All About Rotary Die Cutting Services

Die Cutting is an extremely versatile way of creating, cutting, shaping and forming products made from sheet or roll plastic products. Rotary die cutting is fast and consistent, allowing the production of high volume. There are many different cutting methods, including flatbed, matched metal and rotary. 

What is Rotary Die Cutting?

Rotary die cutting is a process that feeds a roll of material through a die station-containing press. There’s a rotating cylinder blade at this die station that cuts the material. The die rotates through the press in conjunction with the velocity of the material feed to ensure that the blades always make the exact cuts in length. 

Rotary die cutting is done using a rotating cylinder blade and a process that begins with unrolling and feeding the material to two rollers by a rotary press.

Rotary Die Cutting Benefits

Custom rotary die cutting provides an unparalleled level of uniformity producing an extremely unique end product. Speed is also a rotary die cutting advantage. These machines can run hundreds of feet of material per minute, while rotary die cutting offers significant efficiencies in production. Some of Die cutting’s direct benefits include:

  • Cutting products from a web (continuous roll)
  • Producing less waste than other, comparable methods
  • Low-tolerance, precision cutting
  • Fast turnaround times
  • High volume projects of consistent cut
  • Smaller sized products
  • Multiple process projects

The cost of rotary die cutting is often less than the other forms of cutting. One of the reasons for this is that other methods of production may require multiple operations while rotary die cutting can perform all operations in line, saving time and money.

Presses Used in Rotary Die Cutting

Rotary die presses enable consistent precision and high-speed conversion of different flexible materials. To die cut and kiss cut while laminating, scoring and sheeting in line, rotary die presses can be set up. The rotary dies press web width can determine the width of the material being used, the roll size and how many processes can be designed into the manufacturing process. Both the manufacturing process and the parts cutting rotating die involve detailed preparation and engineering.

Materials Used in Rotary Die Cutting

International Cutting Die, Inc. can process a variety of materials for a wide range of applications using rotary die-cutting services. Materials include felt, fabrics, fiber, paper, metals and alloys, plastics, rubber, foams, composites, and electrical insulating materials.

Services

International Cutting Die, Inc. offers typical services including die cutting stations, die maintenance, die rebuilding, product evaluation and reverse engineering. We specialize in designing and manufacturing top-quality rotary dies to help your business run as efficiently as possible. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff can assist with concepts, manufacturing costs, manufacturing techniques and material considerations. 

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With our rotary die cutting capabilities, we can create parts that match the exact design specifications of products used in a wide range of industries with our rotary die cutting capabilities. With minimal operator interaction and downtime, multiple different materials can be included in your designs at various stages of production. This keeps production times short in order to help keep your project on track.

Call us today at 708-343-3333 or email to info@icd-inc.com so we can discuss your die cutting options. 

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Flatbed Die Cutting or Rotary Die Cutting

When you’re preparing for a product launch, you might not have time to worry about how to create enough die cut in a quick and accurate fashion. So this is where the tools and know-how of precision die cutters come in.

Die Cutting is one of the ideal processes when cutting, forming, and shaping materials because it does not only ensure high accuracy, but it can deliver cut shapes quickly.

A Die Cutting Machine usually uses a small blade to cut out elements from card stock or other common materials such as letters, numbers, and even customize designs. 

There are tons of processes when cutting dies that you can choose but when you need a series of pieces cut from flexible materials like pads, gaskets, or spacers, two of the common techniques are Flatbed Die Cutting and Rotary Die Cutting best since they both are very similar and very different.

Both Flatbed and Rotary Die Cutting processes can produce great end products, but the question is, which one is best for your design and perfectly suits your needs? The following explains the differences between flatbed and rotary die cutting.

Flatbed Die Cutting VS. Rotary Die Cutting

  • Flatbed Die Cutting

Flatbed Die Cutting Machine uses a fixed base that is flat and a movable head. Usually, the Cutting Die is made of sharp metal strips called the Steel Rule, bent in a way that matches the profile of the part to be produced.

When Flatbed Die Cutter shapes the object, the machine stamps out each product using a hydraulic press and steel rule dies. The raw material feeds along the base while the press is pushed down vertically to make the cut. The vertical motion let thicker material to be shaped and results in very little curvature of the material.

Flatbed Die Cutting Machine can process substantially thicker web materials, material only comes in a sheet, the order is relatively small, and when looking for a cost-effective option. 

  • Rotary Die Cutting

It’s high speed, high tolerance, and high accuracy. Due to its ability to perform multiple functions in the same processing cycle, Rotary Die Cutting can produce extremely complicated multi-layer parts. The machine will pull in web materials and may cut the material, laminate, organize, and more. Web materials go in, and finished parts come out.

When Rotary Die Cutter shapes products, the raw material is fed between two rolling cylinders at a very high speed. The shape’s cut out on the rolling die with high tolerance and accuracy and produces less waste than Flatbed Die Cutting.

Rotary Die Cutting Machine is used when the product is thin, the order quantity is large, order needs to be Kiss Cut (Kiss cutting – cutting through the part down to, but not through, the release liner and the parts would be supplied on a roll or pad for easy “peel and stick” application), and design as tight tolerances.

So which should you use? Choosing between the two processes can be an easy decision. Just consider a few aspects: The width of the product: thick or thin?, Is the order quantity large or small?, Does the product needs to be kiss cut?, and Are tight tolerances or product costs important?

Choosing between the two Die Cutting processes are best left to professionals in the field. Contact International Cutting Die (ICD) today, and our experienced team of engineers is available to weigh your options and help you choose.

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What You Need to Know About Cutting Die Design

Great dies start at the design!

Die cutting manually or electronically? Whichever process you take, you need dies to feed though. But right before we get to learn more about Cutting Die Design, it is best to first define what Die is.

Is die cutting something new to you or is it something familiar? Are you someone who may need more clarification about what this is and what cutting die designs are? 

Die cutting is actually a broad term and to fully comprehend what it is, what its designs are, and how this works, it would be best for us to narrow down the scope to understanding what Die means. 

What is a Die?

Die is an engraved stamp for impressing designs upon a softer material. Today in manufacturing, dies are used to create all sorts of products from small items like paper clips to complex pieces used in machinery.

The dies in die cutting are metal-shaped objects with a high, sharp area for cutting. The appearance and the effects are similar to cookie-cutters and its shape are the shape reflected on the paper that will be cut out. There are different types of dies; Steel-rule die is one that’s sharp and protected with plastic or foam for safety purposes. It is designed to cut thicker materials or multiple cuts in one go and more durable.

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From circles, squares, to very complicated or detailed lacy ones, Dies also comes in a wide range of sizes and designs.

Cutting die design includes a detailed work order identifying specific materials, machines, and information process such as bolt pattern, scrap, stripping, among others, applicable according to customer specifications.

How Cutting Die Design works?

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Very Simple!

For manual or electronic machines, die is placed on your cutting material e.g paper/card, often taped and pressed between two plates. The whole ‘sandwich’ passes through the die-cutting machine, sequentially cutting out the design.

For computerized machines, die designs are either built into the machine rather than using physical dies. At times, the machine is connected to a computer with a stock of images loaded onto it.

Die cutting is a highly-skilled, meticulous task that requires a great deal of attention to detail and knowledge expertise that is why teaming up with the leader of Die Supply Industry, International Cutting Die (ICD), makes business unstoppable and ready to take on the next level of success.

International Cutting Die (ICD) offers a wide variety of capabilities to meet your most challenging die cutting needs!

Our Services: www.icd-inc.com/services/

Contact us at (708) 343 3333 or email info@icd-inc.com for further queries.

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Your Guide in Choosing a Die Cutting Machine

Die Cutting is a procedure used in many distinct industries to cut paper with the aid of pressing a die built of knife-area blades into the paper. It is a beneficial tool in designing promotional substances, point of sale and packaging mainly whilst larger quantities required.

What is Die Cutting Machine?

A Die Cutting Machine is a machine that is used to cut materials, such as paper, chipboard, fabric, thin plastic and many more. This machine is the cookie cutters of the arts and crafts world since they punch out shapes from flat materials. It provides uniform shapes with clean edges in a more efficient manner than hand-cut pieces.

Factors to consider when buying die cutting machines:

  • Type of machine (Manual or Automatic) – in case you are working to a budget, manual cutting machines are the way to go. Because of the lack of wires, they are very portable and far easier to apply than the more expensive electronic cutting machines. A manual machine works by feeding the material through the slot where it is then either cut or embossed.
  • Cost – die cutting machines can cost from $50 for a basic manual operated machine up to  $1000 for a top end electronic cutting machine. Typically, the more expensive the machine, the more powerful it is. If you plan on using a machine a lot, it’s essential to find something that fits your desires that is easy to work with.
  • Materials and Versatility – consider the project you will be creating with a die cutting machine and the kinds of materials that will be cut. Heavy duty machines are able to cut a greater variety of materials. If you will be cutting mostly with paper-based materials, it might not make sense to invest in a heavy duty machine.
  • Ease of use (Software and Support) – Even when you have the quality of die cutting machine, it may be frustrating to use the machine if the software has a high learning curve or you can’t get support. Research the software that comes with the machine and sees what kind of tutorials are there. Also, research the company selling die cutting machine. 
  • Size and Portability – size and profitability may be a factor. Do you have a small working area? Are you going to cut large materials that require larger cutting width? When buying a die cutting machine, you must have to consider the weight of the machine. In such a case that you might be planning on traveling with the machine often, then you will have to buy for a small one.

You need to consider the quality of the machine. In most cases, the best thing to do is to go with a well-known brand. As a customer, you should always consider reading the review about the machine before purchasing to make sure that it is well-designed and easy for you to use. 

Choosing the right die cutting machine may be a great way to take your crafting to the next level. When you invest in a high-quality machine, you’ve got many greater options when it comes to decorating your crafts. If you are interested in purchasing a quality die cutting machine, the International Cutting Die will help you compare the most popular models on the market. 

For inquiries call us at 708-343-3333 or email to info@icd-inc.com

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