Sheet metal shears offer an efficient, precise method for cutting flat materials like sheets of metal. Shearing requires no heat source and won’t warp the material like other methods would.
Shearing is the practice of cutting flat material into sheets, plates and strips using shears equipped with moving cutting blades mounted against fixed blades – similar to scissors.
Throated Shears
Metal fabricators who need to cut long metal stocks typically turn to throated shears as an effective metal cutting tool. These tools provide both straight and curved cuts on metal samples too large to fit within a bench shear’s swath; plus they allow metal samples to move freely around their blade, unlike old shears which restrict movement in certain directions.
Throatless shears resemble heavy handshears and snips in that they feature a long lever anchored at the top of a fixed blade for use when making cuts in thicker metals, such as steel or aluminum, with upper and lower blades positioned to reduce shearing distortion.
Some manufacturers offer throatless shears that provide precise cuts on various metals. This alligator shear-style tool features a flexible saw with hydraulic cylinder for mechanical advantage through compound mechanism and is often used for cutting long metal stock such as L-beams, angle iron or rebar.
Throatless Shears
Throatless shears are an indispensable metal fabricating tool, perfect for cutting any type of metal without creating distortion. Their upper and lower blades are strategically positioned so as not to form any knurls on the edges of metal being sheared, providing maximum precision and accuracy when shearing heavier gauge metals or lighter metals without creating distortions on either edge of each sheet being sheared.
These throatless shears are used for making curved cuts in sheet metal fabrication, following notches or other irregular lines in metal pieces, and following unusual cut patterns without distorting their original form. Unlike other forms of shears, throatless shears don’t rub against handles while they’re being used, enabling them to follow non-standard cuts without distorting their shapes too much.
A throatless shear can be operated manually or pneumatically depending on its model. Baileigh Industrial’s MPS-3 throatless shear is an ideal option for high end fabricating shops; to learn more about this or other metal shearing tools contact a representative today.
Power Shears
Shears are indispensable tools for cutting metal pieces of all shapes and sizes precisely and precisely. Also referred to as power shears, squaring shears or guillotine machines, these powerful electric shears boast sharp blades which cut through large metal sheets effortlessly and accurately.
Power shears work by clamping a flat sheet of metal before using an upper movable blade to cut against a lower fixed blade. They’re great for creating straight lines and large radius curves with these shears; however, they may cause slight distortion of thin pieces of metal; therefore their use should be limited accordingly.
For optimal versatility, opt for shears with dual cutting pieces – these leave behind less waste and work well with thin metal than single cut shears. For larger projects, consider investing in floor mounted shears equipped with either blade or laser programmable cutting mechanisms to maximize precision and speed of cutting.
Guillotine Shears
No matter its name – guillotine, shear or tin snips – this metal cutting machine plays an essential role in sheet metal fabrication. Shearing involves breaking apart sheet metal using sharp blades to produce clean cuts without the use of heat.
A guillotine may be either hydraulic or manual, and when selecting one it should take into account both capacity limits and thickness of sheared metal. Hydraulic machines tend to be larger than their manual counterparts and can cut more lengths per pass.
Blade gap and rake angle are also essential factors in shearing process. A higher rake angle reduces malformations and burrs but requires greater force to shear metal. Correct shearing speed, hold-down pressure, and regular blade sharpening are necessary in ensuring optimal cuts; they should ideally be tested and calibrated according to each shearing task.
