Forces At Work In A Cut-Resistant Glove 05

To understand cut resistance, we first need to understand the underlying forces that cause a cut.

What exactly causes a cut?

There are two main forces that cause a cut or tear:

1. Push (downward force) – This force is generated by a sharp object pushing down on a material – whether that is glove material or skin doesn’t matter. This downward force creates tension in the material, leading it to tear.

2. Pull (friction force) – This force is created by the slicing motion of a blade across a material. As the blade moves across, the friction created pulls away (cuts) the fibers of the material.

So, how are these forces counteracted?

Counterforces That Minimize The Effects Of Push And Pull

There are four main forces that can counter the push and pull forces that contribute to cut injuries.

1. Strength

2. Hardness

3. Lubrication (slickness)

4. Roll

To counteract downward force, we engineer materials to have enhanced strength and hardness. When the strength of a material’s fiber is significant enough, it resists stretching and snapping. When a fiber’s hardness is great enough, it resists compression (squishing of the material), reducing cut risk.

To counteract friction force (the slicing motion), we engineer materials to provide lubrication and rolling action. This allows the sharp objects like blades to travel more easily across the material, reducing the friction that causes cuts.

Understanding the science behind these forces helps glove manufacturers engineer cut-resistant materials for safety gloves. Industry standards also apply these same forces to test and measure the effectiveness of cut-resistant gloves and assign them protection levels, which we’ll discuss later in this article.

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