The Basics of Air Impact Wrench

What exactly is an air impact wrench? In simple terms, an air impact wrench (or also called an air impact wrench, long shank wrench, air line wrench, long shank impact wrench, or long shank impact wrench) is a rotary socket wrench intended to deliver high torque capability with minimal exertion from the user, by storing kinetic energy in a compressed mass, and then delivering it abruptly to the output end. The mechanism that does this is rather simple, and was designed back in the Great Depression when it was discovered that using a blowtorch to blow up a sheet of metal would cause it to expand, thereby making contact with a sharp pointed metal bolt that could be used to pry loose any sort of stubborn bolt. This discovery eventually came about to be used by a variety of different manufacturers, but its original application was probably more for automotive purposes.

What makes an air impact wrench such a versatile tool? To start with, they are extremely fast when pulling a nut or bolt. Utilizing them on the job site means you'll have the ability to make quick work of your task, since you'll have the leverage necessary to make a swift secure attachment. Plus, the tool's high-speed rotation speeds will create fast, clean movement. That's what gives the tool its excellent strength, so you can use it to quickly secure a bolt or nut. Plus, since it has little-to-no power in its compressed form, an air impact wrench can go from easy work to a demanding performance in a snap.

An air impact wrench can be classified into three different types, which include impact drivers, impingement drivers, and impact wrenches. Impingement drivers are powered by compressed air, whereas other types use hydraulic or pneumatic power. And finally, there is the socket wrench, which is another kind of tool. All three are powerful impact drivers and wrenches, and are used in just about every occupation where you need to make quick work of a bolt or nut.

An impact driver is the most common of all the tools. It has one screw shaft with variable torque, and can have either a one-turn or two-turn socket attachment. The output torque depends upon how much pressure is applied at the wrench. As an example, the best way to compare the torque of one impact driver to another is to consider the difference between, say, a two-turn socket wrench and a one-turn impact driver.

Impingement drivers, also known as impact wrenches, utilize a screwdriver action with a fixed torque, instead of a rotary action. Some of the examples of this type of tool would be the impact driver with a one-turn socket that has variable torque, and the rotary hammer, which has both a fixed and variable torque. The rotating hammer mechanism makes it possible for the welder to have the hammer fall into a horizontal position while the welder continues to rotate vertically.

Pneumatic impact wrenches operate using compressed air to create a very high torque on a fastener. As such, they are preferred over hydraulics because they are not only less expensive, but they can be used for a much longer period of time without maintenance or repair. Unfortunately, these are not as strong as their hydraulic counterparts and so may not be as effective for a specific application. They can however, work as good as, if not better than, their more expensive cousins. If you require a good pneumatic fastener that will last for many years, then consider one of these.

The final fastener example that we are going to discuss is thevil. A welder often uses avils for attaching materials like sheet metal, corrugated iron, and copper tubing to sheets of steel in order to create sturdy, secure connections. Because anvils can take a tremendous amount of torque, they tend to be used with much more force than do other types of impact wrenches, and so a good anvil should always be well maintained to avoid damage.

All in all, there are plenty of different ways that an Air Impact Wrench can prove beneficial. One of the best examples of this is when you need to attach something to a piece of equipment. While you cannot use your impact wrenches to fasten a corrugated piping, you can use them to fasten corrugated piping to a piece of equipment, such as a connection point for a CPAP machine. In fact, many dentists prefer to use anvil-style impact wrenches when working on patients' teeth because they are far less likely to cause them permanent damage. When it comes to the topic of anvil-style wrenches, it is important to cite the Anvil Fastener Identification manual that came with your tool as a good reference.