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Module one: History and Safety
Module four: Specialist Electricians Tools
Module three: Core Electricians Tools
Module three: Core Electricians Tools
ESD and Precision Tools.
ESD and Precision Products
Introduction to Pliers and Cutters - continued
Before we take a look in detail at the various plier types, we need to explain about the different geometries of the cutting edges available.
Pliers such as side cutters have their cutting edges ground to different geometries for a reason which is directly related to their cutting capacity and the shock forces they create when cutting.
What shock? – well, unlike scissor type blades that shear through materials, the cutting blades on pliers directly oppose each other.
As the blades cut through the wire, it is actually forcing the wire apart. At some point the wire gives up and snaps.
When the free end of the wire pings away it is displaying the energy transmitted to it in the cutting process. Depending on the blade angles, the same amount of energy can actually be transmitted the other way – potentially into a sensitive electronic component.
The diagrams that follow show the opposing blades (in colour), you can see the different blade angles and the resulting shock they send through the wire.
Mini Bevel
The Mini Bevel form is the standard cutting blade shape. This gives the highest cutting capacity, with robust and long lasting cutting edges. The trade off is that it causes the highest shock force to the wire and potentially the component it is connected to. The risk is that particularly delicate components could be damaged.
Full Flush
Full flush geometry puts the cutting edge closer to the edge of the pliers, this gives almost flush cutting to the surface. There is a reduction also in the shock transmitted to the component side of the cut.
The trade off here is that the cutting capacity is reduced and because there is less material on the cutting edges, they tend to wear more quickly.
Extra Full Flush
Extra full flush puts the cutting edge right on the outside, making for perfectly flush cuts.
The shock transmitted to the component side of the cut is eliminated, making them the best choice for delicate components. But, because these have the sharpest angle edges, they offer the least cutting capacity and wear resistance.