Die-Cutting Tools have an effect on the success of a project that should not be underestimated, and from two points of view at that – quality and financial.
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The quality of the cut edges of the die-cut products is one of the most important parameters here. A perfect cut edge produces a nice smooth stack that can be further processed by the end customer without problems. If on the other hand the cut is inadequate, the stack will have a rough surface and possibly particles, which is bound to lead to problems in the further processing.
What is decisive as regards whether a cut is clean and smooth or inadequate? Or whether the material perhaps cannot be die-cut at all? The difference that decides whether a cut is good or bad lies in the detail, as is so often the case.
1 – Die Clearance: The die clearance between the punch and the die should lie between 1 – 4 µm, depending on the thickness of the material to be die cut. Especially with elastic, elastic materials, it is essential that the die clearance lies in the lower range.
2 – Surface Roughness: The surface roughness of the cutting components can only be measured with special measuring machines or analysed with a microscope. The rule here is: the smoother the surface the better the cut, and above all the longer the service life of the cutting components. The value for the surface roughness (Ra) should be around 0.2 µm.
3 – Cutting Profile: For a perfect cut, the grinding profile of the punch must be tailored to the material to be die cut. The selection of the correct grinding affects not only the cutting quality but also the service life of the die-cutting tool. We essentially distinguish between a flat grind, roof grind, beveled grind and profile grind
The selection of the right die-cutting tool is of great importance for the successful and cost-effective manufacturing of lids and labels. In order to define the suitable types of die-cutting tool, we have compiled a small checklist with the 6 most important questions:
1. What are the Boundary Conditions?
The size and geometry of the blanks dictate the maximum number of cutouts and also how the die-cutting tool is to be designed and manufactured. In principle it is possible to manufacture a die-cutting tool for almost all possible geometries and sizes. However, there are a few points that should be observed. The maximum blank size should not exceed 80% of the tool area. Radii depend on the type of tool and should not normally be less than R 0.75 mm; however, there are also designs with sharp edges.
2. How Large is the Annual Volume?
In order to calculate the optimum number of cavities, the approximate annual quantity of die-cut lids or labels must be known. The number of cavities not only influences the output but is also an important element in the pricing and selection of the suitable die-cutting tool (see point 5). Only when this information is known can a made-to-measure offer be prepared, and corresponding capacity calculations take place.
3. What Sort of Material is to be Die-Cut?
Depending on the material, either a classic die-cutting tool with punch/die made of special tool steel is used, or a punch/die combination made of tungsten carbide, which is ideally suited for abrasive materials or abrasive printing inks. The material characteristics also dictate the suitable grinding profile of the punch/die. Alternatively, there is also an inexpensive die-cutting tool LABEL-light™ with the cutting components steel rule against anvil for the die-cutting of plastic films and paper. Especially suitable for IML applications where subsequent smaller changes of dimension are required.
4. What is the Maximum Printing Width / Web Width?
The printing width or web width is decisive for the preparation of a suitable web layout (cavities arrangement). Based on this information, the optimum number of cavities can be calculated. Depending on the material characteristics, the usable width is approx. 6 - 20 mm lower than the specified strip width of the roll material used. When creating an arrangement, running properties, material consumption, die-cutting tool stability as well as accessibility for the operator when emptying the stacking channels must be taken into account.
5. Which Printing Method is used?
The printing method dictates the print/cut layout in order to ensure optimum utilisation of the material. The arrangement must be chosen according to the requirements of the printing technique used. As an example, the unprintable joint of the printing plates needs to be considered in the case of offset printing; it is irrelevant with flexographic printing.
6. What different types of die-cutting tools are there?
For an optimum price/benefit ratio, it is important to have a choice of different types of die-cutting tools to fall back on. These must meet the requirements for the area of use, the quantity to be die-cut and the material used.
Tip: Don't compromise when choosing the Die-Cutting Tool – Success will prove you right.
As the saying goes: “Neither money can be paid for foreknowledge, nor you can’t help but don’t know.” I have heard many clients say helplessly: “If I knew xxx earlier, I would change the original decision”. Our company has been dedicated involved in the post-press packaging equipment industry for 54 years (Die cutting, Folder gluer, Hot foil stamper), and we have seen too many enterprise cases, or has helped many customers solve the problems of other companies in the production of post-press equipment. Many of these problems can be avoided or reduced by doing more research or preparation in the early stage of purchase.
The editor decides to share the 4 things that customers most likely to regret when purchasing “Die Cutting Machine” because they did not consider and evaluate clearly. First, to help everyone choose a die cutting machine that is more suitable for their own needs, and second, to help you avoid falling into traps or myths when purchasing die cutting machines. I firmly believe that if you have referred to the following 4 things before purchasing, you can greatly reduce the chance of going the wrong way.
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“Max. punching speed”, (or call Max. cutting speed)
This specification is usually in the unit of hours,
When this value raises to the limit,
The total number of sheets cut by the die cutting is the “Max. punching speed”.
For example, if the technical specification value is sheets,
That is, the speed of rolling and cutting sheets of paper per hour,
Converted to a speed of about 100 sheets of paper in 1 minute.
Of course, the die cutting machine is usually the same as the car,
Client operation will not and is not recommended,
Excessive ratios continue to operate at top speed for extended periods of time,
It will damage the mechanism of the machine itself and reduce the life of parts and consumables.
At present, the manufacturers of die cutting machines in the world,
From the lower technical level sheets/ h~ sheets/h,
Manufacturers can produce up to sheets/h of the highest technical level.
Converted at the highest technical level of sheets/h,
That is about cutting 2.5 sheets per second,
It is the physical limit that can be reached under the operating principle of this type of mechanism using paper as the working object.
Nowadays, the die cutting manufacturers in the world who can reach sheets/h,
The number of this kind of manufacturers can be counted with only one hand.
e.g., Bobst, Heidelberg, SBL…etc.
Most manufacturers have the same pricing mindset.
Faster models usually cost more.
And the editor wants to put forward an important concept: “The level of cutting speed also symbolizes the technical level of the manufacturer.”
Because the high-speed model needs motor speed to match the high-speed operation,
Other related mechanisms such as belts, chains, gripper bar, knives and other linkage mechanisms,
At the same time, also need to cooperate with this high-speed operation mode.
How to keep running at such a high speed,
And also taking into account the accuracy, product yield and mechanism durability is a very difficult test.
This is in response to what I said earlier,
The level of this specification also tests the technical level of the manufacturer.
At the beginning, due to budget considerations,
Many customers use the product price and the cutting speed as the basis for calculation,
Finally, choose a model or manufacturer with a lower cutting and cutting speed,
e.g., Purchasing 3 set with slower cutting speed and lower total budget also higher total number of sheets than purchasing 2 machines with faster speed.
But in fact, such an evaluation method will fall into a myth or be inaccurate for the following reasons:
When the company in the early stage of development,
There may be enough space for planning or idling the machine.
But in the later stage of accelerated expansion,
The available space of many customer workshops is quite tight.
At this time, it was believed that purchasing multiple slower machines may not have higher benefits.
First, you should consider whether your own factory space is a limited resource, (unless the company has multiple idle factories or bases)
It is an important factor that allows customers to avoid making regrettable decisions.
The needs of clients are actually changing rapidly.
If clients suddenly receive urgent orders from upstream to have mass production,
However, because most of the models in the workshop are low-speed models,
It is impossible to complete a large number of orders with urgent delivery in a short period of time.
This kind of regret about messing up the sure thing,
It can be said that it is not uncommon on the client side.
Summarizing the above 4 points,
It is recommended that when customers choose a die cutting machine,
Also while the item corresponding to the maximum punching speed is selected,
Try to choose the model that the manufacturer can produce with the highest speed,
Or try to increase the budget as much as possible and choose the fastest model within the budget,
In order to greatly reduce the probability of regret after purchasing.
The models of various die cutting machine manufacturers are so dazzling and make you confused? In fact, the naming rules of the model code of each die cutting machine are quite close. The editor uses the description of the SBL die cutting machine to let everyone understand that the size or function of the die cutting machine can be seen from the model, and teach you how to choose the suitable die cutting machine model.
No matter which manufacturer you buy,
There will be different sizes and models to choose from,
Its model name code is usually a combination of “numbers + English words”.
The front 3 to 4 yards range 【number】 to represent 【size】, (Note: 3 yards are cm, 4 yards are mm)
The following【English word】stands for【functionality】.
Taking SBL as an example,
There are 5 options for the size of the die cutting machine: (The number represents the maximum width of the paper that can be rolled/mm)
The composition of the “model”,
It is composed of the two aspects of “size” and “function” mentioned in 2-1.
After the cross combination, there will be many different models to choose from.
As for how customers should choose and evaluate before they can buy a model that suits their needs?
Or not buy a model that will regret in the future?
The editor provides the following model evaluation methods:
Model selection,
Some customers will rely on previous purchase experience,
Some customers will rely on budget or functional considerations.
But there is a very important pre-work,
That is, to confirm the “space size” of the pre-installation plant for the “installation machine position approach line” of the plant.
There have been several cases of customers because the “factory space” or “entry line” is very narrow,
It takes a lot of extra work to install the machine,
If necessary, it may even need to have lead time to customize to solve the problem.
It’s like before buying a car,
Instead of spending a lot of time collecting information on various car models of various brands,
You should first confirm the size and restrictions of the parking space or garage where you plan to park your vehicle.
This is the correct step to improve the timeliness of follow-up communication with manufacturers and efficient procurement.
The order types customers often receive (small and diverse) or because of limited space,
They choose a smaller size machine (e.g.,820SE);
However, some customers will have sufficient space and need to produce quickly in large quantities,
Choose a larger size machine (e.g.,SEB).
“Size” or “Function”,
I don’t have any guidelines to recommend.
However, it is recommended to prepare the following information before purchasing:
E.g., Type of paper in operation, special needs of the client, order type, restrictions, etc.,
Preparing the above information is definitely a bonus option for any die cutting manufacturer to purchase.
Some functions are not available in all sizes of models.
And just some unique models can be equipped with some unique fittings,
For example, the function of SBL mechanical single-sheet feeding, (single-sheet feeding is convenient for customers to install additional visual inspection equipment)
This fitting is only available for or inch models.
The two factors of “model” and “fittings” are related to each other.
You don’t fully understand at the moment of purchase,
When you want to install it in the future, only to find that the wrong model was selected and cannot be installed.
It’s just a matter of regret.
Take my favorite example, seeing a doctor.
When we go to the doctor,
If you explain your condition to the doctor in more detail, (e.g., current physical or psychological problems, duration of the disease, frequency of pain, recent changes in daily routine or diet, genetic history, etc.)
When doctors have more information,
Isn’t it easier to make the correct diagnosis, treatment and prescribe the medicine?
Die cutting is the same concept,
You must fully discuss with the original business,
E.g., Current customer types (customer size, order volume), type of paper that is often cut, problems often encountered before…etc.)
Provide information on your own needs and environmental conditions as much as possible,
As a result, you can purchase a die cutting machine that is more in line with your own needs,
Second, it can greatly reduce the possibility of regret in the future.
Taking SBL as an example, there are about 20 accessories for die cutting machines.I will write another article to explain in detail later.
But the editor wants to emphasize that the key point is whether to purchase a die cutting machine with SBL,please do take some time to prepare,
Or ask the salesperson about the ” applicable timing”, “functionality” and “restrictions” of these accessories.
Some people will hold the opposite view,i don’t think the accessories are too important.We can also install or purchase the accessories according to our own needs after purchasing it.The editor wants to clarify that this is a common myth of die cutting customers. The reasons are as follows:
Optional accessory is usually used to solve a problem, or to achieve an additional special need or function,
But as mentioned earlier,
If the company may require an optional accessory in the future to achieve special functional requirements,
However, because the original purchase model cannot be equipped with this optional accessory,
At this time, you may face the problem of not being able to install or need to spend high customization costs.
Before purchasing, you should find out the compatibility of these optional accessories and models.
So as not to cause regret in the future.
Some customers did not realize the importance of the optional accessories when purchasing the machine.
If added these accessories when the machine is installed at the factory or after a period of use.
It will be far better than purchasing these optional accessories before the machine leaves the factory.
The reasons for the cost that will increase to 50% or several times are as follows:
Maybe there are many questions in your mind ? Is the most important thing in purchasing machinery nothing more than the comprehensive selection of the price and function of each brand of machinery ? What is the relationship between “the second-hand market price of die cutting machines” and “the 4 most common regrets”?In fact, in the previous blog article “10 Selection Indicators That Machinery Manufacturers Won’t Disclose (Part 2)“,we mentioned the price comparison and the consideration can apply to the issue of avoiding the pitfalls when purchasing a die cutting.
The editor once again explained the last example to let you understand the importance of second-hand prices:
Based on the premise of similar machine performance,
Company A’s machine sells for $300,000, and Company B’s machine sells for $200,000.
But after 5 years of normal use,
Because A machine may have the high market share and brand awareness,
It can also be sold for $200,000 on the market,
The second-hand machine of the B machine has a low market share and poor machine durability.
Even the resale price of the market is $100,000, the B machine will go begging.
In such a situation, is there a higher chance of regretting buying machine A or machine B in the future?
The answer is very obvious.
Simultaneously, this example also echoes a key point emphasized by the editor,
Be sure to evaluate the second-hand price of the machine before purchasing.
Because no one can surely guarantee the next 3 years, 5 years or even 10 years,
There will be no possibility of resale or replacement of the machine,
Including the second-hand price factor can greatly reduce the chance of regret.
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