Types and Uses of Screwdrivers

Screwdrivers are very used full mechanical hand tools required for injecting and stripping screws. They are one of the most universally used mechanical devices with a multitude of variations to cater to different kinds of screws. Each screwdriver consists of three parts; Handle, Shaft or shank, and drive bit or tip. The head of screws normally has a cavity and projection to fit the screwdriver tip. Torque is then applicable to remove or drive the screw. In this article, we will learn about the various kinds of screwdrivers and their uses.

Applications of Screwdriver

Screwdrivers are one of the most necessary and sought-after tools for any tool kit. For loosening and tightening different kinds of fasteners, there is no option for screwdrivers. These are used in various applications like

·         Opened the mobile phones

·         Opened the Electronics and electrical equipment

·         Opened the computers

·         Carpentry and woodworking 

·         Mechanical and industrial production

·         Metal worked and fastening wood to metal

·         Flammable environments, etc.

Screwdrivers Sizes:

The screwdrivers are available in many different sizes. These are usually sized as standard large, medium, and small. Certain screwdrivers are also sized to use in tightening or confined spaces. The screwdriver tip width and the length of both the blade and the overall tools are generally measured in millimeters.

Again, depending on the worker, the screwdriver sizing can vary. For example, Phillips screwdriver provides four standard screwdriver sizes ranging from no 0 to 4, where #0 describes the smallest screwdriver. On the other hand, certain screwdrivers are sized based on the Torx size. The size is specified by the letter T replaced by a number. For instance, T10 screwdrivers. This screwdriver sizing approach ranges from tiny screwdrivers to T45 and beyond. The same sizing system is applicable to screws as well which in turn helps in choosing the screwdriver size for a particular sized screw.

Types of Screwdrivers;

In general, screwdriver types are resolute based on the drive tip shape to fit specific kinds of screws. Again, certain kinds of screwdrivers are specific tools for particular industries. Using the right kind of screwdriver to the screw saves effort and, time, the following section gives a guide to the most common types of screwdrivers.

Crosshead Screwdrivers or Phillips; Screwdrivers

·         Torx or Star Screwdriver

·         Insulated Screwdrivers;

·         Torque Screwdrivers

·         Flathead Screwdrivers

·         Tri-Wing Screwdrivers

·         Pozidriv Screwdriver

·         Hex Screwdriver

·         •Square Screwdriver

·         Electric Screwdrivers and Impact Drivers

·         Precision Screwdrivers

·         Magnetic Screwdrivers

·         Ratchet Screwdrivers    

Fig. 1: Different Types of Screwdrivers

1. Crosshead Screwdrivers or Phillips; Screwdrivers;

Crosshead screwdrivers or Phillips screwdrivers are considered to fit screws with Phillips heads having a crossed shape recess. These are available in sizes from size zero to size four. Phillips screwdrivers are imaginary to cope with higher torsion. Their angled tips allow appropriate deeper into the screw head which decreases the chances of the driver sliding out.

2. Torx or Star Screwdriver;

Torx screwdrivers are most popular by various names like star head screwdrivers, pointed screwdrivers, or six-point screwdrivers. The trademark name for a six-point star-shaped intrusion in the screw head is Torx. This kind of screwdriver is suitable for assigning higher torques without the tool slipping. Torx screwdrivers are obtainable in a range of sizes. These use a numbering system that starts with the letter T followed by a number, for example; T8, T14, T10, T26, etc. With the increase in the numbers, the size of the tooltip increased. Torx screwdriver is widely used in Automotive, factories, and industries.

3. Insulated Screwdrivers;

Insulated screwdrivers provided added safety in potentially hazardous situations and because of this, they are also known as safety screwdrivers. These types of screwdrivers are widely popular among electricians. The insulation is usually made from non

4. Torque Screwdrivers;

The torque screwdrivers are quite similar to a torque wrench and are used to provide a specified controlled torque. These work using a torque-limiting clutch that has a limit on the applied force beyond a certain threshold.

5. Flathead Screwdrivers;

Flathead Screwdrivers are also known as slot-headed screwdrivers. These types of screwdrivers are quite common and have multi-purpose applications. With their flattened tip, flathead screws provide a linear straight movement.

6. Tri-Wing Screwdrivers;

Mostly used for specialized implements like consoles, cameras, and mobile phones, Tri-wing Screwdrivers possess quite small tips to enable use with smaller screws and bits.

7. Pozidriv Screwdriver;

A better version of Philips Screwdrivers, Pozidriv screwdrivers are designed to reduce cam-out whenever a screwdriver slips out of the screw head on the application of more torque.

8. Hex Screwdriver;

As the name hints, they, are hexagon screwdrivers used to work with hex screws. Allen keys or wrenches are representative examples of Hex Screwdrivers.

9. Square Screwdriver;

To reduce the cam-out issue of the slotted screws and speed up the fastening procedures, the square-headed screwdriver that fits screws with a square-shaped recess was developed.

10. Electric Screwdrivers and Impact Drivers;

Electric Screwdrivers are compact powered tools required for various tasks like assembling furniture or screwing into softwood or other similar material. Whenever, Impact drivers, are essentially more heavy-duty screwdriver kind that is used for jobs requiring sudden force to drive into or removed from harder, denser materials.

11. Precision Screwdrivers;

Precision screwdrivers are suitably used for very few devices whenever extremely small screws are used. Representative examples are mobile phones, watches, etc.

12. Magnetic Screwdrivers;

Magnetic Screwdrivers have an inherent magnetic force that allows the screws to be attached at the tip. These are found in major applications in the electronics industry where screws are small and have a high potential to be dropped simply.

13. Ratchet Screwdrivers;

With a built-in mechanism, these allow the application of force only in one direction while allowing free movement in the alternative direction, Ratcheting Screwdrivers work similarly to ratchet spanners.  

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