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ARE YOU USING THE CORRECT TYPE OF CUTTING DIE TOOLING?
- Details
- Written by Robert Larson
Are you using the correct type of cutting die tooling to best cut or trim your component parts?
Could you improve diecutting productivity and die cut accuracy by using a different type of cutting die tooling?
Are you limited in the type of cutting die tooling by the cutting press or presses available in your company?
Does your competition under price you in diecutting parts for your customers or potential customers?
1. Management often does not have a full understanding of the various options available in the different types of cutting die tooling.
2. Use of an improper cutting presses because they have it on hand
3.
4. Types o cutting die tooling available in the marketplace.
5. Purchase the cheapest vs. the best tooling.
6.
The Chicken or the Egg Syndrome
Two common scenarios arise in this area:
Use of existing die cutting presses.
Not aware of different cutting press or tooling options.
PUNCH PRESS vs. DIECUTTING CONVERTING SYSTEMS
A PROBLEM OF CHEAPNESS
My Pet Peeve . . . A common scenario that I hear from most companies is to have their purchasing agents search out the lowest cost tooling to do a job.
CUTTING DIE TOOLING QUESTIONS
Is the job a one time small run of die cut parts or will the tooling be used over and over for a large production run over a period of time?
What type of diecutting equipment is available within the organization to die cut the desired component parts?
What is the accuracy of the parts? Are you looking to hold a tolerance of +/- .0150" or +/- 0.003"? The closer the tolerance, the more you can expect to pay for the die.
Is the material of a soft or rigid composition? Does it stretch in diecutting? Does it have a memory after diecutting? Is it a stable or unstable material?
How is the die cut part going to be ejected from the die?
What is the cost of downtime in changing over from one job to the next? Can improving the quality of tooling minimize downtime?
How often does a die need to be resharpened or repaired? What are the costs involved in each time a tool goes down for repair or re-sharpening?
3 Basic Types of Cutting Die Tooling
A. Flatbed
B. Multi-Contour
C. Rotary
A. FLATBED CUTTING DIE TOOLING
1. CLICKER DIES (Up to 1-1/4" 32mm)
- FORGED HEAT TREATED CLICKER DIES
- PRE-GROUND PRE-HARDENED CLICKER DIES
- SOLID MILLED/EDM DIES
2. COMBINATION DIES
3. HIGH DIES
- WALKER DIES
- EDGE-HARDENED PRE-GROUND HIGH DIES
- STEEL RULE HIGH DIES
4. MAGNETIC CHEMICALLY ETCHED OR MACHINED FLATBED DIES
5. PRECISION METAL DEPOSITION (PDM™)
6. STEEL RULE DIES
- BLANKING STEEL RULE DIES
- BLOCK STEEL RULE DIES
- BOLTED STEEL RULE “CLICKER”
- BONDED DIE
- HIGH DIES
- JIG STEEL RULE DIES
- LASER PRODUCED STEEL RULE DIES
- LAYERED DIES
- NEVER DIE DIE™
- PROGRESSIVE FEED OR INCREMENTAL FEED STEEL RULE
7 .THERMAL DIES
8. SPECIALTY TYPE FLATBED CUTTING DIES
- ENVELOP DIES
- LABORATORY TEST DIES
- PMC LABEL DIES
B. MULTI-CONTOURED TRIM DIES
C. ROTARY DIES
- BURST TYPE ROTARY DIES
- CRUSH CUT ROTARY DIES
- HARD ANVIL CNC/EDM ROTARY DIES
- MAGNETIC CHEMICALLY ETCHED OR MACHINED ROTARY DIES
- SEGMENTED ROTARY DIES
- ROTARY STEEL RULE DIES
- VACUUM OR AIR EJECT ROTARY DIES
FOAM to LEATHER to ABS PLASTIC to PAPERBOARD to COMPOSITE MATERIALS for helicopter blades . . . etc, etc, etc.
There are a multitude of materials and products that can be diecut. What is the recommended type of tooling to best cut the below materials and products? You may agree or disagree with my suggestions but here are 20 examples of different products or materials with suggested tooling..
1. Upper leather for shoes and leather products - Single and double edge clicker dies used on a swing arm clicker die press equipped with an "into" composition or polypropylene cutting pad.
2. Trimming flexible circuit boards - Laser steel rule dies cutting against hardened steel cutting plate or combination dies in a die set used on a four-posted hydraulic or mechanical press.
3. Diecutting and creasing folding cartons - Jig as well as laser steel rule dies used on an automatic platen press, plus rotary die cutting presses.
4. Trimming the multi-contoured dashboard or floor rugs of an automobile - Multi-contoured and or flat blades fitted into a tooling package used in a special trim press.
5. Cutting and embossing fish sticks shapes prior to flash freezing - Stainless steel cutting blades with an aluminum or brass embossing inserts.
6. Diecutting multiple thicknesses of fabrics for clothing - Forged or pre-sharpened, pre-ground clicker dies used on a swing arm clicker, traveling head or full head hydraulic cutting press using "into" cutting surfaces.
7. Trimming contoured plywood seats for furniture - Multi-contoured forged high dies using a hydraulic or cam action cutting press with a matched urethane or aluminum cutting base.
8. Trimming the fronts and lapels of men's suit jackets - 3/4" high clicker dies used on a swing arm clicker press using an "into" cutting pad
9. Cutting out thick rigid sole leather for shoes - Forged clearance clicker or high dies using a traveling head hydraulic press cutting "into" a cutting pad
10. Diecutting abrasive sandpaper - Steel rule die or heat-treated clicker die cutting "onto" or "into" a cutting surface using a wide range of diecutting presses.
11. Cutting KevlarÔ or ballistic nylon materials - Special serrated blades or high temper clicker dies usually cutting onto a hard nylon cutting pad using hydraulic cutting presses.
12. Diecutting sanitary napkins - CNC hard anvil rotary dies used in a rotary diecutting press
13. Pressure sensitive labels - Flatbed magnetic chemically etched dies; steel rule dies on a variety of flatbed cutting presses cutting "onto" a hardened cutting plate or hard anvil or magnetic chemically etched dies on a rotary press.
14. Vinyl Decals - Heated magnesium thermal etched dies on a four-posted hydraulic press cutting "onto" a steel cutting plate.
15. Presentation folders - Jig or laser produced steel rule dies on a variety of flatbed cutting presses cutting "onto" a hardened cutting plate
16. Fish Sticks - Use a stainless steel clicker die with a molded embossed insert to form the shape of a fish stick.
17. Human Skin - Use a stainless steel die in a clean room situation with an “ONTO” cutting surface.
18. Rigid Printed Circuit Boards - A special depanelizing die with upper and lower pinching blades.
19, Multiple layers of fabric materials - The seamless back plate clicker die cutting into a cutting
Surface is the tooling of choice.
20. Labels – Rotary diecutting using magnetic cylinder dies seems to be the tooling of choice today.
It can truly be stated that there is seldom only one type of cutting die best suited to perform a die cutting application. One type of tooling may perform better than others. It all depends on how a converter chooses to set up his or her diecutting operation.