Bead
Bead turns up in 2 fields: adhesives, woodworking. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Bead in adhesives
A continuous line of adhesive laid on a part, specified by its diameter or cross-section.
Beads are dispensed by hand gun, robot or nozzle, usually round or triangular in cross-section, and sized so the adhesive spreads to the right bondline and width when the parts close. Bead size, placement and continuity are inspected by eye, by vision cameras or by weight. Gaps in a bead become leak paths and weak spots once the joint is closed.
"Robot's laying a 6 millimeter bead instead of 8, and there's a skip at every corner. Recalibrate the flow."
Bead in woodworking
A convex, rounded decorative profile cut along the edge or face of a piece of wood.
A continuous semi-circular molding milled into a workpiece, usually flanked by a sharp, narrow groove. It softens sharp edges, hides joints, and adds a shadow line that gives depth to flat paneling or furniture legs. Carpenters often cut them using a dedicated router bit or a specialized hand plane.
"We need to run a half-inch bead along the bottom edge of the apron to match the original table."