Is Planer and Shaper Machines are Different or Similar?

''Is Planer and Shaper Machines are Different or Similar?''

Planer and Shaper machines are commonly used tools in the production of metal products in later times. However, if somebody heard ‘’planer’ and ‘’shaper’’ itself, it is sometimes confusing especially they both ends with the same sounds. Individuals unfamiliar with the machine can say that it is difficult to understand if they are similar or different with each other. Some thought that they are identical, but others thought they are not. So, what the truth? Here, we will find out further their similarities and differences.

A planer is one of the machines used in metalworking. It is widely used for heavy or large pieces of metals that a shaper cannot handle. The workpiece is fixedly attached to a table called platen, which moves horizontally forward and backward. Along with the table, a single cutting tool is vertically positioned and fixed in place that performs the machining. This cutting tool can be changed at any angle and can machine horizontal, vertical, and inclined surfaces.

On the other hand, a shaper is a metal cutting machine that is used to cut unwanted metal in chips form. Planer and shaper are similar because they both have a single cutting tool, but they are different regarding movements of the cutting tool and the workpiece. Instead of that the cutting tool in a planer is fixed in a holder, and having a workpiece moving forward and backward, in shaper, the working principle is the reverse; the cutting tool is reciprocating, and the workpiece is fixed in a table. Besides, unlike planer machine, shaper can’t handle large pieces of work.

Furthermore, the cutter of the shaper is analogous with the cutter used in a lathe and is fixed in a holder called ram that is operated by a mechanical crank inside a column. This cutter moves relative to the workpiece, and the cutting takes place during the thick stroke. As the ram reciprocates, the material is cut by the tool during the forward stroke, and the return stroke is considered idle since there is no cutting action performed. The excellent application of the shaper machine is squaring up blocks and machining concave or convex surfaces including horizontal and vertical flat surfaces. Also, the shaper can perform helical planning and produced helical tooth paths by adding axes of motion to the machine.

Aside as mentioned above, there are other differences between planer and shaper. One is that shaper is a light duty machine, while planer is a heavy duty machine. Second, more than one cutting tool can be equipped at a time in a planer, while in a shaper only one cutting tool is allowed to be used. Another is planer can give higher accuracy and gives high productivity compared to the shaper.

Comparatively, there are also some similarities that a planer and shaper has: both their length of stroke can be adjusted, and they can be operated by hydraulic drive or hydraulic arrangement.

Conclusion

In this current days, because of other machine tools present in the market, such as grinding machines, milling machines, and broaching machines; planers and shapers are now obsolescent, but they still exist in the metalworking world. Despite, it is essential to study and understand their uses and applications because both machines contributed to the advancement of metal productions. In summary, based on the ideas above, planer and shaper are uniquely different regarding their way of operation.

I hope you learn something today.
THANK YOU FOR READING

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References:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaper
http://www.mech4study.com/2016/05/difference-between-shaper-and-planer.html?m=1
https://www.britannica.com/technology/shaper
https://newmachineparts.blogspot.sg/2014/09/definition-of-shaper-machine-and-uses.html?m=1
https://www.britannica.com/technology/planer
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