Separate the cut from the forming
End flare is the local opening, lip kick or web kick at the cut face. It can come from residual stress in the formed section, from how the cutoff supports the profile, or from blade wear and mismatch. Treating every flare as a shear problem leads to unnecessary die recuts. Related residual-stress behaviour is covered in the high-yield springback guide.
Name the cutoff system on the sample
Do not mix evidence:
- Flying cutoff — the die travels with the strip; speed match, clamp and in-die support all matter.
- Stop-to-cut — the line pauses; end condition depends on clamp and blade, not tracking error.
- Saw or cold saw — heat and tooth condition dominate; flare mechanics differ from a shear.
Label each sample with cutoff type, line speed setting and coil ticket. Workshop footage of cutoff discharge is on the workshop video page; it is a process illustration, not an acceptance record.
What to measure
Agree measurement points before the trial: opening at a stated distance from the cut, lip angle, and whether the lead end and trail end are both in scope. A photograph without a scale is not a measurement. If only one end is out, the cause is less likely to be the entire flower pattern.
Support, clearance and exit handling
Ask, in writing, whether the quoted cutoff includes in-die support matched to the section, how blade clearance is set for the thickness range, and how the piece is supported on exit. Unsupported discharge can add a kick that looks like flare. Guardrail, racking and purlin sections often need different support geometry — compare the highway guardrail line and the purlin line rather than copying one die to the other.
Trial plan, not a promised die
A useful request is: profile revision, thickness range in millimetres, cutoff type, sample length and the acceptance opening. Send it through the enquiry form. This page does not rate a shear, promise a flare-free end or include a particular die feature in every offer.