The Origin And Development History Of Screwdrivers

The screwdriver is probably the purest product in the manual tool, a knife stick plus a handle. Even in families with DIY weak workability, every family has one. Yet it is such a simple product that is incredibly epoch-making and more qualified than any manual tool to represent the course of the world's industrial revolution.

When it comes to screwdrivers, it's necessary to talk about screws, what are screws? Screws are of great importance to industry; the New York Times launched a "Best Tool for the Second Millennium Since the Age of Mankind" in 2000，the small screws topped the list.

Screws are widely used in various industrial fields, large to ships, aircraft, small glasses, mobile phones are inseparable from the screws, people call them "industrial rice", screwing these industrial rice products are screwdrivers. Before the first industrial revolution, screws were difficult to produce, and the Job and William Wyatt brothers found a way to create screws on new machines. Their contribution to the low-cost manufacture of screws eventually, led to a proliferation of screws and the popularity of screwdrivers.

The production of screws through a continuous increase in efficiency and dimensional standardization, screw accuracy also significantly promoted the prosperity of production. The gradual popularisation of screws in industrial applications has also led to the improvement and diversification of screwdrivers.

Born in Ontario Canadian in 1879, Robertson, was a  salesman in the eastern part of the Philadelphia tool sales company. One day he was accidentally cut while using a straight-slot screwdriver ，when the screw slots were a slot. Once the torque was a little bit larger, it was easy to slip and hurt, and this injury directly contributed to Roberston's way of reducing slip and increasing torque when screwing. So square groove screws were invented. Robertson founded Robertson Screw Company until he died in 1951.

Fisher, a car body maker for Ford Motor, was one of Robertson's first customers, using more than 700 Robertson screws on each car. He discovers that the screw could save about two hours of work per car ，Henry Ford tried to obtain an exclusive license to use and manufacture Robertson screws in the United States. Robertson turned him down, and Robertson thought it was not in his best interests, so he lost the opportunity to market his square-slot screw invention to the emerging auto industry.

The real popularity of screws belongs to Phillip Screwdriver, the simple cross screw. The importance of crosshead screw design lies in its self-centeredness, which has been much helped by the popularity of the automated production line using electric screwdrivers.

With the historical process of the Industrial Revolution, the handle and knife rod of the screwdriver has changed a lot. Design is influenced by use and manufacturing requirements. Wooden handles rivet the original screwdriver look, even now there are some factories still producing this screwdriver, which we call the clamp screwdriver. At the same time, the screwdriver head also derives numerous styles. Many of the screwdrivers in this picture can be found on our product page.

It was found that if the shape and material of the screwdriver handle were designed to fit comfortably into the user's hand, it would make the user feel comfortable and help to maximize torque control, a surface including dents for fingers and soft materials such as thermoplastic elastomers was founded to increase comfort and grip.

A perfectly designed screwdriver handle that allows the handle to fit perfectly into the hands, preventing blisters and aging, and relieving hand strain. The hard material allows the hand skin to hold the handle without sticking to it, thus operating the screwdriver like a wheel and sliding quickly on the hand, which is true ergonomics.

Screwdriver development to today, the most important is to compare the details. Commonly screwdriver we can do almost, some brands have screwdriver handle as a significant project, a beautiful handle is the screwdriver can sell well crucial factors. Far more than screwdrivers, tool products about 30 years ago have been trained, but with the industry segment, stillborn very many segments of screwdriver products.

(1)Precision screwdriver

The precision screwdriver also called the smaller number of screwdrivers, clock screwdriver, early most used in watches, glasses, and other precisions repair and removal occasions. Now also widely used in small products, such as alarm clocks, audio-visual equipment. High-quality precision screwdriver manufacturing requirements are much higher than an ordinary screwdriver, the better the head and screw fit the more challenging it is to slip, screw, and screwdriver mutual damage will be reduced. Therefore, the precise screwdriver tiny head more need to ensure processing accuracy. In contrast, small rods and small heads still require to maintain considerable hardness and strength, which is the material, processing, heat treatment put forward a very high demand.

In the field of precision screws, in addition to extreme wear resistance and perfect head fit, there are many elements that we ignore.

Design of roll-resistant capabilities.

A screwdriver handles to meet the comfort of the palm are generally designed as a circle. However, the circular screwdriver may cause a rolling slip or fall to the ground, so anti-roll becomes very important, such as WERA design hexagonal type handle, some other brands design of various angled shapes in the tail to prevent rolling.

(2)Insulated screwdriver

Insulated screwdrivers are specially designed for live and high-voltage operation. Usually, the insulated screwdriver except for a little head exposed metal, the entire screw rod and handle is wrapped in insulation material, which can effectively prevent live metal contact with the outside world, improve the safety of live operation. The general high-pressure insulated screwdriver pressure resistance standard is 1,000 volts. Must through the rule of VDE IEC 60900, 100% 1000 volts of high-strength water bath test, to verify its essential insulation characteristics,  and also at -40 degrees C impact toughness testing, to ensure that the user in live, extreme environment save sing safe operation.

(3)Anti-static screwdriver

ESD （Electro-Static discharge）means "electrostatic release," for example, when screwing electronic components such as mobile phones or tablets, electrostatic charges are likely to cause equipment to malfunction or fail, or even lead to more serious irreversible damage, making the presence of anti-static screwdrivers essential.

(4)Tapping the screwdriver

Often faced with problems during work: Too lazy to replace tools, screwdrivers are often mistaken for a chisel. But the ordinary screwdriver's lever does not run through the handle; the tail is not designed to hit the surface, hard knock, the handle may crack, which can be dangerous. So a knock screwdriver was born, not only for unpacking screws but also for fastening, knocking, and loosening the stuck screws.

Some screwdriver rods are also equipped with hexagonal bolts that can transmit higher torque by twisting an open wrench or socket wrench. A right knock screwdriver uses a hexagonal bar made of high-quality steel to run through the handle, allowing the force of the hammer to pass safely and undamaged. At the same time, the overall tempering process ensures that the rod does not break.

Of course, in addition to the above introduction, there are such ratchet screwdrivers, Z-type screwdrivers, and other applications scene of the screwdriver. With the rise of lithium electric tools,  electric screwdrivers are gradually replaced manual screwdrivers in many areas. Electric screwdrivers provide more effort-saving, efficiency to the user, However completely replace the screwdriver is also hard, it is difficult to adjust the strength of electrical tools, and easy to lead to sliding or even cause damage to the workpiece.

Especially in the field of industrial maintenance, each screw, is a dialogue with the machine, because you screw down at the same time, whether the screw is wrong, the size is appropriate, the length of the screwdriver is appropriate, the strength of the hand will be timely feedback to you. If you want to know more about screwdrivers, please refer to our products or contact us in time.