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A pair of pliers is one of the basic things that comes with every toolkit.
But at Maun, we know that a good pair of pliers is far from basic.
In fact, we&#;ve dedicated decades of craftsmanship, design, and expert manufacturing to proving that isn&#;t the case.
The question is: why bother? What&#;s the difference between a bog-standard tool and a parallel action plier? What are the different types of pliers? And what pliers are right for what job?
Well, in this blog, we&#;ll try to answer just that.
Quick List of Plier Types
What makes pliers different from each other?
The devil&#;s in the detail when it comes to pliers. The same but different, every pair has similar vital components but with varying designs and features, suitable for all sorts of specialties.
Nose or jaws: The pincer end of pliers, this is the bit that differs most, including smooth, serrated, cutting, and even specialist variations.
Fulcrum: Right where the jaws and handles connect is the pivot point of pliers. This intensifies force, giving a stronger grip.
Compound box joint: Specific to parallel pliers, the compound box system replaces the fulcrum to give parallel plier jaws a clamping action instead of a scissor action.
Cutters: Found near the fulcrum on standard pliers and the side of one jaw on parallel pliers, cutters slice through materials.
: Straight or curved, plier handles often have a plastic cover for a snugger grip. Bare metal is
also available, which is preferred by many professionals
.
Types of Pliers
Parallel-action Pliers
Unlike the scissor action of standard pliers, parallel pliers are made with a sophisticated compound box joint system.
This enables the jaws to move in parallel at all times. Allowing a strong, even grip along the whole length of the jaw &#; rather than just the tip or at a single point. If you&#;ve ever tried to hold onto something small or awkwardly shaped using poor-quality pliers, you&#;ll know how useful this feature is.
The parallel action also means that the &#;throat&#; of the pliers is open. Leaving a gap through which you can feed materials like wire, in order to manipulate or straighten them.
Some parallel pliers also have sharpened blades along the side of one jaw, used for cutting things like wire and cables. Again, the compound box joint system is useful here, as it adds extra leverage and multiples your hand force &#; making cutting easier.
However, once you&#;ve chosen a parallel plier over a standard pair, there are still hundreds of options to choose from. Depending on what type of job you&#;re doing, the jaws, nose, handles, and size can vary dramatically. Each one specifically designed to get the job done right. Every time.
Flat Nose Pliers
At Maun, our &#;original&#; parallel plier is the flat nose parallel plier. A multi-purpose tool available in four different sizes, its serrated jaws add extra grip for holding and manipulating objects. It also has a &#;v slot&#; running the entire length of one jaw, and an open throat, making it easy to grip, bend and straighten wire as needed.
Watch our Flat Nose Parallel Plier in action:
Smooth Jaw Pliers
Then there&#;s the smooth jaws parallel plier. The smooth surface of the jaws helps to prevent marks and damage on delicate workpieces &#; making them a toolbox essential for jewellery makers and fine craft workers. They&#;ve even been spotted on BBC1&#;s The Repair Shop, as the favoured tools of expert craftspeople.
Watch our Smooth Jaws Parallel Plier in action:
Are you interested in learning more about plier and cutter manufacturer? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Combination Pliers
Next up is the side cutter parallel plier, or fencing plier. As well as doing everything the flat nose plier does, this innovative design features a high-leverage cutter on the side of the tool. This makes it useful in all sorts of applications. From farmers installing and maintaining electric fencing. To piano tuners cutting the toughest piano wire and furniture makers repeatedly cutting hard springs. To medics and dentists using the special autoclave-safe version to complete careful sterile work. We call it the combination plier: reinvented.
Jewellery Pliers
We also make pliers in a few different shapes, perfect
for
jewellery making and craft work. The 125 mm
snipe nose parallel pliers have tapered jaws, useful for gripping small objects,
working in confined spaces, or removing kinks in soft wire. Our
round jaw parallel pliers are designed for bending and forming metal coils and loops.
Meanwhile, our
half round and flat jaw parallel plier multiplies hand force by five, making
easy work of bending rings in
jewellery making.
Clamping Pliers
For extra grip while you work on your craft, you can try the clamping parallel plier. With plastic coverings on the jaws, it can securely hold soft metals and even wire without damage.
Cutting Pliers
Cutting pliers are normal pliers with sharpened cutting edges, designed to help electricians and DIY'ers cut through a range of soft and hard wire. They include end cutting pliers which are useful for cutting wire repeatedly as well as removing old nails, as well as diagonal cutters (also known as side cutters) designed with 22x hand force multipliers and hardened jaws.
Needle nose, snipe nose and long nose pliers
A nimble gizmo ideal for holding small components, these pliers have long, narrow jaws perfect for compact spaces and precise crafting.
Shop Maun&#;s snipe nose pliers.
Watch our Snipe Nose Pliers in action:
Round nose pliers
Typically designed with a parallel jaw for slicker loop making and wire-bending, these gadgets are great for craft work and jewellery making.
Shop Maun&#;s round nose pliers.
Crimping pliers
These gadgets are a professional&#;s toolkit essential. Ideal for attaching connectors to electrical cables and providing the most reliable gas-tight seals.
Shop Maun&#;s crimping tools.
Specialist Pliers
Finally, we have a range of speciality parallel pliers,
custom-made for specific tasks. There&#;s the
ball chain plier for window blind installers. The 3 mm-jawed thin jaws parallel plier, for extra-confined spaces. The twine gauge measuring pliers, used in the marine fishing industry to ensure
compliance. And the
customisable soft jaws parallel plier, which you can alter to your own specification. Our long nose pliers are also used in the automotive industry to repair car radiator fins.
Shape, size and surface: how to choose the right pliers for the job
With so many options on the market, deciding what tools you need can feel overwhelming.
But for us, it mostly comes down to shape, size, and surface.
For instance, those doing jobs in small spaces may select a tapered, snipe-nosed shape, for greater precision.
Utility workers and tradespeople may choose a larger tool to ensure greater leverage for heavy-duty tasks.
Meanwhile, jewellers might want to select jaws with a smooth, soft plastic surface, to avoid marking or damaging soft materials like gold, silver or coloured wire.
Finally, there are a few extras that can make Maun&#;s parallel action pliers a delight to use for professionals and DIY-ers alike, from the rust-proof finish as standard, to the optional comfort grips and long-lasting return spring. These aren&#;t just the right tools for the job. These are tools to last a lifetime.
And that&#;s the Maun difference.
SHOP THE FULL RANGE OF PLIERS AND TOOLS HERE
In short, there&#;s loads. Have a scroll below to see the top 5 Maun pliers your toolkit should include. Or shop our full range here.
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By Kevin Batty, General Manager, Paragon Toolmaking
Precision toolmaking for manufacturing processes is an art learned and honed by highly-skilled engineers over many years, with each specific job requiring bespoke tooling solutions to produce the desired parts.
Each and every tool which leaves our factory at Paragon Toolmaking has to perform not just a specific role, but work efficiently in a specific environment, as part of a specific manufacturing process, and under specific pressures.
Not only that, they must perform to the same exacting standards, producing thousands, if not millions, of parts, which each meet exacting performance requirements.
Therefore, a quality toolmaker will seek to provide a tool which not only makes the desired product or component, but also performs to maximum levels of efficiency, at the lowest manufacturing costs, with minimal amounts of waste, for many years to come.
Many of our tools run for decades when properly used and maintained by our customers, without the need for major repairs &#; and our expert team is always only a call away to help advise should the need arise.
So, if you are investing in a new precision tool for your manufacturing process, here are some key questions we feel you should ask of your toolmaker &#; and one you should avoid.
Will the feasibility of the part I need be considered before manufacture?
Pretty much any component or part can be manufactured, but it is essential to know how well that part will function and perform once it is made.
At Paragon Toolmaking we have had to advise many of our customers over the years that, whilst the part they desire can easily be formed, due to its shape, it is unlikely to be perform as will be required, and therefore is not feasible as it will not meet their expectation.
Every project undertaken at Paragon Toolmaking starts with our high-tech initial tool concept work, using technology to evaluate the manufacturability of a part before it goes into production.
This allows us not only to highlight any potential production issues, but also drive efficiency of production, designing the tools for ease of manufacture, specifically to suit the customer&#;s presses.
Using low cost temporary tooling, we can also produce &#;Metal&#; prototype samples very early in the project design process to provide speedy assessment of its viability.
Our work in this area prevent costly errors for customers, improves the end product, and often saves our clients thousands of pounds in the long run.
Is my tool being made in the highest quality steel?
Longevity, strength, durability, reliability and safety.
These are the watchwords our design team work to at Paragon Toolmaking, and more often than not, it is by choosing the highest quality steel for tools that these qualities can be assured.
Put simply, manufacturers that invest in high-quality tools are more likely to have better operational efficiency, greater product quality, and higher levels of consistency. This can provide a competitive edge in the market by delivering better products to customers.
Tools made from higher quality steels are more resistant to wear, deformation and breakage as they can withstand the stresses and forces encountered during manufacturing processes, leading to longer lifespans and reduced downtime due to replacements.
They also maintain their shape and dimensions more accurately, which is crucial for achieving precise, consistent and accurate results in manufacturing processes, such as cutting and forming, and are more resistant to heat and stress often involved in manufacturing processes.
Such advantages make high-quality steel tools a strategic investment for manufacturing processes across various industries.
Ultimately, even though high-quality steel tools have a higher upfront cost, they prove more cost-effective as they have a longer lifespan, and need less maintenance, leading to cost savings over time.
Will the right coatings be added to my manufacturing tool?
The importance of ensuring the right coating on tooling should not be underestimated, as selecting the right coating can not only enhance the performance and lifespan of manufacturing tools, but contribute to its efficiency, precision, and overall effectiveness.
Coatings can provide a protective barrier that reduces friction between the tool and the workpiece, helping extended tool life and reduce downtime.
Coatings can also protect tools from corrosion, rust, or degradation over time, extending the tool&#;s operational life.
Our team at Paragon Toolmaking has decades of experience in providing added value to customers through their knowledge of manufacturing tool coatings, offering a valuable tool enhancement that contributes to increased productivity, reduced costs, and higher quality manufacturing processes.
Will the toolmaker be able to support and repair in the future?
One of the disadvantages of buying manufacturing tools from overseas is a lack of experienced support once the product has been purchased and installed as part of a customer&#;s manufacturing process.
At Paragon Toolmaking, we support customers throughout product development, replicating the production environment of our clients to address any potential issues and ensure minimum installation hassle.
Then, we not only provide onsite support during the installation and handover process, but also offer long term maintenance and servicing support &#; something which cannot be rivalled by overseas toolmakers.
In many cases, when clients have had snags, maybe even years after the tool has been installed, our team is able to resolve issues for them via a call, or by conducting a site visit.
Whilst turning your back on British manufacturing for a cheaper product may seem appealing at the purchase stage, it will not seem so wise should issues arise later on.
And the question to avoid&#;
Can you make me a manufacturing tool as cheaply as possible?
If this is the question driving your decision making, you&#;ll not be buying the best tool for your business and will run the risk of incurring further costs down the line.
At Paragon Toolmaking, we pride ourselves on providing the best value for money when it comes to toolmaking &#; but we will never seek to offer the lowest price, as we know that ultimately, there will always be cheaper, lower quality tools on the market.
Our business is built on more than 50 years of providing the highest-quality tools, and we always follow the Paragon Promise of offering innovative and industry leading products, true British design and engineering expertise, and complete customer care and support from concept and design to installations and servicing.
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