, die lines or a rough surface on the cable.
- More spark-test faults on a product that used to run clean.
- A visibly worn or chipped tip nose or die land.
Order tips and dies
Send the crosshead make and size, conductor and finished diameters, compound and quantity, or simply the old part's drawing.
More detail on tooling and spare parts is on Sai Extrumech's tips and dies page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tip and a die in cable extrusion?
The tip, also called the guider or nozzle, guides the conductor through the head and forms the inside of the insulation. The die forms the outside and sets the finished diameter. Together they set the wall thickness and how well it is centred.
When are carbide inserts worth it?
Carbide inserts are worth it where the working surfaces wear quickly: long production runs, abrasive filled compounds, or very small bores where a little wear changes the product. They cost more upfront but last much longer than hardened steel alone.
Can you make tips and dies for my existing crosshead?
Yes. Replacement tooling can be made for Sai heads and for heads from other makers such as Maillefer, Erocarb, Eurotek, Microdia and Unitek. Send the old part, a drawing or the key dimensions.
What do you need for a tip and die quotation?
The crosshead make and size, the conductor diameter, the finished cable diameter or wall thickness, the compound, whether you want pressure or tubing tooling, and the quantity.