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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

Pickling, Tank Heating

Direct steam heating, from a pipe fitted in a recess in the brickwork to protect it from damage, dilutes the bath and causes acid overflow. Indirect steam heating is carried out by condensing steam in closed heat exchangers located at the bottom or sides of the tank. Heating may also be done by pumping the pickle acid through external heat exchangers.

Pickling, Ultrasonic Cleaning

High-frequency vibrations are produced by transducers or vibrators that cause the formation and bursting of bubbles. As the bubbles impinge the surface to be cleaned, the pressure created just as the bubbles burst can be high enough to blast scale and other contaminants off the metal’s surface.

Picks Per Inch

The number of times the carriers in a braid cross over each other in the same direction along the longitudinal axis for each inch of length.

Pico

A prefix denoting one-millionth of one-millionth (10-12).

Picocoulomb

10^-12 coulombs.

Picofarad

One trillionth (or one millionth of one millionth) of a farad. A capacitance unit is usually used to designate capacitance unbalance between pairs and capacitance unbalance of the two wires of a pair to ground.

Picture Wire

Wire for the function of hanging material and objects such as artwork. It is usually produced in mild steel, zinc, tin, brass or brass-coated mild steel. Drawn to finish flexible, and in general formed into a strand.

PID

Designation for Proportional Integral Derivative.

Pierce Tape

Tape reinforced with a wire mesh used in the reinforcement of the beads of pneumatic tires.

Piercing

Process in the manufacturing of diamond dies which is usually accomplished by mechanical drilling, ultrasonic cutting or the use of a laser beam.

Piezoelectric Effect

Certain materials become electrically polarized when they are mechanically strained. The direction and magnitude of the polarization depends upon the nature, amount and direction of the strain. In such crystals, the reverse is also true in that a strain results from the application of an electric field.

Pig

Initial post-smelting casting of metals. Named because when molten metal was originally poured through a trench in the ground to flow into shallow earthen holes, the arrangement looked like newborn pigs suckling. The central channel became known as the “sow” and the molds were “pigs.”

Pig Iron

Iron produced by reduction of iron ore in the blast furnace.

Pigment

A chemical added to insulation compounds to impart color for circuit identification.

Pigtail Wire

1) Fine stranded, extra flexible, rope lay lead wire attached to a shield for terminating purposes. 2) The conductor extending from a small component.

PILC

Designation for Paper Insulated, Lead Covered.

Pilot Wire

An auxiliary insulated conductor in a power cable used for control or data.

Pin

1) An electrical terminal, usually in a connector that is normally a termination smaller than a lug. 2) The bar on which coils of wire are hung for transportation to and from the pickling tank and to hold them while in the tank.

Pin Gauge

An insulation thickness gauge that has a pin that will fit the groove left by a wire strand.

Pinch Marks

Elongated markings, generally running with the grain and resulting from a folding-over of the metal during rolling. Such folds occur at the entry side of the rolling mill and are consequently rolled over and smoothed out in the subsequent rolling.
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