A heavy fabrication machine that slices through metal sheet or plate using two long, hardened blades. The lower blade is fixed while the upper blade is driven downward, usually at a slight angle to concentrate the cutting force. The process operates exactly like a giant pair of scissors, fracturing the metal along a straight line without producing any chips.
Heard on the job
Take that sheet of aluminum over to the shear and chop it down to manageable strips.
Also heard as
- guillotine