Glossary

Terms

• Absolute Pressure
  
  

  Gauge pressure plus barometric pressure. Absolute pressure can be zero only in a perfect vacuum.

  
  
• Ambient Temperature
  
  

  The temperature of the air, atmosphere or other fluid that completely surrounds the apparatus, equipment or the workpiece under consideration. For devices which do not generate heat, this temperature is the same as the temperature of the medium at the point of device location when the device is not present. For devices which do generate heat, this temperature is the temperature of the medium surrounding the device when the device is present and generating heat. Allowable ambient-temperature limits are based on the assumption that the device in question is not exposed to significant radiant-energy sources such as sunlight or heated surfaces.

  
  
• Annealing
  
  

  A process involving controlled heating and subsequent controlled, generally slow, cooling applied usually to induce ductility in metals. The term also is used to cover treatments intended to remove internal stresses, alter mechanical or physical properties, produce a definite microstructure, and remove gases.

  
  
• ANSI
  
  

  American National Standards Institute - The coordinating organization for America's federated national standards system. The ANSI federation consists of nine hundred companies, large and small, and some two hundred trade, technical, professional, labor, and consumer organizations.