Metal Shearing

What Is Metal Shearing?

APX York Sheet Metal provides sheet metal shearing services in central Pennsylvania to industries across the board. Shearing is the process we use to cut metal pieces to precise widths and lengths from bigger stock sheets to suit your designs. Metal fabrication allows us to convert and alter metal into useful solutions.

Two ways to cut metal include using shears or plasma cutters, but we use the shearing process. The first step is cutting — no matter the design or project. It occurs when we separate sheet metal by applying excessive force to form a straight line by using a machine called a power shear.

The procedure begins with the machine holding the metal sheet in position between two blades with exact measurements. The upper blade, or the punch, is slightly unaligned to the lower blade called the die. They are offset as the lower edge is stationary and the upper one presses down on the metal at a set angle. We cut the metal from one end to the other to reduce the amount of force required. The blades are also not sharp. Instead, they have more of a square edge.

Plasma Cutters

Using shears to cut materials is the process of placing a significant amount of perpendicular force on a sheet, which will cause it to tear. Shears create accurate and clean edges as the moving blades slice at high speeds. It’s a precise process and can take on large or small projects to achieve almost any shape. APX York Sheet Metal can shear materials such as:

The only drawback of implementing shears is that it puts excessive stress on the material. Massive amounts of force can cause thicker elements to bow instead of cut, which is why the technique works best for thinner materials that require straight, clean-cut lines.

Benefits of Shearing

Also called die cutting, the method allows us to cut small lengths of any material because we can mount shearing blades at an angle to reduce the necessary shearing force. It’s ideal for people who need customized sheet metal fabrication solutions, as it produces minimal to no kerf, which is a slit produced by cutting.

Another advantage of shearing is that is results in almost no loss of material. It uses shear blades instead of burning or melting like other processes, because edges create smoother cuts with less distortion. Shearing is the most popular technique because of its speed and cost-effective benefit, as well as being able to cut a straight edge and form any shape.

Choose APX York Sheet Metal

We also offer sheet metal shearing services in northern Maryland. If you’re searching for a company that can custom fabricate your parts, APX York Sheet Metal can. We have 71 years of experience in the industry, and we provide fast turnarounds, excellent customer service and can take on complex or massive projects. We handle all our shipments and processes in-house, and are your one-stop shop. Our professionals specialize in bending, but provide quality and reliability with any method we conduct.

Another advantage of shearing is that is results in almost no loss of material. It uses shear blades instead of burning or melting like other processes, because edges create smoother cuts with less distortion. Shearing is the most popular technique because of its speed and cost-effective benefit, as well as being able to cut a straight edge and form any shape.

If you have further questions about our shearing process, submit a contact form or call an APX York Sheet Metal representative at 717-767-2704 for a quote.