To start with, die-cutting is the process of making unique shapes, designs, and patterns from a wide range of materials such as rubber, plastics, metals, etc., using an appliance known as a die. In this blog, you shall learn more about die-cutting methods and their applications.
Flatbed Die Cutting Method
It is a die-cut method that involves using a flatbed cutter to design shapes and patterns using the hydraulic process. The flatbed dies cutting method is best suited for semi-rigid materials, projects that require higher accuracy, and materials that are 1/8 thick.
Additionally, it is worth noting that the flatbed dies cutting process is influenced by several factors such as the type of flatbed cutter used, the nature of the material designed, and the pattern required. Moreover, the flatbed cutting method will only produce flat designs and patterns.
Examples of products designs from the flat bed die cutting method include keys, paper packages, and plastic designs.
Rotary Die Cutting Method
Unlike the flatbed cutter, which has a flat shape, the rotary die cutter has cylindrical cutters for making shapes and patterns. The rotary die cutting method is helpful in the large-scale production of shapes since it can produce numerous identical forms turned on.
Like the flatbed method, the rotary cutting method also requires specific materials for high performance in production. Thus, some rotary process materials will be easily cut into the desired shapes, including industrial tapes, masking tapes, and medical adhesives.
The rotary die-cutting method can be traced in hospitals and cars, whereby the rotary cutter is used to manufacture adhesive tapes to seal wounds. On the other hand, during the production of cars, the rotary die-cutting method comes in very handy in producing adhesive seals used to cover the vehicle’s interior.
Semi-Rotary Die Cutting Method
One of the benefits of using the semi-rotary cutting method is that it cuts the production costs of cutting out designs and patterns. Additionally, unlike other die-cutting methods requiring several cutters, the cylinder press in the rotary cutter can make numerous designs, which helps save production time.
Most people will confuse the semi-rotary die-cutting method with laser cutting which in a real sense is not a die-cutting technique. Laser cutting is mainly used in the design of metals, while the semi-rotary die-cutting method can be used over a wide variety of materials.
Water Jet Die Cutting
In this technique, the water jet cutter is used to make cuts on industrial material to produce the required designs. The water jet cutter creates complex materials such as stones, steel, foam, leather, tiles, and wood. However, the technique can also be used to cut through soft materials such as plastics and papers only that, in this case, the designers will not add abrasive components into the water.
One of the benefits of using the water jet cutter is that it achieves high precision, does not alter the original structure of the material being cut, and is eco-friendly. Additionally, the use of water jets produces patterns and shapes that do not require further processing, saving your time and money.
Lastly, the technique also uses computer programs to design the shapes and patterns that the material should follow. This has made the water jet cutting method unique and popular since it results in minimal wastage, high tolerance of materials, and a more significant reduction in the degree of mechanical stress.
Digital Die Cutting
It is an improvement of the flatbed and rotary die-cutting method mainly used in producing designs in the industries without the use of dies. Additionally, in digital die-cutting, you only have to feed your computer with the design data, and the computer will make an accurate design which the die cutter will cut. The method is best suited for cutting thin materials such as paper, cardboard, composite materials, and polystyrene.
Unlike other die-cutting methods, the digital method employs modern technology, making it faster than other techniques. Moreover, the method achieves higher accuracy and efficiency. There is minimal wastage of materials.
In the above sections, you will learn about the die-cutting methods, types of die cutters, materials best suited with a specific die-cutting method, and the pros and cons of each die-cutting method.
While using the die-cutting techniques above, it is essential to note the outcome and quality of the cuts may vary depending on the type of material and size of blade used in making the cuts.
