Strip and Ribbon
“Strip” is product with width of .250″ or more, while “ribbon” is product with width below .250″.
H. Cross Company uses two basic techniques for manufacturing:
A. Slit ribbon or strips – Produced from sheet or foil of the desired finished thickness, which is then precision slit to the desired width and tolerance. (End product has square edges; length is limited by length of starting sheet or foil.)
B. Flattened-wire ribbons or strips – Produced from wire of suitable diameter that is flattened to the desired thickness and width. Starting wire is specially processed and closely controlled in order to yield a high quality finished product. (End product has round edges; length is limited by length of starting wire, which is generally available in longer lengths than sheet or foil.)
Sheet and Foil
“Sheet” is flat-rolled with thickness of .005″ or more, while “foil” is flat-rolled with thickness below .005″ to .0003″. It is generally supplied in widths from .030″ up to 3.5″ depending on the material. All Sheet and Foil products are produced with square (slit) edges with length limited by length of starting sheet or foil.
Wire and Rod
“Wire” is round material below 0.060 in. diameter, usually furnished in coiled form, while “rod” is round material 0.060 in. diameter and above, usually furnished in straightened and cut lengths.
Typical Dimensions & Tolerances: Ribbon, Strips, Sheets and Foils
| Thickness | Tolerance | Width | Tolerance |
| .0005” to .0019” | +/-.00005” | .003” to .0109” | +/-.0005” |
| .002” to .0029” | +/-.0001” | .011” to .0209” | +/-.001” |
| .003” to .0039” | +/-.00015” | .021” to .0309” | +/-.0015” |
| .004” to .0049” | +/-.0002” | .031” to .0609” | +/-.002” |
| .005” to .0069” | +/-.00025” | .061” to .0999” | +/-.003” |
| .007” to .0109” | +/-.00035” | .100” to .2499” | +/-.005” |
| .011” to .0309” | +/-.0005” | .250” and Up | +/-.010” |
| .031” to .050” | +/-.001” | ||
| .0501” and up | +/-.0015” |
Typical Dimensions & Tolerances: Wires and Rods
| Diameter | Tolerance |
| .002” to .005” | +/-.0003” |
| .0051” to .010” | +/-.0004” |
| .0101” to .020” | +/-.0005” |
| .0201” to .040” | +/-.00075” |
| .0401” to .060” | +/-.001” |
| .0601” to .100” | +/-.0015” |
| .100” to .150” | +/-.002” |
| .1501” and Up | +/-.003” |