The “B” Terms

The terms in English:

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

Les termes en Français:

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

Bar (fr: Barre): A long, non-ferrous or ferrous metal product produced in rectangular or circular cross-section. Normally, a metal bar is over 10mm thick and up to 300mm wide. Not to be confused with Rebar.

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Beam (fr: Poutre): A structural element primarily used to withstand loads that are, typically, applied laterally to the beam’s axis. Its mode of deflection is primarily by bending. Beams can be characterized by their manner of support, profile (shape of cross-section, e.g. I-beams, H-beams, T-beams), length, and their material (e.g. steel, aluminium, wood). Generally, a “structural beam” is a descriptor of construction & building or civil engineering elements, but any structures such as automotive automobile frames, machine frames, and other mechanical or structural systems contain beam structures. They are too designed to carry lateral loads and are analyzed in a similar fashion.

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Bending (fr: Pliage du métal): A metal forming operation that involves the straining of a material, usually a flat sheet or a strip metal, by moving it around a straight axis and applying stress to bend it.

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Black steel pipe (fr: Tuyau en acier noir): A pipe made of steel that has not been galvanized. Its coating is of dark-colored iron oxide (hence the name – black steel pipe) and it is used in applications that don’t require galvanized steel.

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Blanking (fr: Découpage): A shearing operation in which a punch (a metal rod with a sharp tip at one end and a blunt butt at the other) and die (a specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material via a press) are used to form metals and other materials. The punched out piece of metal is called a blank and is designed for further use.

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Brass (fr: Laiton): A family of copper and zinc alloys, usually 60/40 – its variations in composition result in different physical characteristics and colours.

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Brazing (fr: Brasage): The process of joining two or more metal pieces together by melting and coursing a filler metal (the filler metal having a lower melting point the joined metal items) into the joint. Unlike welding, brazing does not involve the melting of the working pieces and requires higher temperatures and more closely fitted parts then when soldering.

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