A bevelled edge (UK) or beveled edge (US) is an edge of a structure that is not perpendicular to the faces of the piece. The words bevel and chamfer overlap in usage; in general usage they are often interchanged, while in technical usage they may sometimes be differentiated as shown in the image at right. A bevel is typically used to soften the edge of a piece for the sake of safety, wear resistance, or

aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, Epistemology, knowledge, Ethics, values, Philosophy of ...

; or to facilitate

mating In biology, mating is the pairing of either opposite- sex or hermaphroditic organisms for the purposes of sexual reproduction. ''Fertilization'' is the fusion of two gametes. '' Copulation'' is the union of the sex organs of two sexually rep ...

with another piece.

Applications

Cutting tools

Most cutting tools have a bevelled edge which is apparent when one examines the

grind A blade's grind is its cross-sectional shape in a plane normal to the edge. Grind differs from blade profile, which is the blade's cross-sectional shape in the plane containing the blade's edge and the centre contour of the blade's back (m ...

. Bevel angles can be duplicated using a sliding T bevel.

Graphic design

Typographic bevels are shading and artificial shadows that emulate the appearance of a 3-dimensional letter. The bevel is a relatively common effect in graphic editors such as

Photoshop Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe Inc. for Windows and macOS. It was originally created in 1988 by Thomas and John Knoll. Since then, the software has become the industry standard not only in ras ...

. As such, it is in widespread use in mainstream logos and other design elements.

Glass and mirrors

Bevelled edges are a common aesthetic nicety added to window panes and mirrors.

Geology

Geologists refer to any slope of land into a stratum of different elevation as a bevel.

Sports

In waterskiing, a bevel is the transition area between the side of the ski and the bottom of the ski. Beginners tend to prefer sharp bevels, which allow the ski to glide on the water surface. In

Disc Golf Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...

, the 'beveled edge' was patented in 1983 by Dave Dunipace who founded Innova Champion Discs. This element transformed the Frisbee into the farther flying golf discs the sport uses today.

Cards

With a deck of cards, the top portion can be slid back so that the back of the deck is at an angle, a technique used in

card tricks Card manipulation is the branch of magic that deals with creating effects using sleight of hand techniques involving playing cards. Card manipulation is often used in magical performances, especially in close-up, parlor, and street magic. So ...

Semiconductor wafers

In the

semiconductor industry The semiconductor industry is the aggregate of companies engaged in the design and fabrication of semiconductors and semiconductor devices, such as transistors and integrated circuits. It formed around 1960, once the fabrication of semico ...

, wafers have two typical edge types: a slanted beveled shape or a rounded bullet shape. The edges on the beveled types are called the bevel region, and they are typically ground at a 22 degree angle. While it is not possible to create a complete and functional die with the bevel material of a wafer, the area is still routinely processed throughout the manufacturing cycle to remove unwanted masks, residues, and films from the edge of a wafer that could potentially become a source of defects between manufacturing steps.

Welding

Beveling and chamfering (along with other profiles) are applied to thicker pieces of metal prior to welding, see Welding joint#V-joints. The bevel provides a smooth clean edge to the plate or pipe and allows a weld of the correct shape (to prevent center-line cracking) to join the separate pieces of metal. Simple bevels can be used with a backup strip (thin removable sheet behind the plate joint) with chamfers (and a small land) being used on open root welds. Particularly thick plate will have a "J" shaped chamfer or "U" shaped groove to reduce the amount of welding filler metal used.

Cruciform joint In metalworking, a welding joint is a point or edge where two or more pieces of metal or plastic are joined together. They are formed by welding two or more workpieces according to a particular geometry. There are five types of joints referred ...

preparation can involve a double bevel to permit full penetration of each weld to the other, removing a possible void space in the center.

References

External links

Choosing and Using Squares
– ''

This Old House ''This Old House'' is an American home improvement media brand with television shows, a magazine, and a websiteThisOldHouse.com. The brand is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The television series airs on the American television networ ...

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