Are you using the right bit for the job?
So, you’re on a job and reach to the toolbag for what you think is the right Switch-Blade bit, start to use it but something doesn’t quite feel right and before you know it, you end up with a snapped Switch-Blade head… Aaargh!
It’s easily done, with how frequently we use screwdrivers, it’s understandable we’ll encounter a few broken bits every once in a while. We get to hear about these frustrations all-too-often. So, with that in mind, we’ve quizzed our technical team to bring you a few hints and tips to help avoid those annoying breaks:
- Check the screw is in good condition
- Ensure the correct bit is used. If unsure which screw is used in the terminal, contact the RCBO manufacturer
- Apply the blade perpendicular to the screw head
- Ensure a positive location of the blade in handle and screw
And… here’s a bit more background information:
In our experience, we’ve found that most screwdriver breakages are on the ‘PZ/SL 1’ blade due to the fact the ‘PZ/SL 2’ blade should have been used instead. The screw holes in some switchgear are too narrow for the ‘PZ/SL 2’ blade to fit and this can result is users instead choosing to use the slimmer ‘PZ/SL 1’. However, when the smaller blade is used for the bigger screw and there isn’t a positive location, the turning force is concentrated on the two outer wings rather than across all its faces as it’s designed to. This usually causes one or both outer wings to break off.