Kreuzschlitz

Kreuzschlitz is the German term for a cross-shaped screw drive, referring to the recessed cross pattern on screws and the matching screwdriver bits. It is most commonly associated with the Phillips drive, a standardized cross-shaped recess used in countless consumer and industrial applications. The design enables relatively quick alignment of the tool with the screw and efficient transmission of torque.

The Kreuzschlitz drive was developed in the 1930s by Henry Phillips and popularized by the Phillips Screw Company. Its cross geometry provides self-centering action and allows higher torque transmission than a flat-head slot, which contributed to its rapid adoption in automotive, electronics, furniture, and other manufactured goods. A notable feature is its tendency to cam out at high torque, a characteristic that was intended to prevent overtightening in early automated assembly, though it also led to trends toward improved drives for high-torque use.

Variants and related drives include the Phillips (PH) family, which uses a recognizable cross with four arms, typically sized PH0 to PH4. To reduce cam-out and improve torque transfer, the Pozidriv (PZ) variant was later developed and is not interchangeable with the standard Phillips bits. There is also a distinct JIS cross drive used in Japanese manufacturing, which differs in geometry from the Phillips and Pozidriv systems. Today, Kreuzschlitz remains widespread in Europe and worldwide, especially in consumer electronics and mass-made hardware, although other drives such as Torx and hex- or security-drive formats are increasingly common for higher-torque or precision applications.