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The Book of Terms

The Book of TermsThe WJI Book of Wire & Cable Terms: an interactive experience of learning and sharing
This book, written by industry volunteers and containing more than 5,000 entries, is an asset for newcomers to wire and cable.

At the same time, it also represents an opportunity for industry veterans to give back by either updating or adding to the more than 5,000 entries. This is an honor system process. Entries/updates must be non-commercial, and any deemed not to be so will be removed. Share your expertise as part of this legacy project to help those who will follow. Purchase a printed copy here.

   

 

All   0-9   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Flat Pass Design

A term used for rolling shaped wire with un-grooved rolls.

Flat Product

A rectangular or square solid section of relatively great length in proportion to thickness.

Flat Transmission Cable

See Transmission Cable.

Flat Under Carpet Cable

A cable containing one or more cores, each formed of a group of wires, the diameters of the wires being sufficiently small to afford flexibility.

Flat Wire

Flat product up to and including 4.77 mm (0.188 in.) thick, and up to and including 31.75 mm (1.25 in.) wide, with all surfaces rolled or drawn, without previously having been slit, sheared or sawed. It may be furnished either in straight lengths or in coils or on spools and reels.

Flattened Wire

Round wire that has been flattened by passing through rolls. Close thickness tolerance is easily main­tained, but if width tolerance is important or the edges are to be other than rounded, edge-rolling units and an adequate pre-straightening unit are needed. The initial diameter needed to obtain a particular flat size can be roughly determined by adding the width and thickness of the flat and dividing by two.

Flaw Detector

A device (often Eddy Current or ultrasonic) that is generally located on a continuous casting rolling mill line after the last mill stand or on a rod breakdown machine to inspect the rod or wire in-line. It will reveal typical defects such as cracks, surface inclusions, slivers and overlaps before coiling or subsequent drawing operations.

Flex Life

The time of heat aging that an insulating material can withstand before failure when bent around a specific radius (used to evaluate thermal endurance). Also, ability of a conductor, wire or cable to withstand repeated bending.

Flexibility

The ease with which a cable may be bent without sustaining damage.

Flexibilizer

An additive that makes a resin or rubber more flexible. Also called a plasticizer.

Flexible

That quality of a cable component that allows for bending under the influence of outside force (as opposed to limpness, which is bending due to the cable’s own weight).

Flexible Cable

A cable containing one or more cores, each formed of a group of wires, the diameters of which are small enough to afford flexibility.

Flexible Fixture Wire

A type of fixture wire with a more flexible stranding configuration than regular fixture wire types. Common types include Type TFF (thermoplastic-insulated, stranded conductor) and Type TFFN (thermoplastic-insulated, nylon-jacketed, stranded conductor).

Flexible Flat Cable

Synonymous with flat cable.

Flexible Shaft Wire

A low-, medium- or high-carbon steel wire with either a bright, galvanized or coppered finish that is used for protective shielding, such as for speedometers.

Flexion Test

An alternative name for the bend test, in which a wire test piece is held at one end and bent at right angles to test its ductility.

Flexural Strength

The strength of a material in bending.

Flight Land

The surface at the radial extremity that constitutes the periphery or outside diameter of the screw.

Floating

Referring to a circuit that has no connect to ground.

Florists’ Wire

A mild steel wire that is fully annealed. It is made up in lengths or wound on bobbins, blue annealed or metallic coated.
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