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 A chamfer or is a transitional edge between two faces of an object. Sometimes defined as a form of bevel, it is often created at a 45° angle between two adjoining right-angled faces. Chamfers are frequently used in machining, carpentry, fu ...

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; or to facilitate mating with another piece.

Applications

Cutting tools

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

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 semiconduct ...

, 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 Die, as a verb, refers to death, the cessation of life. Die may also refer to: Games * Die, singular of dice, small throwable objects used for producing random numbers Manufacturing * Die (integrated circuit), a rectangular piece of a semicondu ...

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 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'' {{Woodworking Angle Woodworking