Bevel and Chamfer: What’s the Difference

Bevel and champer these words are often interchanged and need lots of clarification when searching these terms. But when we explain these in technical terms, these are two methods to create smooth edges.

In this article, we will review both terms, chamfer vs. bevel, and you will get a clear insight into the bevel meaning and what they are.

These methods are critical for assembling, manufacturing parts, and designing and finishing the edges. These edges are of two surfaces of a part and are applied to ease corners and edges and give the part shape in manufacturing, especially in 3D printing and CNC machining.

Here you will learn the main differences between both terms and how and why they are important for shaping machined parts. Let’s start!

1. What is a Bevel?

Bevel is a part’s rounded edges or corners and reduces stress concentration by transferring stress to a large area. Bevel makes a smooth curve and is much more difficult to design and prove more expensive.

They are safe, durable, and mostly used to make edges softer and safer, producing more durable and sturdy parts.

Advantages of Bevel

The main purpose of the bevel is to facilitate mate with other machining parts and provide aesthetic beauty. They enhance the load-bearing capacity of mechanical parts and are mostly used in welding and to eliminate sharp edges.

Bevel make easy handling of parts by making them more safe and smooth. They increase strength, and the bevel is good for welded parts; a significant amount of surface area can bond to the two halves workpiece. It makes a strong joint.

Applications of Bevel

Some main Applications of the bevel are mentioned here:

1. The bevel edge is present in many cutting tools, and its angle is duplicated using a sliding T bevel. It is an adjustable gauge for setting angles.
2. As it provides a beauty and aesthetic look to a structure, we add bevels in window mirrors and panes to beautify the area.
3. It is used in graphic designing as a typographic bevel that can emulate the appearance of 3-dimensional letters and is a common effect in Photoshop. Use in designing elements and mainstream logos is one of the main applications of bevel.
4. The bevel is utilized in geology, and any slop of land term a bevel. It is also used in the semiconductor industry as wafers have typical edges, and you can ground them at a 22-degree angle.
5. Bevel and chamfer are utilized in welding. The bevel can provide a clean and smooth edge to a pipe or plate to prevent cracking.

2. How to Define Chamfer?

Definition of Chamfer

Chamfer is easy to manufacture and is an object’s transitional angled or sloped edge. Chamfer is used to replace or ease the sharp edges to improve safety and prevent damage.

It is used for the designing of parts requiring high-stress concentration edges. It distributes the stress in a specific area while used for designs requiring low-stress concentration.

Characteristics of Chamfer

Chamfer protects the corner of the part from damage. It also removes the sharp edges of parts to make them safer and improve the integrity of the parts. Chamfer is mostly used in mechanical engineering and industrial fields.

What is a Chamfer Edge?

The chamfered edge is used for printed circuit board and glass mirror designing. These edges can be applied for various purposes.

Advantages of Chamfer

1. It can improve your parts’ safety, appearance, and wear resistance.
2. Chamfer provides extra protection from injury and cutting; you can find them in sharp glass edges and cutting tool blades and mirrors.
3. The use of a chamfer edge can remove burrs and remove sharp edges to make parts safer.
4. It can enhance the aesthetic beauty of machined parts.
5. They play a key role in reducing deformation and avoiding cracking.
6. In heat treatment procedures, they can prove helpful for the release of stress.

Applications of Chamfer

1. Some of the basic uses of chamfer are its use in furniture, urban planning, architecture, and carpentry.
2. In furniture, we use chamfer for tabletop and counter. Designing and the use of chamfers make it safer for people.
3. So rounded edges are harmless, and for designing chamfer planes and mills are mostly used in the design.
4. The use of chamfer is used in urban planning as you can use it for embellishment, and most of the cities and street corners in Valencia, Spain, and Barcelona are chamfered. This design aimed to provide a pedestrian area and great visibility.
5. They use to ease sharp edges and allow parts to combine and fit together in an assembly.
6. A  spot drill or a single chamfer can manufacture different sizes of chamfers to make the manufacturing cheaper.

3. When Do You Need a Bevel or Chamfer?

You must know when you need a Bevel or chamfer for your product manufacturing and designing. Many factors need to be considered before comparing chamfer vs. bevel.

Edges of the Part

You can select an angle if you need to cut and create an edge that tapers towards an end and a 90-degree angle. At the same time, a chamfer has a curved edge.

Always handle your parts carefully to avoid accidents; the chamfer is not necessarily the last option to adopt for all types of edges. You can try many other methods and techniques.

Outside the Machined Part

If you need a corner outside the machined part, check all the requirements for this design feature.

These outer edges will be more dominant and need more care for manufacturing as these edges are positioned outside, so they are more prone to wear and tear and susceptible to extreme weather conditions.

Outside Edges

Chamfer is advised for outside edges. But you have to check all requirements of your parts, and your design requirements determine it. The selection of simple chamfering can reduce the injury risk while handling. An angle can be a good choice if you need an aesthetically pleasing part.

Make sure to check the radius size and other requirements of your parts. A high radius can prove helpful in relieving stress. You will acquire a better design using a high radius.

Chamfer vs. Bevel, Which is Best for the Hole

Bevel is not a good option if your design has a hole where a bolt or screw can drive. A bevel can prevent smooth bolt or screw movement into the hole, so a chamfered edge is good for this design. The use of a chamfer will help even pin movement.

If you do not adopt the appropriate design for your machined part, it will affect your design and overall project. It also affects machining costs and operations.

4. What Makes Bevel and Chamfer Different from One Another?

Explanation

Both bevel and chamfer are applied woodworking and metalworking techniques to create different looks in your parts. But how to decide which one is better for you?

Let’s discover the difference between a bevel and a chamfer. Ensure you understand what is a chamfer edge and what a bevel is.

Internal

The internal bevel part is a rhombus, while the chamfer’s inside is an octagon.

Connotation

Chamfering is all related to cutting, while bevelling is not meaning cutting anything.

5. How to Select Between a Bevel and Chamfer

i. Stress Concertration

Chamfer can concentrate stress on a part while bevel shares the stress on a large area. Chamfer utilization can cause material deformation easily; conversely, the bevel protects the parts from deformation.

Therefore you can use a bevel for the outer edges or exterior parts, and for the interior part, the chamfer is good.

ii. High Load Capacity and Parts Presentation

You must know how much load your part can distribute, and they will be subjected to high load. Such as, if your parts need less stress concentration at interior corners and edges, a purpose bevel is the best choice for your parts design.

Because the bevel can reduce stress concentration and help increase parts’ load-bearing capacity. They can create smooth surfaces and easily distribute the paint and coat.

iii. Product Aesthetics

If you need an appealing and attractive design and a decorative effect for your part, you can choose a bevel for your design purpose. Bevel can make parts more attractive and cost-effective. Therefore, designers use it.

iv. Manufacturing Process

For the manufacturing process of bevel and chamfer, you may need different cutting tools. Such as for the bevel and any kind of radius, you have to choose specific tools.

Chamfer cuts can be made by using one tool. Chamfer designs do not require various tools; you can make different sizes with one cutting tool.

v. Feature Application

It would be helpful if you kept in mind the feature applications of your applied technique. A bevel comprises a sloped edge and a chamfered edge linking two planes at 45 degrees.

A bevel surface has different angles, and its slope may be angled at any point except 45 and 90 degrees.

6. What you Need to Consider When Choosing between a Bevel and Chamfer

When comparing chamfer vs. bevel, you need clarification on choosing the best design and must know what a chamfer edge is. Experts and designers consider lots of factors while making decisions. Some of these factors are being discussed here:

Machining Time

Machined parts need extra time during the fabrication of parts when you need multiple parts with tight tolerance. Increased time, features, and tolerance are the main factors of increased machining time, and ultimately, it increases the project’s overall cost.

So you must review any irrelevant features or functions that may cause additional time.

Cutting up these extra features reduces the time, and if you do not require a tight tolerance and specific features, do not demand it as it may cause more time in the machining process and production budget.

Cost

As we have discussed, a chamfer is a good choice for a cost-effective project, while a bevel is not proven as cheap and cost-effective as a chamfer. Using both techniques can be costly, so make sure to choose carefully.

If your part truly needs a corner or edge, estimate the overall cost of this method and calculate how many parts you require it. Application of bevel and chamfer takes lots of time, money, and resources, so it is critical to think carefully before taking any step.

Performance & Functionality

You must consider what your product’s function is and what you need for its design. Is it eco-friendly, and can it be used in load-bearing applications?

How much can it support the part and bear the load? Is your product relying on bevel or chamfer?

It would help to remember this while choosing between chamfer and bevel. Does your product need sharp edges or curved edges? Do you need any finishing for your parts?

Find all answers to questions and make proper investigation and research can make your work straightforward.

Attractiveness

Bevel is good for appealing and attractive machining parts, so if you need aesthetically appealing and beautiful parts, the bevel is good to apply rather than chamfer. Bevel can make attractive design features.

Rust

Chamfer is less effective against rust and is not recommended for your parts if you need good rust protection. Bevel allows even distribution of coating and has good rust protection abilities. Therefore, using bevel for machining parts that require good rust protection is good.

Stress

The outer machined parts bevel is a good option for high-stress concentration and large radius. Bevel distributes the stress and large area, protecting your parts from deformations.

Bevels can prevent high-stress concentration, and designers and engineers are recommended to choose them for designing parts. Therefore if your machining goal is even out, stress for your design bevel is highly recommended when comparing chamfer vs. bevel.

Holes

Holes determine your design requirements; it needs a bevel or chamfer. Do you need to determine what types of holes you are looking for?

You can choose chamfer for pin insertion and bolt-into parts, while for other types of holes, you can check out the angle if it suits your design and parts requirements.

7. Before You Go

Do you want to start cutting anything but need to know what type of cut you require and how many sharp or rounded angles need to be cut?

Cutting, milling, and designing a part is a challenging step. You get full assistance and information by visiting our site. We provide all types of manufacturing capabilities and can meet the demands of production and prototyping.

No matter what types of edges you need, whether you require a chamfer or a bevel, Kemal offers the right tools and professional consultation to make your project successful.

We offer milling and CNC machining programs with superior quality part production and inspection. Contact us today to make guaranteed success!