Groovers are tools used to create grooves in various materials. Pipe groovers create grooves in pipes for gasket and joint fittings. Tire gouges create grooves in tires for better traction. Grooves increase heat transfer in pipes and improve tire performance in all weather conditions.
A groover refers to any of several commonly used tools used to create grooves through cutting or punching. The most popular groovers are those that create grooves in tubes, while others create grooves in tires for more off-road-style traction. A pipe groover is a large self-contained tool or machine used to create grooves in the ends of pipes to be fitted with gaskets and joints rather than threads. A tire gouge, also called a gouge iron or heated knife, is a handheld, pistol-shaped tool with a heating element on the nib; it is used to mark the tread patterns with small pencil shaped grooves on the tread. Still other groovers are used in the manufacture of fabrics and other materials.
Pipe groovers allow for threadless pipe connection. This is usually to allow for faster and more effective heat transfer, such as with air conditioners or sprinkler systems. The grooves allow the liquid gas inside the pipe to rotate and contact the entire surface of the pipe, effectively absorbing more heat from the air removed from a room to be cooled.
A pipe groover could make grooves in all types of pipe, including modern thin-walled pipes. These machines can be transported to construction sites; sometimes they use hydraulic hand pumps to generate thousands of pounds per square inch (psi) of rolling force against the pipe face. Adjustable rollers accommodate various pipe diameters and allow for pre-set depth measurement.
The grooves of the pipes must allow maximum resistance to the ultimate load, as well as support the longitudinal and lateral stresses of internal pressure and external forces. Couplings include flange adapters, outlets and reducing couplings. Whether flexible or rigid, they have a similar key section that fully locks into the groove, integrating the joint into the pipe to optimize ultimate pressure and load configurations.
A tire gouge is usually accompanied by blades of various sizes and a power supply. The knife head emits heat to prepare the tire surface for smooth, easy cutting, while the depth of the groove is maintained by the blade adjustment. These models are usually handmade; grooves increase traction for vehicles such as race cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and off-road vehicles (ATVs).
A groover can greatly increase the tire’s traction in all weather conditions and on all terrains, including performance on snow, ice and rain. The grooves allow stops with more control, offered by the increased amount of knobs in the tire. The grooves give the lugs more flexibility for better purchase and prevent mud from pooling in the tread channels. Grooved tires also emit less road noise. The use of a tire groover increases driveability and prolongs the lifetime performance of used tires.
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