Sheet metal nibbler cuts 0.197-in. steel in all four directions

TRUMPF Inc. has introduced the N500-8 nibbler, which cuts in all four cutting directions. According to the company, it is the only nibbler able to do so in the performance class that cuts steel sheets up to 0.197 in. thick.

The company's modifications to the die carrier holder allow the nibbler to operate in reverse and four directions. With this function, users can move the tool horizontally toward them or, with very little pressure, vertically from top to bottom.

Two of the more suitable applications for the tool are tank demolition and coil processing. Tank demolition, which involves working in tight, narrow spaces, is simplified with a nibbler that moves in all four directions. In the coil industry, the nibbler can be used to cut free a sheet band stuck in a coiling machine, even if the sheet is under tension, because reverse cutting positions the user away from the sheets.

With a 1,400-W motor and weighing less than 9 lbs., the nibbler cuts stainless steel 0.125 in. thick at a working speed of about 4.9 FPM. It cuts through aluminum sheets up to 0.275 in. thick as well.