Paper chads are the small pieces of paper left over from punching holes in paper, fabrics, plastics, and sheet metal. They can be difficult to handle and are a common byproduct of any paper-punching industry. The term “chad” dates back to at least the 1920s and there are different types of chads, such as pregnant and hanging chads. Chad catchers are used to minimize paper chads floating on the factory floor and they can be recycled into new paper. In the 2000 US presidential election, paper chads became a major bone of contention, forcing a manual recount of punched cards in several areas.
Paper chads are the small pieces of paper created when holes are punched. The term “chad” is also used to refer to the debris left over from punching other thin materials such as fabrics, plastics, and sheet metal. Paper chads gained infamy in the United States during the chaotic 2000 presidential election, but they’re also a common byproduct of any paper-punching industry. Since paper chads are small and very light, devising ways to handle them can be difficult.
The origins of the term are unclear. The use of “chads” to refer to scraps of paper left over from punching dates back to at least the 1920s, and possibly even earlier. Companies also market “curlless” punching systems that make cuts in the paper without generating paper curl. There are also a number of qualifying terms to describe chads, such as pregnant and hanging chads. Most people with hole punches are familiar with paper chads and their not quite separate cousins.
Every time a hole is drilled in material, the material inside the hole has to go somewhere. In industries that do a lot of paper punching, these tiny scraps of paper can get quite irritating, especially in large volumes. For this reason, paper manufacturers often have “chad catchers” under their punching tables, to minimize paper chads floating on the factory floor. These chads can later be recycled into new paper.
Paper chads are also created when punch cards are made. Punched cards were once widely used in computer programming and manufacturing things like fabrics, and punched cards were the standard for American elections. While punched cards have largely fallen out of favor in favor of more advanced technology, many people are familiar with the concept of the punched card, thanks to their once pervasive presence.
When a hole is incompletely drilled, it can result in a ridged or hanging chad. Dimpled chads are also known as pregnant chads and are created when a punch fails to fully penetrate the paper, creating a mark or dimple without completely peeling off the chad. A hanging chad is created by a partial punch, which successfully punches a hole, but does not fully detach the chad. In the 2000 election, these paper chads became a major bone of contention, forcing the manual recount of punched cards in several areas of the United States.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
