# Holes in the prongs of plugs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-in-the-prongs-of-plugs/321256>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [September 12, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-in-the-prongs-of-plugs/321256 "2005-09-12T15:42:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-in-the-prongs-of-plugs/321256/21 "2005-09-13T18:33:20Z")

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> [@Fear Itself](#):
>
> Interesting. What do you do with the scrap brass that is punched out of the holes?

All Brass scrap from everything we stamp is recycled and sold back to the Metal dealer. We get giant rolls of Brass Sheet metal cut anywhere from 1" to 8" wide.  
The rolls are maybe 5’ across.

According to our resident long term stamping Engineer; the holes are used by the stamp press to align the stamping of the blades. These are large, very noisy automated machines.  
\*\*So to answer the original question: The holes are part of the stamping operation itself and have no special electrical or mechanical design. \*\*

(I work in the office as I am a Programmer/Analyst and we share the same slab as the Stamping floor. When some of the stamp machines are going the whole building shakes)

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-in-the-prongs-of-plugs/321256/22 "2005-09-13T18:39:34Z")

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Function may be more appropriate then design.

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