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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

Wire Gauging Equipment, Contact-Type

With contact-type gauges, wire passes between rolls or styli, and a sensing unit measures the deviation of the wire thickness from a stan­dard diameter. An alteration in the gauge causes an error signal to be displayed. See Cable Diameter Gauging entries.

Wire Gauging Equipment, Optical-Type

With optical gauging instruments, wire is checked by use of photo­electric cells in different ways, the simplest method employing a measuring cell and a reference cell. For very fine wires, the diameter is often measured by weighing a specific length of the wire, which provides only the average cross section. More accurate measurement is obtained by measuring the electric resistivity of the wire or by measuring the greatly enlarged shadow area. See Cable Diameter Gauging entries.

Wire Gauging Equipment, Pneumatic-Type

With pneumatic non-contact gauges, wire passes through a narrow tube, one wall of which is pierced by the neck of a chamber connected to a measuring device. A constant pressure is generated in the tube, and variations in gauge cause a variation in pressure within the chamber. See Cable Diameter Gauging entries.

Wire Guides

Components used in a wire manufacturing operations for guiding the product. These include eyelet guides, bushings, rollers, pulleys, extruder tips, counter inserts, closing dies and wire depressors. They are often made from ceramics when wear resistance and ability to withstand heat and chemicals is important.

Wire Lead Machines

Devices for making wire leads vary from simple hand or bench style tools for bending and forming of leads to high-speed equipment that can perform a number of operations. Machines are available which will measure, cut, form, bend, strip and straighten wire leads.

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.
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