From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Bevel
Edge of a structure that is not perpendicular to the faces of the piece
Edge of a structure that is not perpendicular to the faces of the piece
.png)
A bevelled edge (UK) or beveled edge (US) is an edge of a structure that is not perpendicular to the faces of the piece. The words bevel and chamfer overlap in usage; in general usage, they are often interchanged, while in technical usage, they may be differentiated as shown in the image on the right. A bevel is typically used to soften the edge of a piece for the sake of safety, wear resistance, aesthetics; or to facilitate mating with another piece.
Applications
Cutting tools
Most cutting tools have a bevelled edge which is apparent when one examines the grind.
Bevel angles can be duplicated using a sliding T bevel.
Graphic design

Typographic bevels are shading and artificial shadows that emulate the appearance of a 3-dimensional letter. The bevel is a relatively common effect in graphic editors such as Photoshop. As such, it is in widespread use in mainstream logos and other design elements.
Glass and mirrors
Bevelled edges are a common aesthetic nicety added to window panes and mirrors.
Geology
Geologists refer to any slope of land into a stratum of different elevation as a bevel.
Sports
In waterskiing, a bevel is the transition area between the side of the ski and the bottom of the ski. Beginners tend to prefer sharp bevels, which allow the ski to glide on the water surface.
In Disc Golf, the 'beveled edge' was patented in 1983 by Dave Dunipace who founded Innova Champion Discs. This element transformed the Frisbee into the further-flying golf discs the sport uses today.
Cards
With a deck of cards, the top portion can be slid back so that the back of the deck is at an angle, a technique used in card tricks.
Semiconductor wafers
In the semiconductor industry, wafers have two typical edge types: a slanted beveled shape or a rounded bullet shape. The edges on the beveled types are called the bevel region, and they are typically ground at a 22-degree angle. While it is not possible to create a complete and functional die with the bevel material of a wafer, the area is still routinely processed throughout the manufacturing cycle to remove unwanted masks, residues, and films from the edge of a wafer that could potentially become a source of defects between manufacturing steps.
Welding
Beveling and chamfering (along with other profiles) are applied to thicker pieces of metal prior to welding, see Welding joint#V-joints. The bevel provides a smooth clean edge to the plate or pipe and allows a weld of the correct shape (to prevent center-line cracking) to join the separate pieces of metal.
Simple bevels can be used with a backup strip (thin removable sheet behind the plate joint) with chamfers (and a small land) being used on open root welds. Particularly thick plate will have a J-shaped chamfer or U-shaped groove to reduce the amount of welding filler metal used.
Cruciform joint preparation can involve a double bevel to permit full penetration of each weld to the other, removing a possible void space in the center.
References
References
- [http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/Anvil-Point-Blackers-Hole.htm Anvil Point] – ''Some examples of bevels in landscape''. Retrieved January 26, 2007.
- [http://waterski.about.com/library/glossary/bldef-bevel.htm About.com] {{Webarchive. link. (2006-06-19 or [http://www.goode.com/wsterminology.html Goode Water Skis] {{Webarchive). link. (2007-02-06 . Retrieved January 26, 2007.)
- "Semiconductor Wafer Edge Analysis". prostek.com.
- "Coronus Product Family".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Bevel — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report