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Hydraulic guillotine shears

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Hydraulic guillotine shears

Hydraulic guillotine shears

What are hydraulic guillotine shears and how do they work?

Simple and convenient operation, fast cutting speed and high processing efficiency are some of the benefits of using a hydraulic guillotine.


Hydraulic guillotine shears which can be called hydraulic crusher or hydraulic cutting machines are a hydraulic press that makes use of a hydraulic drive to deliver the action. Easy to operate with high-speed cutting capability and the machines being highly efficient are a few of the benefits of using hydraulic guillotine shears.


Metalworking guillotines securly clamp sheets of material in place, with the same movement of scissors, the blade cuts through the sheet from one side to the other.


In most cases, the cut piece will drop on to a ramp underneath the cutting area where it can be reclaimed.
Guillotines can have hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical prime movers.
Smaller guillotines might be manually operated with use of a handle or a pedal. The minor input by the operative is converted into a major output of force by the shears blade.


Mechanical guillotines uses energy that is stored in a revolving flywheel to make the machine work whereas hydraulic guillotines  use pressure delivered by a hyraulic  ram to power the device.
In pneumatic guillotines, compressed air is used in the machine.

What kind of guillotine shears are available?

Metal guillotine

Whether hydraulically, foot-powered or mechanically, guillotines are made up of a shear table, gauging device, workpiece holding apparatus and lower and upper shears. These guillotines clamp the workpiece via a ram, after this stage a blade is brought down to a fixed blade which produces the cut. The moveable blade part of a metal guillotine can be fixed at an angle or straight, this diminishes the use of the force that is necessary to shear through a large piece of metalwork.

Bench shear

Shears that are bench mounted give a mechanical benefit by using a compound mechanism. If you want to cut appoximate shapes in sheet metal that is of a medium size bench shears are the correct piece of equipment. It can be used in a multitude of ways such as cutting T-sections, 90-degree cuts. The bench shear will also cut square and round bars.

Alligator shear

Alligator shears are named as such due to the hinged jaw that cuts the metal. Powered through the use of a hydraulic cylinder, they are mainly used on long metal stock such as angle iron, re-bar, pipes, I-beams or in preparation of scrap metal.


Throatless shear

Excellent at producing many different types of cuts. These shears lets the operator move the workpiece around which means inticate curves can be produced as well as irregular cuts and straight lines.

Power shears

Pneumatically powered or electrically powered, Power shears are the go-to for blanking large sheet metal. The upper blade moves towards a fixed lower blade while producing tension on the metal. Power shears are ideal for cutting radius curves or straight lines.

How to use Hydraulic Guillotine shears in a safe manner?

A trained operator who is accustomed to the machine will be key to producing a good, high quality product. Knowing how the shears work and how the machine operates is a must. As well as using the machine, the trained operator must know how to maintain the machine.


Protective clothing must be worn while using the machine. Safety helmet and gloves must be worn while using the machine.
Guillotines are not designed to cut hard steel, alloy steel or hardened steel, also non-metallic material, the machine should not be used to cut any of these materials.The metal which is to be cut by the guillotine should always be clear of weld seams, print marks and welding slags. Do not overload the machine with pieces that are too thick for the capabilities of the machine.
The blade that cuts on the guillotine shears must be sharp and maintained in a sharp fashion at all times. If the cutting edge becomes dull or damaged it must be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.


Should the machine have a fault and not function in a normal manner, the power should be immediately isolated from the power suppy for inspection purposes.


Should a machine take more than 1 person to operate, one person must oversee the control of the machine.
Should the machine need adjustment, the machine should be isolated from the power supply and the operators of the machine must be aware and observe caution to the safety of their hands whilst manipulating the workpiece.
Do not cut plates of different specifcations simultaniously in the machine.

Overlapping cutting is also forbidden.
Frequent lubrication by a trained operator to all parts of the machine should be done every shift. In relation to the rolling bearing parts which need lubricating by the mechanic every six months.


The operator must not place their hands underneath the pressure plate while feeding the guillotin. Once the metal material is cut an iron plate should be used to press it. Fingers must be kept 200mm (minimum) away from the blade whilst cutting is in progress.

What are the benefits of using hydraulic guillotine shears?


● Ease of use and high quality work can be prodcued quickly. Hydraulic shearing machines make production of metal cutting in factories simple.
● Mechanical models are very low maintenance which make them very cost effective.
● Smaller machines that do not use lots of floor space, hydraulic shears can produce the same amount of pressure as mechanical shearing machines.
● A large variety of hydraulic shearing machines are avaiable for different sized metal. Metal work pieces are held with clamps which produces high quality workmanship on both smooth cuts and 90 degress cuts.


What are the best-known brands?


Some of the best-known brands of hydraulic guillotine shears are: Haco, Baykal, LVD MVCS, Ermak HVR, Darley GS, Safan VS, Gasparini, Colly, Dorstener, Beyeler, Soenen, Amada promecan, ZM Pietro Bariola, Colly,...

Other second-hand machinery

Some other machines you can buy second-hand from APT International: lathes, second hand milling machines, second hand drilling machines, second hand mechanical presses,...

Refurbished, restored, and tested Hydraulic Guillotine Shears.
Why purchase from us?


We are specialists in the procurement and sales of used and industry machinery including hydraulic guillotine shears, hydraulic presses, and many others.  We have a large amount of stock and take care of everything from dismantling to the transport and installation at your place of choice in one easy process.  Our staff are also experts in their field and can offer support and guidance throughout.

Please contact us with any questions you have, we are always happy to share our expertise!

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