Working around metals is no easy feat. They are heavy, sometimes sharp, and hard, and thus, metalworking requires knowledge, experience, and precision. When you look at metal products, do you ever think about how these distinct and complex shapes are achieved?
The different techniques, including shearing and cutting, play an important role. To achieve perfection in shearing metal pieces such as plates, sheets, or bars, one must understand the fundamentals and employ the correct techniques and tools.
This blog is for everyone curious about the shearing process or engaged in DIY shearing and looking for optimal results. Check out this blog for advanced tips and techniques for optimal metal shearing in Albuquerque.
What is Metal Shearing?
Metal shearing is the process of cutting down large metal pieces into smaller ones. It sounds more like metal cutting, but cutting signifies manually cutting the metal, which is true to an extent.
Metal shearing is a science that requires understanding the metal, the shearing tools, and their proper application. It also requires basic knowledge of metal.
Keep in mind, metal shearing is not a simple task. So, if you need metal shearing in Albuquerque, consult a professional and expert.
Tips to Achieve Perfection in Metal Shearing
Check out these useful tips that will help you achieve optimal results.
Types of Metal Shearing
Before you dive headfirst into the shearing operation, understand the different shearing types.
Manual Shearing: Manual shearing will never get old because some manual operations, especially the smaller ones, require manual handling. Handheld tools like cutters and pliers are used for the same.
Hydraulic Shearing: Thick metals require powerful handling; thus, hydraulic machines are the answer. They use hydraulic power to shear the sheets.
CNC Machine Shearing: CNC can be called the most advanced type of metal shearing, in which sheets are cut in the desired shapes with unusual precision and accuracy.
Types of Metal
What kind of metal are you using for the operation? What grade are you using? What is the thickness? What is its tensile strength? Is it very hard? These are some of the questions you should be able to answer about the metal.
No two metal grades, let alone metals, are the same. The shearing process starts with understanding the metal and what type of shearing you will use. For example, a small DIY project can be completed with a quick manual shearing. However, if a large industrial lot requires shearing and the underlying metal has higher tensile strength, then hydraulic shearing is the answer.
Also, if the metal is hard, carefully choose the metal blades. Weaker blades will burr the edges and might even break during the operation, causing injury, which leads us to the blade selection discussion.
Blade Selection
The quality of the blades directly correlates with the quality and finish of the cuts. The better the blades, the better the cuts.
Choose your blade after understanding the metal and determining the shearing technique you will use.The first consideration is the blade material—high-speed steel blade, carbon steel blade, tungsten carbide blade, etc. The harder the metal, the harder the blades.
Then, there are technical aspects concerning the blade, such as the rake angle, which is the angle between the tool bit and the workpiece. A positive rake angle is known to offer precise and cleaner cuts.
Proper Lubricating and Cooling
The blade runs through the metal and causes heat. It also causes unusual friction, which might cause the blade to slip.
That’s why lubrication is considered one of the most important aspects of metal shearing in Albuquerque.
High-quality lubricants are advised to reduce friction and achieve cleaner cuts.
Air and liquid cooling are used during metal shearing to restrain metal from overheating. If metal overheats during the shearing, it can cause significant burrs and leads to poor cut quality.
Using Automated CNC Technology
Computer Numeric Technology is used in multiple areas of metal cutting and shearing, and it is known for precision and accuracy. The desired pattern is fed to the computer program, which uses a high-powered laser beam to cut through the metal.
The benefit of this machine is that the cuts are precise, with no edges and burrs.
Using automated CNC technology for metal shearing is the way to achieve optimal metal shearing results.
Minimizing Burr Formation
Harder metals are hard to cut, and burr formation is inevitable. Different techniques are used to minimize burr formation, such as nibbling and grinding.
Nibbling refers to making small cuts instead of longer, straighter cuts.
Grinding is another technique used to ensure that burrs formed are cleared.
Final Words
Metal shearing in Albuquerque requires knowledge of the basics and advanced techniques that distinguish a novice from a master. The tips shared above might seem common, but an expert understands the metals, their properties, and what type of metal shearing will be best suited to them.
Anyone can shear metal, but to shear it perfectly is an entirely different matter.
Check out the tips again and achieve optimal metal shearing results.
