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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

Wire Nut

An insulated, threaded component that is used to splice two or more wires together by screwing the component onto the wires.

Wire Rope

A rope that is made up of a number of strands, each one consisting of a number of wires laid together in such a way that each wire holds its place in the strand. The strands are then made up into a rope in the same way. By varying the construction, that is the number, arrangement and size of wires in a strand, and strands in a rope, the properties of the finished rope can be varied within wide limits to suit a particular end use. Wires of different metals and different strengths are employed. See Strand and Rope Wire.

Wire Rope Guide Wire

Mild steel usually finished in one draft from rod.

Wire Rope Prestretching

Stressing a wire rope or strand before use under such a tension and for such a time that the con­structional stretch is largely removed.

Wire Rope Strand

A conductor composed of a center group of twisted strands surrounded by one or more layers of similar groups of twisted strands.

Wire Rope, Albert Lay

Wire rope in which the wires in the strands and the strands in the rope are laid in the same direction. Also known as Lang’s lay rope.

Wire Rope, Black

Wire rope made of wires that are not coated with zinc or tin.

Wire Rope, Bright

Steel rope formed from bright wire that has not been coated.

Wire Rope, Cable-Laid

A type of wire rope consist­ing of several wire ropes laid into a single wire rope, as for example 16 x 6 x 7 tiller rope.

Wire Rope, Coarse-Laid

Rope formed from large wires. Also known as hard laid rope.

Wire Rope, Concentric

A group of standard conductors assembled in concentric manner. The direction of lay of the outer rope members is left-hand.

Wire Rope, Equal Lay

Wire rope in which the wires in the strands have a lay length that prevents crossovers in the wires.

Wire Rope, Filler

A type of equal lay construction where wires in outer layer rest in a valley formed by an inner wire and one of the filler wires.

Wire Rope, Flat

Wire rope made of parallel altern­ating right-lay and left-lay ropes sewn together by relatively soft wires.

Wire Rope, Flattened Strand

A rope formed of strands that have a wire of oval, triangular, wedge, or other shape in the center of each strand. This results in polygonal shaped strands creating a more rounded cross-section for the finished rope.

Wire Rope, Half-Lock

The outer layers are made up of shaped wires with grooves so formed as to permit the insertion of a fixed diameter cylindrical wire between two grooves during rope fabrication, This, together with the lay, exerts a semi-locking action and prevents fractured wires within the layer from drifting out of lock. Note: this is an uncommon design.

Wire Rope, Hard Laid

Rope formed from large wires. Also known as coarse laid rope.

Wire Rope, Lang’s Lay

Wire rope in which the wires in the strands and the strands in the rope are laid in the same direction, providing a better wearing surface.

Wire Rope, Lay Conductor or Cable

A conductor composed of a central core surrounded by one or more layers of helically laid groups of wires used in portable cables. This kind of cable differs from a concentric-lay conductor in that the main strands are themselves stranded. In the most common type of rope-lay conductor or cable, all wires are of the same size, and the central core is a concentric-lay conductor.

Wire Rope, Lay Strand

A conductor made of multiple groups of filaments. For example, a 7+19 rope lay strand has 19 wires laid into a group and then seven of those groups laid cabled into a conductor.
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