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).

Synonymous with flat cable.

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.

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.

The strength of a material in bending.

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

Referring to a circuit that has no connect to ground.

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

Wavy surface appearance of any object caused by improper flow of the resin onto the cable.

A phrase used for the pattern of deformation created during the actual metal flow in a cold-forming operation.

Use of a continuous fluid film during wiredrawing and rolling to prevent metal-to-metal contact. See Hydrodynamic Lubrication.

A long container filled with solid particles of uniform size that, when air is blown from beneath, levitate or bubble in a controlled manner. Gas and air are injected to the system and combusted, enabling the unit to be used for continuous annealing or patenting of wire. The heat transfer rate of the fluidized bed is very high, similar to liquid lead.

A resin used for a wide range of demanding cable applications, FEP is similar to polytetrafluoroethylene but has a melting point about 50°C lower and slightly different physical properties. It is more easily processed than PTFE. Heat resistance and chemical inertness are outstanding. Foamed FEP with a dielectric constant of about 1.6 is also used.

Resins that include fluorine in their molecular structure. The greater the fluorine content, the better are the polymer’s electrical mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. Poly­vinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene, and perfluoroalkoxy are wire insulations from the fluorocarbon family. See individual listings.

1) A material used to either prevent the formation of or to dissolve and facilitate the removal of oxides and other undesirable substances in brazing, cutting, soldering or welding. 2) A material used to prepare the wire surface for further metallic coating. 3) The lines of force that make up an electrostatic field. 4) The rate of flow of energy across or through a surface.

A high performance adjustable speed drive for an AC induction motor. By a combination of user-entered motor data and information that the drive senses from the motor, typical speed accuracy of +/-0.5% of base speed, even under changing load conditions, and a speed range of 40:1 or higher is achieved without the use of a feedback device. Used with a motor with encoder, speed accuracy to +/- 0.01% of base speed, and infinite speed range, including full torque at zero speed, is achieved. Typical applications include smaller bull blocks and dead blocks (under 150 HP), take-ups, spoolers and multi-pass draw machines.

A low-carbon, hard drawn wire with a finish suitable for electro­galvanizing or painting of the woven cloth. May be bright, coppered or galvanized.

1) A device for feeding wire spin yarns such as silk and rayon. 2) A holder for the fiber, tape or other insulating material in a covering machine; also known as a serving head. 3) The cradles of stranding machines are also sometimes known as flyers. 4) A circular guide on a stationary payoff spool to guide the wire over the spool flange. 5) A device that allows a core to be removed from a reel, much like thread to be pulled from a bobbin.

A high-carbon steel wire, either hard-drawn or oil-tempered, that must be hard enough to withstand the abrasive action of the threads, yet suitable for forming into intricate designs.

Apparatus for cutting billets or bars while in motion, the shears being synchronized with the speed at which the metal is traveling. The flying shear crops (cuts) the bar coming from the caster units into pieces when the mill cannot take the bar, but the furnace must continue to pour.