What Is a Shear Angle in Shearing?
Shear angle is evident in any shearing environment from cutting paper with a pair of child's scissors to shearing heavy duty iron bar stock with a hydraulic shear press but it is typically the concern of machinists and mechanical engineers.
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Definition
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According to the Free Dictionary, shear angle is defined as "The angle made by the shear plane with the work surface." The easiest way to visualize shear angle is on a desktop paper cutter. The work surface is the table and, as the shearing bar is lowered against the paper, the shear angle is changing concentrating the force of the entire bar on one small point.
Considerations
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Engineers and machinists are concerned with a variety of factors when they consider shear angle. They want the fastest cutting with the least amount of force, the least amount of energy input and the least amount of deformation of the material being cut. Studies have been done predicting these variables using formulas to achieve optimal results.
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Predictions
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M.E. Merchant was one of the first to analyze the theory behind shear angle and so modern calculations of shear angle are often called the "Merchant model." This model is based on scientific formulas using knowledge of the material behavior, material deformation, cutting direction, force feed direction and tool chip coefficient of friction to predict cutting force.
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References
- Photo Credit alligator shears image by AGphotographer from Fotolia.com
