| Axial Ends |
Straight sections on each end of a coiled cord that extend out along the same axis as the coils. |
| Abrasion Resistance |
Ability of material or cable to resist surface wear. |
| ASTM |
Abbreviation for American Society for Testing and Materials. |
| AWG |
Abbreviation for American Wire Gage, a standard system used for designating wire diameter. |
| AL/MY |
Abbreviation for Aluminum Mylar. A laminated aluminum and polyester tape used for shielding wires. |
| AWM |
Abbreviation for Appliance Wiring Material. Underwriters Laboratories designation for wire and cable conforming to UL standard 758. |
| Binder |
A helically applied tape or thread used for holding twisted wires in place until additional manufacturing operations are performed |
| Braid |
A fibrous or metallic group of filaments interwoven in cylindrical form to form a covering over one or more wires. |
| Cable Assembly |
A length of cable or a coiled cord with end work. (See end-work). |
| Cabling |
The method by which a group of insulated conductors are mechanically assembled by twisting together. Also known as twisting. |
| Cable Core |
A cable core is the portion of an insulated cable lying under the protective covering known as the jacket. |
| Cable Filler |
The material used in multiple conductor cables to occupy the spaces formed by the assembly of components, thus forming a core of the desired shape. |
| CSA |
Abbreviation for Canadian Standards Association. |
| Coiled Cord |
A specially constructed jacketed cable that, when formed and set into a helix, will return to its original compressed state after extending. Also known as retractile cord. |
| Coil Length |
The compressed (unextended) length of the coiled section in a retractile cord. Does not include the straight ends. |
| Color Code |
A color system for circuit identification by use of solid colors, tracers, surface Printing, etc. |
| Concentricity |
In a wire or cable, the measurement of the location of the center of the conductor with respect to the geometric center of the circular insulation. |
| Conductor |
A material that offers low resistance to electrical current. Copper and copper alloys are commonly used as conductors in wire and cable. |
| Core |
Any portion of a cable over which some other cable component such as a sheild, jacket, sheath or armor, is applied. |
| CUL |
Abbreviation for Canadian Underwriters Labs. |
| Drain Wire |
An uninsulated wire, usually placed directly beneath and in electrical contact with a grounded shield, which is used for making ground connections. |
| End-work |
Connectors, strain reliefs, flex reliefs, hardware attached to the end(s) of a cable or preparation of the cable for attachments. |
| Extrusion |
The process of continuously forcing either a plastic or elastomer and a conductor or core through a die, thereby applying an insulation or jacket to the conductor or core. |
| Extension Life |
The number of extensions, of a specified length, a coiled cord can withstand before failure. |
| Extended Length |
The distance a coiled cord is required to extend in normal usage. This does not include the tangent or axial ends. |
| Flex Life |
The number of bends or twists, of specified type, that a cable will withstand before failure. |
| Insulation |
An electrically nonconductive material covering the bare conductors. |
| Jacket |
A material covering over a wire insulation or an assembly of components, usually an extruded plastic or elastomer. |
| Koiled Kord |
Whitney Blake Co. Trademark for retractile cords. (See Retractile Cord) |
| MIB |
Abbreviation for Medical Information Bus. |
| Neoprene |
Trade name for polychloroprene, used for jacketing (See Polychloroprene). |
| Polychloroprene |
Chemical name for neoprene A rubber-like compound used for jacketing where wire and cable will be subject to rough usage, moisture, oil, greases, solvents and chemicals. |
| Polyurethane |
A thermoplastic polymer normally used for cable jackets. Known for elastic properties, resistance to abrasion and solvents. |
| PVC |
Abbreviation for Polyvinyl Chloride. A thermoplastic material commonly used for insulation and cable jackets. |
| Retractile Cord |
A specially constructed jacketed cable that, when formed and set into a helix, will return to its original compressed state after extending. Also known as coiled cords. |
| ROJ |
Abbreviation for Removal Of Jacket. |
| SAE |
Abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers. |
| Shield |
Any barrier to the passage of interference |
| Stranded Conductor |
A conductor composed of a group or groups of solid wires twisted together. A stranded conductor size and construction is normally expressed by a series of numbers, total conductor AWG size, number of strands and individual strand AWG. (ie) 28 AWG 19/40. |
| Strength Member |
A fibrous or metallic component within a cable core used to improve the overall strength and durability of a cable. |
| Tangent Ends |
Straight sections on each end of a coiled cord that extend out perpendicular to the axis as the coils. |
| Thermoplastic |
A classification of resin that can be readily softened and reformed by heating and be rehardened by cooling. |
| Thermoset |
1). To cure through chemical reaction by heat to a point of not being resoftened by subsequent heating. 2). A resin which cures by chemical reaction. |
| Tinsel Conductor |
An ultra flexible conductor constructed from flat wire helically served around a fibrous material. |
| Vulcanization |
An irreversible process during which a rubber compound through a change in its chemical structure (for example, cross-linking), becomes less plastic and more resistant to swelling by organic liquids and elastic properties are conferred, improved, or extended over a greater range of temperature. |
