Cincinnati Shear — Steel Processing Equipment

Overview

Our Cincinnati Shear is a heavy-duty sheet metal cutting machine built for reliable, precise shearing of flat stock across a range of thicknesses.

Operations & Applications

The Cincinnati mechanical shear handles straight-line cutting of sheet and plate steel with speed and precision. It is used for squaring blanks, trimming parts, and preparing stock for further fabrication processes. The machine's heavy-duty construction and precise back gauge system ensure clean, accurate cuts every time, making it a reliable workhorse in our cutting department. This shear accommodates sheet widths up to 120 inches and handles material thicknesses from thin-gauge sheet metal up to 1/4-inch mild steel plate. The programmable back gauge positions automatically for repeatable cut dimensions across production runs, eliminating manual measurement and reducing operator error. The shear's mechanical drive delivers rapid cycling for high-volume work, processing hundreds of cuts per hour when running production blanks. For jobs requiring tight squareness tolerances, the hold-down system firmly clamps the material before each cut to prevent shifting, producing clean edges that often require no secondary deburring. The Cincinnati shear is frequently used in combination with our blanking line and laser cutting systems — shearing provides fast, economical straight cuts while lasers handle complex contours and detail work, giving Ameristeel flexibility to choose the most cost-effective cutting method for each part geometry. The shear blade geometry produces a clean, burr-free edge on most materials, and the adjustable rake angle can be tuned for different material thicknesses to minimize edge distortion and rollover on thicker plate.

This cutting systems equipment operates at Ameristeel's Michigan steel fabrication facilities, serving automotive manufacturers and metal fabricators throughout Southeast Michigan and the greater Metro Detroit region.

Key Capabilities

• Precision straight-line sheet cutting
• Handles a range of material thicknesses
• Accurate back gauge for repeatable cuts
• Squaring, trimming, and blank preparation
• Heavy-duty industrial construction
• High-volume cutting capacity

Industries & Applications

This equipment supports a wide range of industries and manufacturing applications at Ameristeel's Michigan facilities:

• General sheet metal fabrication
• HVAC duct and fitting production
• Electrical enclosure manufacturing
• Automotive panel trimming
• Sign and display manufacturing
• Roofing and architectural metal panels

Why Choose Ameristeel

Our Cincinnati shear provides fast, cost-effective straight-line cutting for squaring blanks and trimming parts. Its precise back gauge system delivers repeatable accuracy across high-volume runs, making it ideal for production work where consistency and speed matter. When your parts only need straight cuts, shearing is significantly faster and more economical than laser cutting, and Ameristeel's experienced operators know when to route jobs to the shear versus the laser to optimize your costs. The shear's ability to handle sheets up to 120 inches wide means we process full-size stock without pre-cutting, reducing material handling steps and keeping your lead times short. Combined with our blanking line and laser systems, the Cincinnati shear gives Ameristeel a complete range of cutting options to match the right process to every job.