The Shaper

The shaper is a relatively simple machine. It is a

reciprocating type of machine tool used for producing
small flat surfaces with the help of a single point tool
reciprocating over the stationary work piece. I t is used
fairly often in the tool room or for machining one or two
pieces for prototype work. Tooling is simple, and shapers
do not always require operator attention while cutting.
Typical cuts made by both shapers and planers. (On
the basis of position and travel of Ram)
1. The horizontal shaper: The horizontal shaper is
the most common type, and its principal components are shown below, and described as
follows:
Ram: Ram is the main moving part of a shaper. It holds and drives a cutting tool back
and forward across the work in dovetail or square ways to transmit power to the cutter. It
is attached to the rocker arm which gives an oscillating motion by the turning of large
driving gear. An adjustable pin attached to the driving gear acts as a crank which
determines the length of the stroke of ram. The starting point and the length of the stroke
can be adjusted. It caries a tool-slide on its head.
Tool-head: The tool holds a cutting tool. Its head is attached to the front portion of the
ram and it may be swiveled to a required angle to the left or the right and locked in place.
It may also adjust vertically and locked in position. So it can also rotate for making
angular cuts. It is used to hold the tool rigidity. The tool head can also be moved up or
down by its hand crank for precise depth adjustments. The tool-post is fastened to a
clapper block, which is hinged at the top to permit the tool to ride over the work on return
stork.
(Attached to the tool-head is the tool-holding section. This has a tool post very similar to
that used on the engine lathe. The block holding the tool post can be rotated a few
degrees so that the cutter may be properly positioned in the cut.)
Clapper Box: The clapper box is needed because the cutter drags over the work on the
return stroke. The clapper box is hinged so that the cutting tool will not dig in. Often this
clapper box is automatically raised by mechanical, air, or hydraulic action.
Table: The table is a metal box attached to the frame of shaper. It has T slots on the top
& sides which are used for clamping the work or a vise to table. It is moved left and right,
usually by hand, to position the work under the cutter when setting up. Then, either by
hand or more often automatically, the table is moved sideways to feed the work under the
cutter at the end or beginning of each stroke.
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Apron: It supports the table on the cross rail and moves across it from left to right.
Saddle: The saddle moves up and down (Y axis), usually manually, to set the rough
position of the depth of cut. Final depth can be set by the hand crank on the tool head.
Column: The column supports the ram and the rails. The
mechanism for moving the ram and table is housed inside
the column.
Base: It is the heavy structure of cast iron which supports
other part of the shaper. It is also a reservoir for oil supply
to different part of shaper.
The horizontal shaper is the most common type.
Tool holders: Tool holders are the same as the ones used on an engine lathe, though
often larger in size. The cutter is sharpened with rake and clearance angles similar to
lathe tools, though the angles are smaller because the work surface is usually flat. These
cutters are fastened into the tool holder, just as in the lathe, but in a vertical plane.
Work holding: Work holding is frequently done in a vise. The vise is specially designed
for use in shapers and has long ways which allow the jaws to open up to 14 or more,
therefore quite large workpieces can be held. The vise may also have a swivel base so
that cuts may be made at an angle. Work that cannot be held in the vise (due to size or
shape) is clamped directly to the shaper table in much the same way as parts are secured
on milling machine tables.
Shaper Size: The size of a shaper is the maximum length of stroke which it can take.
Horizontal shapers are most often made with strokes from 16 to 24 long, though some
smaller and larger sizes are available. These shapers use from 2- to 5-hp motors to drive
the head and the automatic feed.
Shaper Width: The maximum width which can be cut depends on the available
movement of the table. Most shapers have a width capacity equal to or greater than the
length of the stroke. The maximum vertical height available is about 12 to 15.
Drive Mechanisms: Shapers are available with either mechanical or hydraulic drive
mechanisms. Figures below show diagrams of both shaper
drive mechanisms.
Mechanical Drive: The less expensive shaper, the one most
often purchased, uses a mechanical drive. This drive uses a
crank mechanism. The bull gear is driven by a pinion which
is connected to the motor shaft through a gear box with
four, eight or more speeds available. The RPM of the bull
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gear becomes the strokes per minute (sometimes abbreviated SPM) of the shaper.
Shapers are available with either (a) mechanical drive mechanisms or (b) hydraulic
drive mechanisms.
Cutting Speed: The cutting speed of the tool across the work will vary during the stroke
as shown by the velocity diagram. The maximum is at the center of the stroke. However,
if the cutting speed chosen is somewhat on the slow side, the average speed may be used,
and computations are greatly simplified.
Although the ratio varies somewhat, several shapers have a linkage using 220 degrees of
the cycle for the cutting stroke and 140 degrees for the return stroke. This is close to a
3:2 ratio.
In setting up a mechanically operated shaper, the length of cut (in inches) is known, and
the cutting speed (in feet per minute) is selected according to the kind of metal being cut.
It is then necessary to compute the strokes per minute since that is how the shaper speed
is controlled. Such calculations are beyond the scope of this text.
The stroke per minute available on a shaper will vary according to the size of the shaper.
The larger shapers will have lower speeds. A 16 shaper may have speeds of 27 to 150
strokes per minute, while a 24 shaper will have 10 to 90 strokes per minute speeds
available.
Cutting Feed: Feed per stroke on a shaper is comparable to the feed per revolution on a
lathe. Coarse feeds for roughing range up to 0.100 per stroke (sometimes abbreviated as
IPS), and finish cuts from 0.005 to 0.015 per stroke. Finish would also depend on the
nose radius of the cutting tool.
Hydraulic Drive
The hydraulic shaper has the same major parts as the mechanical one; however, the ram
is driven by a hydraulic cylinder as shown in the simplified sketch. These shapers use 5-
to 10-hp motors.
Cutting Speed and Feed: The cutting speed of the hydraulic
shaper is infinitely variable by means of hydraulic controls, as
is the cross feed. The reverse stroke is made faster than the
power stroke because of the smaller area in the return side of
the cylinder, if a constant volume pump is used. Another
method is to have the rate of fluid flow increased to speed up
the return stroke.
Speed and feed on a hydraulic shaper are often controlled by
directly in feet per minute and feed is read directly in decimal
inches. The cutting speed remains nearly constant through the full stroke.
simple dials. Speed is read
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2 Vertical Shapers
The vertical shaper, sometimes called a slotter, has a vertical ram, with table and saddle
similar to the horizontal shaper. If a rotary table is mounted on the regular table, a number of slots
can be made at quite accurately spaced intervals. This machine can work either outside or inside a
part, provided that the interior opening is larger than the tool head. It is similar to a horizontal
shaper except that the ram reciprocates vertically rather than horizontally. A slide, into which the
ram is mounted, can be adjusted to an angle with respect to the vertical position so that the ram
can reciprocate at this angle. The table can be moved in 2 perpendicular directions as well as can
rotate.
Such a combination of table movement enables the vertical shaper to cut vertical
plane surfaces, round or partially round surfaces, and surface with an irregular profile.

Its principal components are shown below, and described
as follows:
Bed: The bed of the planer must be a weldment or
casting twice as long as the table. Thus a 12-foot table
requires a 24-foot bed. The gearing of hydraulic
cylinders for driving the table is housed under the bed.
Tool holders: Planers use high-speed steel or carbide tipped
cutting tools similar to those used on shapers. Since planers
make heavy cuts, their tools are much larger. Rake relief
lathes for cutting cast iron or steel, although relief angles are
often only 3 to 5 degrees, because all cuts are on flat surfaces.
angles are similar to those used on
Work holding: Holding the work while machining such heavy cuts at 60 to 100 feet per minute
requires considerable force; therefore, the work pieces must be solidly fastened to the table.
Because the reversal of direction occurs quite rapidly, the work must be especially well braced at
the ends. The table has T-slots, both lengthwise and across, in which heavy bolts and clamps may
be used. Sometimes holes are drilled in the table so that large pins can be used to prevent the
work piece from going off the table when the machine reverses.
Planer Size: The size of planers is often referred to as a 30 planer or a 60 planer. This
specifies the approximate width of the table which ranges from 30 to 72. A more
complete specification is:
Width of table x height under rail x length of table (For
example: 48 x 48 x 14 feet)
The width and height are usually, but not always, the
same. Table length is often made to order and may be as
short as 8 feet, or as long as 20 feet or more. The drive
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may be 15 hp on the smaller planers, and 100 hp or more on the larger models.
A double-housing planer.
Mechanical and hydraulic power can be used for planers. Uniform cutting speed is
attained throughout the cutting stroke. Acceleration and deceleration of the table takes
place in a short distance of travel and does not influence the time to machine.
Double-housing Planers: Double-housing planers consist of a long heavy base on which
the table reciprocates. The upright housing near the center on the side of the base,
supports the cross rail on which the tools are fed across the work. The earlier illustration
shows how the tools are supported both above and on the sides, and their adjustment for
angle cuts. They are fed by power in either a vertical or a crosswise direction.
Open-sided Planers: Open-sided planers have the housing on one side only. The open
side permits machining wider work pieces. Most planers have one flat and one double V-
way, which allows for unequal bed and platen expansions. Adjustable dogs at the side of
the bed control the stroke length of the platen.
Planers are often converted to planer-mills, for more efficient machining.
3 Comparison of Shapers and Planers
Although both the planer and the shaper are able to machine flat surfaces, there is little
overlapping in their application. They differ greatly in construction and in the method of
operation. The planer is especially adapted to large work: the shaper can do only small
work. On the planer the work is moved against a stationary tool: on the shaper the tool
moves across the work, which is stationary. On the planer the tool is fed into the work; on
the shaper the work is usually fed across the tool. The drive on the planer table is either
by gears or by hydraulic means. The shaper ram also can be driven in this manner, but
many times a quick-return link mechanism is used.
Most planers differ from shapers in that they approach more constant-velocity cutting
speeds. Tools used in shaper and planer work are single point as used on a lathe, but are
heavier in construction. The holder is designed to secure the tool bit near the centerline of
the holder or the pivot point rather than at an angle as is customary with lathe tool
holders.
Cutting tools for the planer operation are usually tipped with high-speed steel, cast alloy,
or carbide inserts. High-speed steel or cast alloys are commonly used in heavy roughing
cuts and carbides for secondary roughing and finishing.
Cutting angles for tools depend on the tool used and the work piece material. They are
similar to angles used on other single-point tools, but the end clearance does not exceed 4
degrees. Cutting speeds are affected by the rigidity of the machine, how the work is held,
tool, material, and the number of tools in operation. Worktables on planers and shapers
are constructed with T-slots to hold and clamp parts that are to be machined.
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