Shear Angle
An angle ground onto a punch or die face so the cut occurs progressively, lowering peak tonnage.
What it means on the floor
Also called rake, a shear angle staggers the moment of cut across the cutting edge so the entire perimeter is not sheared at once. This spreads the cutting force over more of the stroke and reduces peak tonnage and snap-through shock.
Shear is applied to the punch for piercing (to keep the blank flat) and to the die for blanking. Too much shear distorts the part, so it is balanced against tonnage savings.
Category: Stamping
Applying the term
Interpret Shear Angle in the context of the drawing, governing standard, and customer requirement in front of you — the same word can carry different limits in design, quality, and production documents. Check whether a stated value is nominal, minimum, maximum, or reference-only, and whether it applies before forming, after forming, or after heat treatment.