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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

Wollaston Process

A process for drawing very fine wires in which a partly drawn wire is fitted into a tube of another ductile metal. After rolling and further drawing, the cover­ing metal is dissolved away.

Wool Fat

Grease used as a wiredrawing lubricant. Also known as degras or lanolin.

Work Hardening

Hardness developed in metal resulting from mechanical working, particularly cold working. Cold working can come from normal processes such as rolling, drawing, extruding, forming and peening. It can also come from other occurrences like flexing or bending.

Workability

The characteristic or group of characteristics that determines the ease of forming a metal into desired shapes.

Working Tension

See Tension, Working.

Wortle

1) A series of low-alloy tool steels which may contain several percent tungsten. 2) This was an alternative name for drawer’s plates made from this material.

Woven Cables

Cables with conductors that are held together in a flat, ribbon cable by thread as a result of a weaving process. See Twill Weave, Plain Weave.

Woven Wire Fencing

Field fence made from annealed mild steel wire galvanized either before or after weaving.

Woven Wire Mesh

A wire mesh produced in various materials (see Weaving Wire), it is made in different mesh sizes depending on the application, such as larger coarse sizes for quarry, colliery and heavy-duty screening.

WP

Designation for weatherproof construction, two or three impregnated cotton braids, 176°F (80°C).

Wrapper

An insulating barrier applied as a sheet or tape wrapped around a coil periphery.

Wrapping

The method of insulating wire by serving insulating tapes around a conductor.

Wrapping Paper

Wrappings for wire should be free of acids or anything likely to promote corrosion. For higher quality wires, waterproof, impregnated or coated papers may be employed.

Wrapping Test

1) A test which consists of coiling the wire a given number of times, over a mandrel of its own diameter and then un­coiling. The usual test is to wrap eight turns and unwrap seven. The wire must not frac­ture and the surface must remain free of imperfections. 2) A test to evaluate the adherence of zinc coating on galvanized wire; in this case the wire is usually wound over a mandrel larger than its own diameter.

WSC

Designation for wire strand center wire rope.

Wüstite. Ferrous Oxide

The first oxide to form on rod or wire. Compara-tive­ly soluble in pickling acid, it is almost entirely covered by the magnetite and hematite outer layers that are almost insoluble in acid.

WWG

Designation for Warrington Wire Gauge, an alternative name for Stubb’s Iron Wire Gauge.

X

Designation for Two FX wires twisted together, color-coded, 125V, 60°C (140°F).

X-Ray

Relatively high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a very short wavelength. Produced by bombardment of a metallic target with electrons in a high-voltage apparatus. It produces ionization when it strikes certain materials.

X-Ray Analysis

Technique that uses a scanning electron microscope to identify foreign particles and different defects in wire product.
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