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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

Pattern Lay

A term used to describe the controlled pattern of the coiled wire on a carrier. Typical of wire coming off a deadblock onto the carrier.

Pattern Lay Coil

A coil winding method that maximizes the amount of wire that can be placed on a tubular carrier, following processing on a dead block. Individual wraps are layer-wound onto a base. Each wrap is deflected to the carrier arbor, either as the base rotates or by means of a rotating kicker plate, producing a doughnut-shaped section on the carrier.

Pay-Off-Pak

Trade name for a cylindrical wire dispatch container that may be of fiber or steel to receive wire directly from wiredrawing or processing equipment. It saves a series of manual operations between the time wire is finished by the wire drawer and con­sumed by the user. The same container is used for transport and storage and offers features related to handling and protection against damage or corrosion. See Draw-Pak and D-Packer.

Payoff

1) The process of feeding a cable of wire from a bobbin, reel or other packages. 2). A device used to feed rod, wire or cable into a piece of equipment or machinery. Common types of payoff machines include horizontal (also called flippers), turntable and cannons and overheads.

PBJ

Designation for paper, braided jute (cables).

PBT

Designation for Poly-Butylene Terephthalate. A type of plastic.

PCG

Designation for portable mine cable with power, control and ground conductors. A common term for air core (unfilled) direct burial cable with a corrugated copper shield.

PCP Compounds

Designation for synthetic rubber called polychloroprene. More commonly known under the DuPont trade name neoprene. This material has poorer electrical properties than natural rubber, and is therefore confined to non-critical applications when used for insulation. However it has good weathering properties, oil resistance, flame resistance, ozone resistance and mechanical toughness.

PCS

Designation for Prestressed Concrete Strand.

PCTFE

Designation for Polychlorotrifluoroethylene.

PD

Designation for rubber-insulated stranded conductors with cotton braid over each. Conductors twisted with braid overall. Light duty, dry locations on appliances, 300V.

PE

Designation for either: 1) Polyethylene. 2) Professional Engineer.

Peak Value

The largest instantaneous value of a variable.

Peak Voltage

The maximum instantaneous voltage of an electrical current.

Pearlite

A mixture of cementite (iron carbide) and ferrite (pure iron), which has an appearance resembling mother-of-pearl when seen under a microscope. It has a distinctive two-phase lamellar structure in steel that consists of thin platelets of iron carbide (Fe3C) in a ferrite matrix. The fine pearlitic structure (small grain size) maximizes wire strength and drawability.

Peeling

The detaching of one layer of a coating from another or from the base metal because of poor adherence. A cold finishing method that mechanically removes an amount of surface material and subsequently the small imperfections that are sometimes present in hot rolled material. Surface smoothness and dimensional accuracy are improved, but mechanical properties of the hot rolled steel are not appreciably affected.

Peeling Die

Dies used in the rod shaving operation to peel away the surface of undesirable material.

Peening

Impacting the outside of a wire form with small hard particles to deform the surface and impart residual compressive stress. This action can greatly improve the fatigue resistance of springs by reducing or eliminating the occurrence of tensile stresses during cycling, thus prohibiting conditions conducive to crack growth.

Pellet

Also known as die insert, blank or nib. The sintered tungsten carbide product from which the die will be manufactured. The pellet may be solid or it may have a hole or cavity to assist in drilling the hole.

Pencilling

The tapering of insulation to relieve electrical stress at a splice or termination. Also used when removing insulation for conductor termination. Pencilling reduces potential “ringing” of the conductor by the cutting blade, which would lead to premature wire fracture.
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