The effects of different hand tool blade coatings on force demands when cutting wood

The effects of different cutting hand tool blade coating materials on force demands were investigated in the present study. The force demands when cutting wood with chromium-coated steel, lacquered steel and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-coated lopper and axe blades were measured. A simulated cutting task was performed by a materials testing system (NITS) with a force cell in the laboratory. Wood was used as the cut material. Results from these experiments indicated that by using a PTFE coating on cutting hand tool blades the force demands compared with chromium-coated or lacquered blades could be reduced significantly. The PTFE-coated blade resulted in a 22% lower average force and a 26% lower maximum force than the chromium-coated blades and 10% lower average force and 11% lower maximum force compared to lacquered blades. By optimising the blade characteristics, the force demands can be lowered and thus the ergonomics and usability of the hand tool can be improved.