Guillotine Shears
High-quality hydraulic plate & guillotine shears
What are Guillotine Shears?
Guillotine shears are used to separate sheet metal along a straight line. Also known as a squaring shear or a power shear, a guillotine metal shear can be manually powered by foot, mechanically powered or hydraulically powered. A guillotine shearing machine clamps sheet metal in place with a ram. A moving blade is then lowered across a fixed blade to shear a metal workpiece accurately and efficiently. The blades spin in the opposite direction to ensure a clean line.
Chip-free method to separation metal workpieces
Fragmenting of sheet metal along a straight line
Guillotine shears are very important for the processing of sheet metal
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A larger guillotine sheet metal shear may have a moving blade that is set at an angle in order to separate the metal gradually, from one side to the other. This decreases the amount of force required, and it provides a method of sheet metal processing that results in fewer chips and inconsistencies.
A hydraulic guillotine shear is the preferred option for large-scale manufacturers, as it eliminates the need for making continual adjustments and corrections during the process. A combination of blade design, a heavy-duty frame and a CNC-controlled programme ensures total precision and control over workpieces. The average hydraulic guillotine shearing machine today is made with lightweight materials which increase the likelihood of deflections when cutting. To ensure accuracy through the process, a computer program can make adjustments to both the rake angle and the blade gap.
How does a metal guillotine shear work?
A sheet metal guillotine shear consists of a shear table, upper and lower blades, a gauging device and a work-holding device.
WIEGER Guillotine shears in use
The workpiece rests on the shear table whilst it is being cut. The work-holding device locks the sheet metal into place to ensure it doesn’t move or buckle under the stress caused by the cutting process.
Whether a manual, pneumatic or hydraulic guillotine shearing machine is being used, the sheet metal lies between an upper and a lower blade. The upper blade is gradually lowered, and the metal in between is ‘sliced’ with a high degree of precision. It is the gauging device that ensures the cut is made in exactly the right place.
In the past, the cutting process was powered by foot or by hand. However, a CNC-controlled guillotine shear for metal can remove the element of human error from the production process. Modern hydraulic guillotine shears ensure consistency and accuracy, as well as a fast and efficient manufacturing process.
Why are guillotine shears used so widely?
Guillotine shears are available in a wide range of sizes. Whether you are using a used plate shear or a brand new hydraulic system, sheet metal can now be cut with pinpoint precision. This makes the production of sheet metal plates cost-effective for operations of all sizes. The plates created are used for the construction of industrial machinery, structures and spare parts.
A plate shearing machine is suitable for cutting simple sheet metal, as well as non-ferrous metals like brass, bronze and aluminium. These metals can be cut as long as 15 metres, making them suitable for a wide range of manufacturing processes. Unfortunately, stainless steel is usually unsuitable for cutting with guillotine shears because of its tendency to strain-harden.
Buy a used guillotine shear and save your business money
At Surplex, we are constantly looking for used metalworking machinery to help businesses of all sizes save money. If you need to buy a conventional or CNC guillotine shear, you can save a significant amount of money by regularly checking Surplex.com for a quality guillotine shear for sale. By purchasing a used guillotine shear from a respected guillotine shears manufacturer such as TRUMPF, FISCHER, ATLANTIC, IRLE or SAFAN, you can ensure quality and precision whilst keeping capital expenditure to a minimum.
