sheet metal shear machine

How to Ensure You’re Buying a Quality Sheet Metal Shear Machine

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A machine designed to shear sheet metal can be an important investment for any business. Therefore, it is not something you should rush into buying. Here is an overview of the things you need to consider so you can order a high quality, suitably capable shear machine with confidence.

Selecting the Drive System

Your first choice will be between hydraulic or mechanical shears. The difference here lies in which method drives the machine.

Hydraulic shears make use of the power of pressurized liquids moving between cylinders to force the cutting blade downward through the sheet metal and onto the bed.

Mechanical shears combine a motorized flywheel with a crankshaft that operates the ram. This allows it to move up and down to create the desired cutting motion.

In terms of which is best for you, the ease of maintenance and full cycle speed of a mechanical sheet metal shear machine could be enough to convince you that this is the right direction. Meanwhile, hydraulically driven systems have the flexibility of variable stroke length as well as improved safety features.

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Considering the Shear Type

The next variation in shear design relates to the way the blade moves. Guillotine shears allow it to move up and down in a single, straight axis. On the other hand, swing beam shears have a cantilevered ram that affords additional capacity.

The type of mechanism also determines machine size. That is, guillotine shears are typically larger and heavier than their more compact cantilevered counterparts.

Choosing New or Used Shear Options

Buying a high quality sheet metal shear machine is possible whether you focus on the new market or instead choose to check out the secondhand units that are available for sale at the moment.

New machines may offer additional features and extended post-sales support to customers. Meanwhile, used models will be more affordable. Moreover, those machines can be just as desirable so long as the previous owner maintained them well.

Regardless of the route you take, be sure to consider the brand of the machine in question, as well as the specifications of the unit on your watch list. Choosing a well-known, tried and tested brand makes sense first of all from a reliability and quality perspective. Additionally, it is wise in terms of reparability, because access to spare parts will be easier.

Assessing Control Capabilities

The price and performance potential of a sheet metal shear machine will be determined in part by the way in which it is controlled.

The most basic and affordable examples call for a human operator to manually perform the desired tasks. The more advanced and costly examples can be programmed to automate shearing operations. This allows for efficiency improvements and also keeps operators at a safe distance.

Your choice will depend on your needs and of course on your budget. So carry out thorough calculations to ensure you strike the right balance.

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Looking into Accessories for a Sheet Metal Shear Machine

The quality and viability of a shearing device will come down to the additional features you choose as well as the core specifications defined by the manufacturer.

Useful extras can include cutting beds that come with integrated scales for added convenience, enhanced safety assets to provide even more protection for operators, conveyor systems to improve throughput, and much more.

Take Your Time When Buying a Sheet Metal Shear Machine

The best way to buy a high quality sheet metal shearing machine, then, is to take your time and do your research to work out what parameters are most important for your business.