Pozidriv vs Phillips: Why PZ2 on the Drawing Cannot Be Made as PH2

Short answer: Pozidriv (PZ) and Phillips (PH) are different cross recesses. They look alike, but the driver of one does not fit the other properly. If a drawing says PZ2, the screw has to be made with a PZ2 recess, not PH2. Otherwise the drivers on the customer's assembly line will cam out and damage the heads.

A Pozidriv recess. The small ticks between the arms are the quickest way to tell it from Phillips.

How to tell them apart

Ticks between the arms. A Pozidriv head has four small lines at 45° between the main cross arms. Phillips has none.
Recess shape. Pozidriv has a second, smaller cross set in the corners of the main one. Phillips has a single tapered cross.
Driver flanks. A PZ bit has parallel flanks that sit flat in the recess. A PH bit has tapered flanks that are designed to ride out under high torque.
The standard. ISO 4757 covers both: type H is Phillips, type Z is Pozidriv.

What happens with the wrong bit

A PH bit in a PZ recess sits loosely and cams out early, so the operator presses harder and the recess gets damaged. A PZ bit in a PH recess does not seat fully and slips. On a powered line with set torque, either mismatch shows up as stripped recesses, marked surfaces and screws that are not fully driven.

Phillips recesses on pan head screws: no ticks between the arms.

Why it matters at the factory

On a cold-headed screw, the recess is formed by the heading punch. A PZ2 recess and a PH2 recess need different punches, so the choice is made before production, not afterwards. In our own records, "PZ" is one of the terms flagged as easy to confuse: the two are close in appearance but not interchangeable, and a PZ2 drawing must not be made as PH2.

Pozidriv is common on European furniture fittings, such as Euro screws and connecting bolts. Phillips is still common on general-purpose screws. If your parts go into a European assembly line, assume the drivers there are PZ unless you have checked.

What to write on the drawing

Write the recess type and size in full: "Pozidriv PZ2" or "Phillips PH2", not just "cross" or "No. 2".
If depth matters for your driver, give the penetration depth or the gauge to check it.
Send a photo or sample of the bit used on your line if you are unsure.
At incoming inspection, look for the ticks before anything else.

If you need Euro screws, connecting bolts or other parts with a Pozidriv recess, send the drawing through our RFQ form. If the recess type is not clear on the drawing, we will ask before we quote.

Related: what to specify for furniture connecting bolts · what a European hardware drawing asks for beyond the dimensions

How this was written: the rule "PZ2 must not be made as PH2" comes from our internal Chinese-English terminology training material. The recess details follow ISO 4757. The screws in the photos are from our product records.