How to sharpen guillotine knives?

The processing of materials requires them to be properly sized already at the stage of preparing the raw material. One of the most frequently used solutions is guillotine cutting, i.e. it takes place with the use of blades lowered in the vertical plane, which penetrates the cut structure due to pressure. An important element of these types of machines is the cutting edges used in them, which must retain their geometry and at the same time guarantee the appropriate strength. As the tool wears out during operation, its shape must be reproduced by the process of sharpening guillotine blades. Let’s see how to sharpen guillotine knives.

How to sharpen guillotine knives depending on their purpose?

The geometry of the guillotine blades and the type of alloy they are made of depends on the type of materials being cut.

In the case of cutting cellulose products, as well as products of the printing industry, they can even be made of tool steel, and their sharpening consists in obtaining an inclined edge at an angle depending on the hardness of the products handled. Similar rules apply to cutting plastics and wood-based products, e.g. veneers.

When it comes to cutting sheet metal, the material used to make the knife must be harder. It can be, for example, high-speed steel, but also an alloy with the addition of cemented carbide. The blades are often coated to increase hardness. For cutting metal, the angle at which the knives are sharpened is usually close to 90°.

Who can sharpen a guillotine?

Sharpening guillotine knives requires experience and the use of appropriate equipment that will be able to plan the surface of the cutting edge with the required precision, and at the same time handle the hardness of the material used. This service is performed only by companies with advanced metal processing facilities.

For many years, MultiMasz has been specializing in guillotine parts, producing custom-made guillotine blades for steel cutting, and sharpening blades for sheet metal processing.