What are Shapers and Planers ?

Wood Planer

What is a shaper machine?
What is a planer machine?
​What are the differences between them?

Shaper and planer are both cutting tool applications. Both the shaper and the planer are single-point linear cutting tools, but the shaper handles less work, the largest shaper machine has a 36-inch cutting stroke and can process up to 36-inch parts; the planer handles a few tons of work. The planer can process longer work pieces, some planers can process parts up to 50 feet long.

The shaper is a mobile cutter, the work piece is moved to perform the cutting process, the shaper is a light duty machine, the shaper just can use only one cutting tool at a time; however the planer is different, it is a fixed planer that moves the work piece closer to the planer for cutting, the planer is a heavy duty machine, it can use more than one cutting tool at the same time. Shaper machine is less rigid and with poor accuracy, and planer machine is more rigid and with good accuracy.

Although the shaper and the planer are moving and cutting in the same direction, although the return journey wastes time, but the time of the return process can be greatly reduced to twice the cutting stroke.
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Article Source:  americanmachinist