Sheet Metal Cutting (Shearing) Processes
15 January 2021Sheet metals are metals that are created into thin, flat pieces. One property of sheet metals that makes them beneficial for various industries is their durability. Sheet metals are also known for their malleability, efficiency, and affordability. They also come in various thickness, structure, and shapes, which allows them to be useful in a wide variety of applications.
Given their properties, sheet metals can be easily created and produced into different products thanks to numerous types of cutting processes. Three cutting processes that are common among sheet metals are shearing, blanking, and punching.
Shearing
Shearing is a cutting process that separates parts of sheet metals by cutting them parallel to an existing edge. This process often results in straight line cuts. However, it can also generate angled cuts. Cut options for shearing allow the said process to be utilised in producing sheet metal for other processes and applications. Normally, sheet metals have a sheet thickness of around 0.005 to 0.25 inches.
The shearing process is mostly done by a shear machine, which can also be called as squaring shear or power shear. This machine usually has a table with support arms so they can hold the sheet. It also has stops or guides to secure the sheet on the table and a gauging device to position the sheet effectively. The sheet metal is often situated between the upper and lower blade so that they can be forced against it.
Blanking
Blanking, alternatively, is a cutting process that removes a piece of sheet metal from a larger sheet through adequate shearing force. The blank, which is the smaller piece that is removed, is generally the part that is needed by the manufacturer. This cutting process can produce parts in either 2D shapes or simple geometries, with multiple sheets being blanked in just one blanking process.
The blanking process can be initiated with a blanking press, sheet metal stock, blanking punch, and blanking die. The sheet metal is placed in the blanking press over the die, which has a custom cutout. The blanking punch, alternatively, is made from tool steel or carbide that is used in conjunction with the die. The hydraulic press is utilised to drive the punch into the sheet, allowing the metal to bend and fracture. The blank, at this point, will fall freely into the gap of the die.
Punching
Punching is a process wherein a cylindrical punch tool will pierce through the sheet metal. This process often results in creating a single hole. However, punching has a wide variety of operations that can produce a different set of features. Some of these operations are piercing, slotting, perforating, notching.
Piecing is a punching operation that utilises a cylindrical punch in piercing a hole. Slotting, alternatively, creates rectangular holes in the sheet. Perforating is another punching operation that creates many holes in just one operation. Notching is an operation wherein a notch is formed at the edge of the sheet metal.
Other punching operations that are available for manufacturers and fabricators are nibbling, lancing, slitting, parting, trimming, shaving, and dinking.
To know more about these punching operations, feel free to give us a call at Kinetic Engineering.
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