Die Cutting Technology

October 14, 2016

Market trends push die cutting technology into the future. The push is intelligently governed by the impetus of supply and demand graphs, by an exploding packaging industry, and by the industrial sector. Even the hobbyist marketplace is getting in on the act by using digitally derived patterns to create intricate cutouts that look amazing. The technology begins, as always, with the elite industrial and commercial-grade cutters, but it eventually filters down to the home enthusiast, so let's see where innovation is making its mark (pun intended).

Delivering High-Tolerance Parts Cutting

Flatbed machinery works in concert with rotary cutting equipment to serve the packaging sector. The folds made in these customized cartons are complex, but the task is relatively static, so the repeatability factor is high. Meanwhile, displacement errors are an issue in the gasket and seal industry. Thankfully, die cutting technology eliminates this elasticity problem by programming the cutting software to account for material characteristics, including the pliability quotient associated with an industrial rubber. It's this software-governed material density feature that makes the repeatable production of geometrically intricate gaskets possible.

Employing Sharpened Light

Laser cutting sounds like a fictional weapon straight out of a cheap science-fiction novel, but this technology is currently in use in many applications. A brain surgeon ablates cancer-ridden cells with a laser scalpel and corrective eye procedures use the same amplified light to make fine incisions, so it's only natural that a die-based cutting process should adopt the power of light. As for the benefits, well, there's no blade to blunt, so maintenance problems are happily reduced, plus there's no need for a preparatory shaping of the cutting edge because the laser is free to cut or engrave at the discretion of the provided software.

Casting Off the Productivity Chains

Each of these innovative technological solutions is intended to broaden the cutting aptitude of the craft. More materials than ever before can be used for packaging applications. Hobbyists are adding foil sheets and thin metal plates into their repertoire thanks to this push forward. Meanwhile, laser cutting tools partner with precise servo motors and advanced software packages to automate the bulk of the work and leave the designer to focus on the artistic side of what was once a mechanics-dense task.

The pulse of die cutting technology accelerates or slows to a healthy beat when applications call for more accuracy and more material versatility. Car engine gaskets and heavily customized packaging solutions represent a compelling slice of this market, but many other applications orbit this core, including those demanded by today's keen die cutting hobbyist.

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