Transforming Art into Science

Can’t work without cant

Cant angle induces an angle between two blades to close the nip—creating the bite between the blades. For example, a pair of scissors has a cant angle that forces the two blades together to create a nip or cut point. Without a cant angle, there would be an open nip and no cut point. In this scenario, some brittle materials and low-elongation materials may fracture. However, many other materials may bend around the blades without fracturing. The goal is to have enough cant angle to create the necessary amount of bite to successfully fracture the material. Anything more is excessive, and can lead to blade chipping and increased blade wear. Suggested cant angles by material are: 0.0 to 0.25 degrees for metals, plastic sheet, non-fiberous webs, and hard and brittle materials; 0.25 to 0.50 degrees for paper products, laminates, and plastic films; 0.50 to 0.75 degrees for synthetic fiber products, materials with loosely bonded fibers, and stretchy films; and 0.75 to 1.0 degrees for fabrics, unbonded non-wovens, etc. (Figure 4).