The University of Delaware, along with Harry McCarty, built a test stand with an automated hammering arm. The stand would compare the hitting forces required to work with a conventional chisel and a chisel equipped with various kinds of impact resistant polymer safety caps. Meters measured hitting forces, cutting effectiveness, vibrations produced in the chisels when struck, and the pinging tones made by the chisels when struck.

For many months during 2003, the test stand hammered away on chisels with bare heads and with capped heads. They took thousands of measurements.

How many hits would cut a certain material with a bare chisel? How many hits would cut that material with a cap of this thickness and that thickness; made of this advanced reinforced polymer? A series of technical papers were submitted to the 2003 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition.

The findings reported that all of the caps tested helped protect the hands of users. Cap materials were optimized to reduce pinging sounds below audible frequencies that might harm hearing. The striking surface, two and a half times larger than normal, eliminates flying chips and mushrooming, significantly improving the safety performance of the tool.

• Unbreakable, tough reinforced polymer cap
• Comfortable grip reduces shock/virbration by up to 90%
• Noise is reduced by up to 80%
• Striking surface is increased by 250%
• Hammer kickback and wrist-elbow trauma minimized
• Oil resistant cushion grip reduces hot-cold feel
• Eliminates flying chips and mushrooming of chisel heads
• Four cap diameters are available to match hammer sizes
• The industry's sharpest and most accurate cutting edge
• Thirty-four tools available