What types of screwdrivers are there?
Design Features
The screwdriver consists of three parts: a tip, a shaft and a handle. The types of tip depend on which fastener is to be screwed. Their names and depend on the shape of the tip. The fastener may be a screw, screw, or self-tapping screw. Earlier, devices with a direct slot were in great demand, but now the use of cross devices has become more popular.
What are the slots? There are various types of slots. Popular views are star-shaped and hexagonal. It is very important that the tip is strong and solid. And for better retention, it is treated with a special coating, which has a high coefficient of friction.
Varieties of tools allow you to choose a convenient option for working in various places. So a screwdriver can be with a long or short handle, with a square or hexagonal cross-section. The handle can be plastic or wooden and in the form most often cylindrical. But there are also in the form of the letter "T" or pistol type.
Variety Overview
So what are screwdrivers? As new types of bolts appeared on the construction market, the types of tools also expanded. Today there is a large selection of products of various shapes and designs. Most of them are used only in conjunction with certain technologies.
The following types of screwdrivers are considered the most popular in consumption:
- Flat (denoted as SL). It is also called direct spike. The sting has the form of a scapula and such a plane is needed to work with the simplest connections with screws. Such a device is considered the most popular in household works, such as fastening shelves or minor electric installation work.
- Cross (designated as pH). Such a screwdriver has a cone-shaped sting. Its four faces fit in a cruciform slot. These types of products are used to connect certain equipment or cars, as well as to securely fasten the screw. Since such a screwdriver has a conical shape, the sting will be twice as much in contact with the screw.
- Hex (denoted by HEX). These types of products have the shape of a working surface like a hexagon. The torque of such a device will be ten times the reading of a Phillips screwdriver. This type of tool is used during works related to the repair of electrical engineering.
- Star-shaped (denoted as TORX).It has the shape of a working surface like a six-pointed star. It is used in the repair of a minor variety of equipment, for example, such as a cell phone.
- Cross-shaped with notches (designated as PZ). This type of screwdriver design has not only a cross profile, but also has minor additional edges. It is used in the assembly of furniture, as it is included more tightly in the fasteners.
There are also types of products that are used only in certain conditions, since they are equipped with special devices. These products include:
- Ratchet screwdriver. Thanks to this mechanism, the rod can rotate freely in one direction. Due to this, you can work without removing the tip from the slot. The direction of rotation is changed using a special lever.
- Dielectric. Used when working with equipment that is energized. In this case, the product is coated with a special insulating coating. Such insulation is calculated on the set voltage limits. On the handle it is indicated in the marking.
- Universal. Allows to use several tips on one handle. They are stored either in a separate case or inside the handle.
- With flexible shaft. It is also called a gear. In cramped conditions, such a device will be indispensable, which is clearly shown in the photo:
Marking screwdrivers
To find out what kind of tools and what their purpose is, you need to know the decoding of the marking of screwdrivers.
This table contains all the most popular shapes of tips and their marking:
For example, cruciform (PH and PZ) has a special correspondence table, which indicates the tools and sizes of fasteners to which they are suitable. The table below shows the dependence of the length and diameter of the rod on the number of the screwdriver:
There is also another dependency you should be aware of:
It should also be noted that some types of screwdrivers can contain not only letters, but also numbers in the marking. For example, pH 4 * 120, here pH - this means that it is direct; 4 is a number that indicates the diameter of the fastener; 120 - the length of the product. In addition, the marking may contain information about the metal, which is used in the manufacture of the working part.
In the photo below, you can see the markings on the rod:
Finally, we recommend watching a useful video on the topic:
So we examined the main types of screwdrivers and their purpose, as well as the scope and marking. We hope the information provided was useful and interesting for you!
We also recommend reading: