Glossary Terms for

CNC Shearing

CNC shearing is a high-speed, straight-blade cutting process used to produce precise, flat sheet metal blanks from coil or sheet stock. The terms below cover machine components, process parameters, material characteristics, and quality factors relevant to CNC shearing operations.

Home > Glossary > CNC Shearing

Back Gauge (Shearing)
A programmable stop system on the shear that positions the sheet for precise, repeatable cuts.
Blade Clearance
The gap between the upper and lower shear blades, set as a percentage of material thickness (typically 5 to 10 percent).
Blade Rake Angle
The angular tilt of the upper shear blade relative to the lower blade across the cut length.
Blank
A flat metal piece cut to a specific flat pattern size for use in subsequent operations such as press braking, stamping, roll forming, or welding.
Burr
A raised, sharp metal edge left on the underside of a sheared part along the cut line.
CNC Shear (CNC Guillotine Shear)
A computer numerically controlled straight-blade cutting machine that automatically positions the back gauge for accurate, repeatable sheet metal cuts.
Cut Length
The dimension of a shear cut measured parallel to the blade, limited by the maximum bed length of the machine.
Cutting Capacity
The maximum material thickness and sheet width that a given shearing machine can cut, rated by the machine's cutting force and blade length.
Flatness
The degree to which a sheared blank lies in a single plane without warping or curvature.
Hold-Down Clamps
Pneumatic or hydraulic clamping bars that press the sheet flat against the machine table during shearing.
Material Grade
The alloy and temper designation of the metal being sheared, such as A36 mild steel, 304 stainless, or 5052-H32 aluminum.
Near-Net Shape
A sheared blank cut to a size close to the final part dimensions, minimizing material waste and reducing the amount of secondary machining, trimming, or forming required to produce the finished part.
Scrap Reduction
The practice of optimizing sheet layout and programming cut sequences to minimize the amount of unusable material left after shearing.
Shear Blade
The hardened steel cutting tool on a shear machine.
Shear Stress
The internal stress within a material that causes it to fail along a plane parallel to the applied force during cutting.
Sheet Metal Gauge (Shearing)
A standardized numbering system indicating sheet metal thickness.
Squareness
The degree to which the cut edges of a sheared blank are perpendicular to one another and to the material surface.
Stripping
The process of separating the sheared blank from the sheet skeleton after a cut.
Tolerance (Shearing)
The permissible deviation from a specified cut dimension, typically expressed as a plus or minus value in inches or millimeters.
Work Material
The metal stock being processed by the shear, characterized by its alloy, temper, thickness, and surface condition.

Glossary Term Categories

Laser Cutting
Press Braking
Welding
CNC Shearing
Metal Finishing
CNC Machining
NEMA Enclosures
Weldments, Bollards & Guards

Price Your Project

Receive a free, custom quote for you project. Midwest Metal Fabrications can handle any job, small or large and is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100 Certified.

Receive a Free Quote