How is a shovel head manufactured?
How is a shovel head manufactured? |
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Sometimes, we need to see how something is made to have a clearer understanding of how it works. A hand shovel and the applied science of shovelling is no exception.
In this section, we look at the construction of a solid socket, square mouth shovel with an ash handle and D grip. |
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Forging the head |
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The head of a solid socket shovel is formed from sheet metal, where it is heated and shaped by a machine press.
This is known as forging. |
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Planks of steel are heated to 1,100 degrees celsius then machine pressed into T-shaped pieces.
This T-piece will become the head. The vertical part or the neck will be the socket and the horizontal part, the blade. |
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Forming the socket |
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The neck is pressed again, then flattened out between giant rollers.
Next, the neck is laid in a stamping press. This punches out the outline for the socket and chops off any surplus metal, much like the dough cut by a biscuit cutter. |
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The following stages complete the socket.
First, the press curves the socket outline into a U-shape and, at the same time, punches a rivet hole at the end of the socket. |
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Finally, the U-shape outline is bent into a basic cylindrical shape and then perfected. A solid socket has now been formed. | |||
Forming the blade |
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The other end of the T-piece will be the blade.
Giant rollers compress this into the blade’s general shape. |
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Then a press stamps out the exact shape.
In this case, the blade is square (for a square mouth shovel.) |
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The final strike perfects the blade by striking it into the required angle.
The blade and socket have now been created, forming the head of the shovel. |
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