Cutters are special hand tools designed to cut a wide range of materials, including plastic, metal, and others. These handy tools are comprised of a pair of levers fixed together via a fulcrum at each end. The longer end is referred to as the arms, while the shorter part is the jaws. They work by using levers for increasing and extending the grip’s strength, which is magnified by pressing handles and directed to the pincers’ meeting point.
Furthermore, to enhance comfort, these tools are available with insulating handles, which provide a comfortable grip during operation. In addition, they come in adjustable, locking, and non-adjustable models with varied sizes and types.
From which materials are cutters made?
These versatile cutters are made of highly durable and corrosion-resistant materials such as carbide, hardened steel, alloy steel, chrome vanadium steel, forged steel, high carbon alloy steel, chrome vanadium steel, molybdenum steel, and more.
Types of Cutters:
Ideal for a wide range of specific applications, these devices have several types, as given below.
As the name suggests, these tools are ideally designed for electrical applications such as cutting cables or wires. They are provided with covered handles for comfort, which should not be confused with electrical insulation.
These cutters are widely used for cutting leads or stripping insulation, with popularity in electrical and communications applications. They feature a short, gripping surface toward their jaw’s tip and a cutting surface extending back towards the fulcrum.
These cutters are also referred to as side cutter pliers and are designed to cut by wedging and indenting the wire apart, which provides a cleaner cut. They are widely used in splicing, gripping, cutting, and stripping wire insulation.
These nippers are designed to cut through springs, wires, bolts, nails, and rivets. They come with a flat-bladed head, allowing close cuts against the surface instead of digging into it.
These cutters’ jaws pull the wire rope within and trap the cable before cutting, and they are ideal for precise and clean wire rope shearing without fanning.
-
Snipe nose/needle nose cutters
These versatile and handy cutters are used to cut delicate objects by holding them without applying pressure cleanly. These offer advantages over larger cutters, as they may cause damage to objects.
Typical Applications of Cutters:
These versatile tools have many varied uses and are commonly found in various industries. However, the application type will indicate the best type to be used. For instance, linesmen and jewelry cutters are common but offer multiple uses.
Other uses include:
- Wires, nails, and screws
- Mechanical industries
- Conductors
- Wire ropes
- Solid bars
- Construction
- Thich chains or leads
- Bolts, rivets
- Eyepins, headpins