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The Book of Terms

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.

   

 

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Dual Drum Capstans

The capstan is the line speed setter for the wire insulation process. Dual drum capstans generally use the single in-tandem insulating lines and consist of multiple capstan wheels around which the wire is wrapped to pull it through the extruder. Caterpillar capstans and belt wrapped capstans are two other versions.

Dual Element Fuse

See Fuse, Dual Element.

Dual Extrusion

Extruding two materials simultaneously using two extruders feeding a common cross head.

Duct

1) A single enclosed raceway for wires or cables. 2) A single enclosed raceway for wires or cables usually used in soil or concrete. 3) An enclosure in which air is moved. Generally part of the HVAC system of a building.

Duct Bank

Several underground conduits grouped together.

Ductile

Capable of being drawn out or hammered thin, or of being flexed or bent without failure.

Ductile Crack Propagation

Slow crack propagation that is accompanied by noticeable plastic deformation and required energy to be supplied from outside the body.

Ductile Failure

Fracture characterized by tearing of metal accompanied by appreciable gross plastic deformation and expenditure of considerable energy.

Ductility

The property that permits permanent deformation before fracture by stress in tension. The ability to permit shape or size change without fracture. Usually determined by elongation and reduction of area as determined in a tensile test. Yield strength is also a useful measure of ductility.

Dumbbell

A die-cut specimen of uniform thickness used for tensile and elongation of materials.

Dumbbell Wire

Two conductors running parallel, the insulation being applied to provide a dumbbell shaped cross-section.

Dumet Wire

Wire with a core of nickel alloy steel containing about 45 percent nickel, perhaps with a layer of silver, on which is swaged pure copper. Used for lead-in wires for filament lamps.

Dummy

Stock that has been given a preliminary rough shaping before being placed between dies for drop forging complicated shapes.

Dummy Block and Extrusion Press

A free cylinder that transmits pressure from the ram to the bullet in the extrusion of metals. Technique of inserting a block in a billet during an extrusion process to change the configuration or forces needed to produce a part. This is a hollow stem that contains the die opening and develops the product profile.

Dump Test

Another name for the up-ending test.

Duplex

Two conductors twisted together, usually with no outer covering. This word has a double meaning as it is possible to have parallel wires and jacketed parallel wires, and still refer to them as duplex.

Duplex Cable

1) A cable composed of two insulated single conductor cables twisted together. 2) A cable composed of two fibers, typically multimode, placed in parallel under a thermoplastic sheath.

Duplex Parallel

Typically used in the thermo-couple industry to denote two parallel conductors of dissimilar metals insulated in parallel without twist and jacketed. Commonly applied to thermo-couple grades and extension wires.

Durometer

A measurement device used to denote the hardness of a substance.

Dusting

Applying an agent, such as powdered sulfur, to prevent the burning of molten magnesium alloys during pouring.
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