What term refers to the direction the strands are twisted in wire rope?

The term that refers to the direction in which the strands are twisted in wire rope is "lay." When wire rope is manufactured, the individual wires are twisted together to form strands, and those strands are then twisted together to create the finished rope. The lay can be right-hand or left-hand twisted, which indicates the direction of the twist. Understanding lay is essential because it affects the rope's performance and structural integrity during use. The lay also influences how the wire rope can be handled and manipulated, particularly in applications involving lifting or pulling loads. The other terms, while related to wire rope in various ways, do not define the twisting direction of the strands. For instance, "core" refers to the central component of wire rope that provides support, "tensile strength" measures the rope's ability to resist being pulled apart, and "strand length" pertains to the length of the individual strands, not the twist direction.