Die Cutting is a procedure by which a material is cut to an exact design or shape with the help of a die. It is a creative process similar to cookie cutting. It involves the cutting of shapes from plastic sheets using a shaped knife and pressing the edge into one or more layers of sheeting. After completing the cutting, a certain pressure is applied using mechanical or hydraulic presses. Die cutting is sometimes known as dinking or blanking.
For cutting a wide range of objects simply and quickly, the machines use steel rule dies. Use of scissors demands more patience and time. Die cutting makes the tedious job of cutting various shapes and letters faster and easier. The materials that can be die cut include sheet magnet, heat and shrink plastic, foil, self-adhesive rubber, fabric, paper wood, poly foam, faux fur, leather, sponge and thin metal.
Different types of die cutting are available. The most popular are the steel rule, rotary, laser and ultrasonic processes. Rotary die cutting is also known by the name gasket die cutting. It is usually utilized for foam, rubber and plastics. Steel rule dies are commonly used to cut folding cartons, corrugated boxes, gaskets, fabric, plastics and composites. For the thermoplastic materials that tend to fray easily, ultrasonic die cutting is ideal. Laser cutters are used to cut acrylic, copper, brass, aluminum and cured fiberglass.
The die cutting process is found in several areas of industry. A distinctive shape is an important aspect for active sales products; so die-cut labels are real marketing instruments. Teaching and library aids, educational and math manipulatives, greeting cards and invitations, personal keepsakes and scrapbooks are created by die cutting. This process also produces home decors, stationery and classroom projects. In addition, die cutting has immense potential in the fields of digital book embellishments, fashion design and accessories, as well as traditional crafts.
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Custom Die Cutting
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Custom die cutting provides the right shape for any application. It is mainly used in the making of coins and medals. Also, it is used in industrial applications such as the production of polystyrene, polyurethane and polyethylene foam products. Custom die cutting offers freedom to...
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Die Cutting Machines
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Die cutting machines are used to convert sheet or web materials into desired shapes. These are used to process rubber sheets, non-woven textiles and woven cloth. Basically, there are two types of die cutting machines – rotary die cutters and clicker presses. Automated die cutting...
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Die Cutting Equipment
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Several pieces of equipment are used for die cutting. There are three basic types of cutting equipment. The first is a small swing arm ‘clicker’ press that is ideal for embroidery shops. The second is a large ‘traveling head’ press, which is used for multiple...
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Metal Cutting Tools
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Metal cutting lathes first reared their head in the early part of the 18th century in Europe. In less than a hundred years, these lathes were common in England and Europe. The moment direct human effort was removed from the shaping and cutting process, the...
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Laser Machining
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Laser machining technology uses high intensity laser beams of varying widths for a variety of applications such as slotting, cutting, and creating holes. It can be used in fabrication of different types of materials such as metals, plastics, vinyl, glass, marble, and graphite. Other materials...
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Cutting Tools
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What are cutting tools? They are tools used to cut through all kinds of hard materials, be it metal or glass. Time was when cutting tools were made of iron with carborundum or loose emery as the abrasive. Today, tools are usually made with the...
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Stainless Steel Machining
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Stainless steel machining refers to the process of cutting steel sheets or bars into predetermined shapes for use as components in various industries such as aerospace, automotive, shipping, and others. Stainless steel machining can be done either manually or with the help of automatic machining...
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The Important Function of Metal Stamping Dies
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Metal stamping dies are the devices used in metal stamping machines. Each metal stamping machine can have one or more than one dies depending on the kind of machine. Dies are the main components in metal stamping machines that do the actual casting, punching, cutting...
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Cutting Tool Inserts
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Most cutting tools have replaceable attachments. These are called cutting tool inserts. They can be of various shapes and sizes – round, triangular, square, rectangular, rhombic, five-sided or even eight-sided. Cutting tool inserts are used in varied applications – from cutting and drilling to boring,...
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Machining Techniques
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Machining refers to the industrial process of cutting and fabricating metals and other materials into predetermined shapes and sizes. Machining process is controlled with the help of computer numeric control (CNC) software that guides the cutting equipment along the lines and arcs of a computer...