Question What are ergonomic hand tools?

Answer:

All hand tools, by definition, are "ergonomic" otherwise you wouldn't be able to do any work with them; they wouldn't be hand tools. What's really of concern to you is what ergonomic enhancements have been (or can be) made to your tools. Let's examine several different aspects:

1. Force: The amount of force you're required to generate using a tool includes the force necessary to overcome resistance in joints and any return spring(s) in addition to the force actually required to cut, grasp or bend whatever your working on.

Xuron manufactures only Micro-Shear® wire cutters. Their patented shearing cut requires about half the force required by a conventional compression cutter to cut any given wire. High precision screw and post joints on the 9000 Series reduce internal friction and our light touch return springs provide lively action with low operating pressure.

2. Comfort: Comfort must be assessed after extended use as well as immediately upon first picking up the tool. A number of factors determine if a hand tool is comfortable. The shape of the grip and its size, the amount of contact surface with the hand and the contour of that surface, the resiliency of the grip material and overall weight of the tool all influence whether the tool will be comfortable in your hand.

Micro-Shear® flush cutter grips feature broad, flat contact surfaces molded from Xuro-Rubber® . The grips on the 9000LH tools traverse the width of the hand, helping to eliminate pressure points while reducing pressure at any given point. Grip spread in the closed position is under 2", a comfortable dimension for most hand sizes. Weight is very low, ranging from 1.9 oz. for a 170-II to 2.7 oz. for a 9000LH Series shear.

3. Visual: Reflective surfaces cause glare, which promotes eye strain and fatigue. Positioning, especially in dense areas or under adverse lighting conditions, is troublesome and fatiguing if there is poor contrast between the tool and the workpiece.

Xuron tools all feature non-glaring bright finishes or glare eliminating black finishes giving you the option of selecting the appropriate finish for the work being performed.

4. Auditory: High sound levels in the workplace are another important fatigue factor.

The Xuron 590 Micro-Pneumatics® help reduce workplace noise levels with their quiet operation (<60 DbA).