What is shearing in metalworking?
Related Terms
Blanking
Blanking is a stamping process where a punch forces metal through a die to cut out a flat shape — the blank — from a sheet. The blank is the desired part; the surrounding sheet is the scrap.
Laser Cutting
Laser cutting uses a focused, high-powered laser beam to cut metal with extreme precision. Fiber lasers are the current standard for cutting steel, aluminum, and stainless with tight tolerances and clean edges.
Plasma Cutting
Plasma cutting uses a high-temperature plasma arc to cut through electrically conductive metals. It is faster than laser cutting on thick plate but produces a wider kerf and rougher edge.
Metal Blank
A metal blank is a flat piece of metal cut to a specific size or shape, ready to be formed, stamped, machined, or processed further. It's the starting material before a part is finished.