Shear cutting is a high-speed metal cutting process that uses a straight, fixed blade to cut through sheet and plate materials with clean, burr-free edges. Unlike laser or plasma cutting, shear cutting does not produce heat-affected zones, making it ideal for applications requiring high structural integrity. Also, because of the “simplicity” of the process, shearing can produce a high volume of cuts in quick succession.

This process is commonly used for cutting flat sheets into precise dimensions before fabrication, forming, or assembly. Because the strips are being cut from a larger sheet or plate, you have maximum control over the width of each cut piece.