Guillotine Cutting Services Explained

Blog | June 29th, 2020

Guillotine cutting is a popular cutting method for metals. This type of cutting, which is also known as edge-to-edge cutting, utilises two blades wherein one of them is fixed under the workpiece while the other moves towards the workpiece. To date, guillotine cutting may come in mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic models that can be useful for certain industrial projects. These cutting projects would typically revolve around workpieces out of aluminium, bronze, brass, and mild steel.

One thing that you should know about guillotine cutting is that most products processed by this type of cutting would require additional deburring or finishing. You must also know the different types of guillotines so that you will which of them is suitable for your needs. Some of the most frequently used guillotines today include squaring shear, throatless shear, and bench shear. These guillotine types can be mostly encountered when enquiring about guillotine cutting services.

Squaring Shear

Squaring shear, power shear, or guillotine are some of the most used cutting tools in the industry today. This specific set of guillotines can have either a fixed or variable cutting angle, which can be very helpful in preventing metal from getting trapped in the blades. Adjusting the shear angle can also reduce the force of the cut of the guillotine. This specific adjustment can effectively increase the cutting stroke.

With these guillotines, the workpiece will be placed and fed into the machine’s front until it reaches the machine’s back gauge. The clamps will then secure the workpiece. Once everything is set, the blade mechanism will be activated to do the cutting. The sheared metal will then drop into the collection chute.

Throatless Shear

Throatless shear or guillotine does not have any plate in front of the blade that is intended to support the workpiece. It also has no throat, which primarily determines and guides the workpiece’s position when fed into the blades. The absence of these parts shortens the setting up process of the workpiece into the cutting blades. Once everything is set up, the blades will be now raised and lowered through the workpiece.

One important thing about the workpiece is that it must contain special markings or scoring scribes. These markings help indicate which part of the workpiece will be cut. To make a series of short or long cuts, the workpiece must be fed between the blades while lowering the lever in small or long drags. The positioning of the workpiece is key for one to obtain the desired shape of the product.

Bench Shear

Bench shears are typically installed on the workbench, which helps provide a more secure working operation than other types of guillotines. These guillotines can readily provide a forceful cutting action, which makes them suitable for cutting straight and rough shapes in metal sheets. Any complicated or intricate cutting, however, is not possible with bench shears.

Just like throatless shears, any workpiece for bench shears must have adequate measurements and markings for proper cutting guide. The workpiece is intended to go between the blades before pulling the lever downwards. As the lever goes down, the blades will cut towards the workpiece and will only go back to their initial position once the lever is pushed back to its original position.

These guillotine types significantly help in cutting different types of workpieces, particularly metal sheets. Most guillotine cutting services are knowledgeable about these guillotine types, and that they always ensure a safe and efficient working environment for you to get your needed products right away. If you want to know more about guillotine cutting and its available services, then feel free to give us a call at McKean’s Sheetmetal Fabricators.

Optimized by NetwizardSEO.com.au