---
title: "Sheet Metal Shearing – Guillotine Shear up to 6,100 mm"
description: "Sheet metal shearing – plate cutting with no heat input, clean edge without distortion, up to 15 mm and 6,100 mm length. Contract manufacturing in Lorch."
url: "https://bock-gmbh.com/en/services/sheet-metal-shearing/"
language: "en"
index: "https://bock-gmbh.com/en/llms.txt"
---

# Sheet Metal Shearing & Plate Cutting – Heat-Free on the Guillotine Shear

Shear sheet metal precisely and heat-free to size: the guillotine shear parts the plate by purely mechanical action – a clean cut edge with no heat-affected zone, no distortion, ready for immediate further processing. Large format up to 6,100 mm cutting length in Lorch — Ostalbkreis, the Stuttgart area, southern Germany.
A cold, purely mechanical cut – no heat-affected zone, no microstructural distortion, no discolouration.
A low-burr, straight edge – ready to weld and bend directly, with no rework.
Cutting length up to 6,100 mm – large plates in a single stroke, matched to large-part manufacturing.
Plate thicknesses up to 15 mm are parted purely mechanically.
Fast, cost-effective cutting for thin to medium-gauge sheet.
Cutting directly as a preparatory stage for press-brake bending and welded assemblies – all from a single source.

## Plate Cutting on the Guillotine Shear – Process and Capacity

In technical terms, sheet metal shearing is a shear cutting process to DIN 8588: the plate is parted purely mechanically between two blades – an upper blade shears the material against a fixed lower blade, entirely without heat. The material is first deformed elastically, then plastically, initiates a fracture at the cutting edges and is cleanly severed. Unlike flame, plasma or laser cutting, no heat-affected zone forms – the microstructure remains unchanged, the plate does not distort and shows no temper colours.
The upper blade is set at a slight shear angle (rake) of around 2–3° relative to the plate. This means the full length is not severed in a single stroke but progressively – which considerably reduces the required cutting force and is what makes very long cuts possible in the first place. A hold-down clamps the plate firmly before the cut and holds it flat. It is precisely this principle that allows the cutting length of up to 6,100 mm.
The Bock Maschinenbau guillotine shear cuts plate up to 15 mm thick over this cutting length of up to 6,100 mm. This makes it possible to cut even large plates to length in a single stroke – a format that exceeds the 3,000–4,000 mm common to guillotine shears and matches exactly the large-part manufacturing Bock stands for.
The sheared edge is low in burr and straight and can be processed further directly without rework – for example as a base plate, connection plate or gusset plate for welded assemblies, or as a blank ahead of press-brake bending.
Cut plates are produced from drawings or cut lists – from the single part to series production, with no minimum quantity. For thin to medium-gauge sheet, mechanical shearing is faster and more economical than thermal processes and requires no cutting gas or heat-related wear.
Cutting is carried out under documented quality procedures to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 with full material traceability – as the integrated first step of contract manufacturing in Lorch.
Machinery

## The Cut Edge in Sheet Metal Shearing – Square and Heat-Free

A sheared plate edge has a characteristic, clean structure. Because it is parted purely mechanically and cold, it stays square to the plate surface and free of slag, oxide edge and temper colours. The typical zones of the cut face in shear cutting:
- Roll-over (edge draw-in) – the slight rounding at the top edge where the blade enters.
- Burnish zone – the bright, smooth main part of the cut face (typically around 20–60% of the plate thickness in shear cutting).
- Fracture zone – the slightly angled region where the material is finally severed.
- Burr – only minimal burr formation at the bottom edge, controlled via the cutting clearance (around 3–5% of the plate thickness for an open cut).
The result is a low-burr, straight and square edge that can be welded, bent or machined directly without deburring – with high repeatability across the entire cutting length.
Materials and Cutting

## Machine data

| Machine | Cutting length | Plate thickness |
| Eclair · Guillotine shear | 6,100 mm | up to 15 mm |

## Shearing or Thermal Cutting?

Mechanical shearing and thermal cutting complement one another – the right choice depends on plate thickness, edge quality and cut geometry:

### When to Shear?

Straight cuts from thin to medium-gauge sheet, where a clean, heat-free edge with no distortion is required.

### When Thermal?

Thick plates, internal cut-outs or any contour – in those cases flame or plasma cutting is the right choice.
| Criterion | Guillotine shearmechanical | Flame / plasma cuttingthermal |
| Heat input | none – a cold cut | Heat-affected zone at the cut edge |
| Cut edge | low-burr and ready for immediate processing | Slag/oxide edge, rework may be required |
| Plate thickness | up to 15 mm | up to 50 mm and more |
| Cut geometry | straight cuts | any contour |
| Thin sheet | highly economical | less economical |
| Distortion | minimal | thermal distortion possible |

## Materials for Plate Cutting

The following are mainly sheared on the guillotine shear:
- Structural steel S235, S355 – sheet and heavy plate
- Fine-grain structural steel S460–S1100 – higher-strength plate
- Stainless steel 1.4301, 1.4571 – plate blanks
- Plate from our in-house material store
Customer-supplied material is accepted on request.
Materials

## Typical Applications for Cut Plates

Sheared plate blanks are used for:
- Base, connection and gusset plates for welded assemblies
- Blanks as a preparatory stage for press-brake and bent parts
- Plate for vessel, frame and steel construction
- Reinforcement and backing plates in large-part manufacturing
- Single and series cuts to drawing
Cut plates are handed over directly to press-brake bending, welded assemblies and CNC machining – all steps from a single source in Lorch, with no external logistics.
Press Brake Bending

## Sheet Metal Shearing at Bock – Your Advantages

Plate cutting as an integrated step of contract manufacturing:
- No heat input
- Clean cut edge
- Large format up to 6,100 mm
- Economical
- Integrated process
- Cutting directly as a preparatory stage for press-brake bending and welded assemblies – all from a single source in Lorch.
Steel fabricators, metalworking shops and metal processors from the Ostalbkreis, the Stuttgart area and the DACH region have us shear plate to size here – from stock, with no minimum order.
Contact

## Frequently Asked Questions on Sheet Metal Shearing

### What is the advantage over laser, plasma or flame cutting?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/services/sheet-metal-shearing/#faq-vorteil-gegenueber-laser-plasma

Shearing parts the plate purely mechanically, without heat. No heat-affected zone, no thermal distortion and no oxide edge form – the edge is ready for immediate further processing. For thin to medium-gauge sheet, shearing is faster and more economical; for thick plates or any contour, thermal processes are the right choice.
Oxy-fuel Flame Cutting

### What is shear cutting?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/services/sheet-metal-shearing/#faq-scherschneiden

Shear cutting (DIN 8588) is the mechanical parting of plate between two blades – an upper blade and a fixed lower blade. The plate is deformed elastically, then plastically, initiates a fracture at the cutting edges and is parted without chips and without heat. The guillotine shear is the classic machine for straight shear cuts in sheet and plate.

### What does the cut edge look like after shearing?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/services/sheet-metal-shearing/#faq-sieht-schnittkante-beim-scheren

The edge shows the typical shear-cut structure – a slight roll-over, a bright burnish zone, a small fracture zone and only minimal burr. It is square to the surface and, because it is parted cold, free of temper colours and distortion – ready for immediate further processing.

### Does the plate distort during shearing?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/services/sheet-metal-shearing/#faq-verzieht-blech-beim-scheren

No. The cut is cold, so there is no thermal distortion. A hold-down clamps the plate firmly before the cut and holds it flat, and the slight shear angle of the upper blade keeps the cutting forces low – so the cut parts stay dimensionally accurate and flat.

### Up to what plate thickness can you shear?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/services/sheet-metal-shearing/#faq-blechdicke-scheren

On the guillotine shear, structural steel plate is parted up to 15 mm. The maximum thickness depends on the material – higher-strength and stainless steels considerably reduce the achievable cutting thickness.

### How large a plate can be sheared in a single cut?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/services/sheet-metal-shearing/#faq-grosse-bleche-schnitt-scheren

The cutting length is up to 6,100 mm – large plates can be cut to length in a single stroke, matched to large-part manufacturing at Bock.

### Do you also produce single items and small batches?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/services/sheet-metal-shearing/#faq-fertigen-einzelstuecke-kleinserien

Yes. Cut plates are produced with no minimum quantity – from the single part to running series production, to drawing or cut list.

### Does Bock offer laser or waterjet cutting?

URL: https://bock-gmbh.com/en/services/sheet-metal-shearing/#faq-laser-wasserstrahlschneiden

No. Bock cuts using plasma – including 3D tube cutting –, oxy-fuel cutting, guillotine shearing and saws. Laser and waterjet cutting are not part of the service range.

## Machine Operator / CNC Plasma Flame Cutter (m/f/d)

Machine Operator / CNC Plasma Flame Cutter (m/f/d) — As a Machine Operator / CNC Plasma Flame Cutter (m/f/d), you will operate modern CNC flame and plasma cutting machines for cutting steel plates, profiles and pipes at our site in 73547 Lorch, near Schwäbisch Gmünd, Baden-Württemberg. Experience in flame cutting is welcome, but it is not a requirement – we will train you on the machine. Career changers from production, warehouse work or metalworking are welcome too: we will train you as a machine operator on the cutting system, and you can obtain your forklift and crane licence with us.

## Request Plate Cutting

Send us your drawing or cut list with material, plate thickness and quantity. We will prepare a quotation for the cutting.

### Alexander Schulz

For new enquiries, quotations and technical questions on the feasibility of your project.

### Jochen Hack