Force from pliers
I am squeezing a material in a pair of pliers attached to a force gage. Ex I get 2lb on the readout.
Dims on pliers – W (grip) = 2 lb, (jaws) = 3″, L (handles)= 8″, Do I use formula F=(W x l) / L? Is the Force then .75? 1/2?, 2x that?
This is a lever problem.
The moment around the pivot point is zero. Is the force W measured at 8″ from that pivot point or is that the total length of the handle.
Where are you assuming the center of force is for the jaws.
F(handle)* Effective handle length(L) = F(Jaws)* Effective jaw length (l).
Your basic equation is correct, but I think you have your force locations backwards. Remember pliers are design to increase your gripping force so if you have 2 lb-f on the handle you should have more on the jaws.
Niel Leon
Community Developer – Engineering.com
