Crank handles are commonly used to adjust machinery and equipment. They look like levers. Crank handles have a lever-like arm that you grab and crank. As you crank the arm, the machine or equipment to which the crank handle is connected will receive a circular motion.
What Are Crank Handles?
Also known as crank arms, crank handles are devices that convert rotary motion into circular motion. You can rotate a crank handle back and forth. As you perform this rotary motion, it will create a circular motion.
How Do Crank Handles Connect to Machinery and Equipment?
If you inspect the base of a crank handle, you’ll notice that it has a hole in it. The base is hollow. You can connect crank handles to machinery and equipment via this hole. Most crank handles have a tapped hole that will accommodate a threaded stud of an appropriate size.
What Are Crank Handles Made Of?
You can find crank handles in a variety of different materials. Some of them are made of metals or alloys, including aluminum, stainless steel and high-carbon steel. Other crank handles are made of plastic.
Plastic crank handles are lightweight and inexpensive, but they lack the strength of their metal and alloy counterparts. For applications that require a lot of force, you may want to choose a metal or alloy crank handle, instead. You’ll be able to apply more force when using a metal or alloy crank handle.
Why Are Crank Handles Powder Coated?
While there are different types of crank handles, many of them are powder coated. Powder coating is a finishing process. It involves the pressurized, electrostatic application of dry powder onto objects. The powder is then cured, after which it forms a shell over the objects.
Like with other objects, crank handles are often powder coated for protective purposes. Powder coating protects them from damage. It shields the crank handles from damage. At the same time, powder coating creates a textured surface on crank handles that’s easier to grip.
What Are Fold-a-Way Crank Handles?
When shopping for crank handles, you may come across fold-a-way crank handles. They are used for the same purpose of converting rotational motion into circular motion as all other crank handles. Only fold-a-way crank handles, though, can be folded down.
After using a crank handle, you may want to fold it down to conserve space. Fold-a-way crank handles can be folded down. You can push the lever-like arm down so that the crank handle takes up less space.