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The Book of Terms

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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.

   

 

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

Fish Tail

The V-shaped split occasionally occurring at the end of a product through hot rolling.

Fish Tape Wire

A steel wire pushed through raceways and used to pull in wires. It can be a thin wire, or even string. It often is threaded through electrical conduit so that it can be used for pulling through the electric cable or wire.

Fish-Pole

A technique of sampling taken when the caster and rolling mill is operating under ideal conditions with the proper temperatures, speed and good rod quality. A sample (fish-pole) is usually taken at the end of the production run, or when rolling is about to stop for maintenance. The mill is run forward at a slow or “jog” speed so that the samples can be removed and checked.

Five-Wheel Configuration

A configuration for continuous casting of nonferrous bar. The five-wheel version shows a casting wheel supported by two turn wheels that drive the band. With this arrangement, the band that closes the mold is kept below the wheel, leaving the cast bar with a clear path to the rolling mill without twisting.

Fixed Pass Design

A three-sided containment that moves toward and over an abutment for a close fit in the groove in the manufacture of shaped wire.

Fixture Wire

A conductor used in lighting fixtures or similar equipment, or used to connect a lighting fixture to branch circuit conductors. Common types include Type TF (thermoplastic-insulated, solid or seven-strand conductor) and Type TFN (thermoplastic-insulated, nylon-jacketed, solid or seven-strand conductor).

Flag

A visual indicator for event happenings, such as the activation and re-closing of an automatic circuit breaker.

Flakes

Internal fissures in ferrous metals. In a fractured surface these fissures may appear as sizeable areas of silvery brightness and coarse texture; in wrought products such fissures may appear as short discontinuities on an etched section. Also called “shatter cracks,” “chrome checks,” “fish eyes” and “snowflakes.”

Flaking

Also known as spalling, refers to the falling away of small particles from the surface of a wire.

Flame Annealing

A process of softening a metal by the application of heat from a high-temperature flame.

Flame Cutting

1) Severing a piece of metal by burning a portion out by means of an oxyacetylene torch. 2) Removing a part of the surface by means of the burning torch, as in conditioning. (More properly called “scarfing.”)

Flame Hardening

A process of hardening a ferrous alloy by heating it above the transformation range by means of a high-temperature flame, and then cooling as required.

Flame Polishing

Producing a smooth, glossy finish on extruded plastic insulations or jackets by passing the hot plastic through a flame just after the extrusion die.

Flame Resistance

The ability of insulation or jacketing material not to propagate flame once the heat source is removed.

Flame Retardant

A chemical added to insulation materials to make them less combustible, such as antimony oxide (to PVC) or alumina trihydrate or carbon black (to XLP). Also used to describe flame resistance.

Flame Strand Annealing

Annealing by passing wire continuously through a line of gas flame jets controlled with great accuracy.

Flammability

Measure of the material’s ability to support combustion.

Flammability Test

A test to determine the ability of a cable to resist ignition when placed near a source of heat or flame and to self-extinguish when removed from this source.

Flange

1) A projection of metal on formed objects. 2) The parts of a structural member (e.g., channel, I-beam) at right angles to the central section or web. 3) The circular sides of a reel or spool.

Flash

1) Waste material, for instance, when rolling or stamping designs on a wire for decorative purposes. 2) Projection formed at the joint when two wires are butt-welded. Term applied to most waste materials.
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