Shop Update: New "Gator" Shear Online and Ready to Cut!

We’re excited to announce that we’ve added a new Gator VIPER 3016 hydraulic shear to the floor at Franklin Sheet Metal—and yes, it was time.

After decades of loyal service, our 1985 Amada shear has officially earned its ride into the sunset. That machine cut a lot of steel, paid for itself many times over, and proved what good old-school craftsmanship and solid iron can do. But as much as we respect the classics, there comes a point where keeping things moving means turning the page.

This upgrade wasn’t about adding equipment for the sake of it. It was about tightening up the front end of fabrication and making sure the material we’re cutting today keeps up with the work we’re building now.

What This Adds to Our Shop

The Gator VIPER 3016 gives us in-house shear cutting capacity from 18 gauge through 5/8" carbon steel, up to 3/8" stainless, in lengths up to 10 feet. That range covers a large share of the fabricated parts we see every day—formed components, weldments, structural pieces, and flat blanks that need to stay predictable before the next operation.

For us, it means fewer workarounds and less dependence on outside cutting. For customers, it means cleaner starts and more consistent parts heading into forming and welding.

What Shear Cutting Is—and What to Expect

Shear cutting is a mechanical process. Two blades pass each other and separate the material using force. No heat, no melting, and no heat-affected zone. That doesn’t mean the material doesn’t move, though.

Depending on thickness, width, grain direction, and length, shearing can introduce minor twist or camber, especially on longer or heavier blanks. That’s normal behavior. The important part is that it’s predictable and usually addressed later during rolling, press brake forming, fit-up, or welding—where parts naturally pull true.

Loading & Shear Cutting 4x8 Stainless Sheets

Where Shearing Makes Sense

There’s no single “best” cutting method. Laser, plasma, waterjet, and shearing all have their place depending on the application and tolerance requirements.

Shearing makes sense when:

• Cuts are straight

• Parts are long

• Material is thicker

• Volumes are low to medium

• Speed matters

• Tolerances are flexible

  
  

The biggest advantage here is throughput. No programming, no pierce cycles, and no slowdown as material thickness increases. Set the backgauge, make the cut, move on. When parts are headed into forming or welding, that speed matters.

Edge Quality and Tolerances

A shear cut edge has a recognizable profile: slight rollover at the top, a smooth burnished zone, and a fracture zone below. Depending on material and thickness, a light burr may be present. That’s standard and accounted for.

With proper setup and material handling, our shear cutting tolerances are typically around ±1/64" but can be slightly tighter or greater depending on factors previously mentioned. That level of accuracy works well for press brake work, rolled parts, weldments, and structural assemblies. As material gets thicker and parts get longer, some variation is normal.

If a job requires tighter tolerances or specific edge conditions, that’s something we address upfront so the right process is used.

Post-Processing Is Part of Fabrication

Shearing cuts the material to size. What happens next depends on how the part is used.

Typical follow-up work includes deburring, edge breaking, grinding where needed, and then forming or welding into assemblies. That’s standard fabrication work; it's as simple as that.

What This Means Going Forward

This new shear gives us more control at the front end of fabrication. Long blanks for forming, plate for weldments, and structural components are all areas where straight cuts and speed matter more than complex geometry.

It also gives us flexibility when things change. Revisions happen. Lengths get adjusted. Materials get swapped. Having this capability in-house lets us keep jobs moving instead of waiting on outside processing.

Bottom Line

The Gator VIPER 3016 strengthens how we prep material—plain and simple. Covering 18 gauge through 5/8", moving material fast, and delivering consistent starts for the kind of fabrication work we do every day.

The old Amada earned its keep. This new shear makes sure we’re ready for what’s next.

Franklin Sheet Metal - Getting it right from the first cut.