Die cutting is the primary process through which a die is used to shear thin materials like foil, cloth, paper, or other types of materials. This is primarily used in metalwork and leather industrial manufacturing and the process, in those industries, is generally known as clicking. The machines used there are called clicking machines. This is a process that is used, quite often, to produce things such as envelopes, boxes, labels, or gaskets. The process was first developed in the 19th century in the leather industry and has only become more and more prominent in industrial manufacturing since.
Rotary Die Cutting
Rotary die cutting itself generally happens at the same time that printing is going to happen. The difference in this and flatbed die cutting, in most cases, is the speed at which the process takes place. Another consideration is the fact that flatbed die cutting is cheaper to do than rotary die cutting. Rotary die cutting is used, most often, for large production runs that are much larger and more involved than the smaller projects that are generally going to be used in other types of die cutting.
This is generally done via a cylindrical die that is used on a rotary press. The long piece of material that is used to manufacture the final product is fed into the rotary die press itself through part of the press known as the station. That is also the area that holds the tool that is used to do the shaping and cutting of the material. Gears will then be used to make the die rotate at the speed that the rest of the press is rotating on which helps to make sure that any cuts made by the die line up with what is happening on the material. The machines that are used for this process can have multiple stations that will cut different shapes into the die of the material itself.
Every station is going to have geared tools and cylinders. They will also have some machines which automatically make sure that the cuts and printers are lined up with each other so that the printing can go as smoothly as possible. This is extremely important for delicate cuts that are required in, for instance, clean room applications or in applications involving the medical field, where precision is of the highest importance.
The dies that are used for this type of cutting can be solid, magnetic, or adjustable. The engraved solid dies that are used are generally going to be machines from a solid steal bar that is made of tool steel and they wind up having a higher tolerance than many other types of dies. The adjustable dies can be replaced with other blades if they become worn or if the cutting of a different material becomes required. The type of die that you use will also modify the type of base cylinder that is required for the cutting process itself as well.
