Die Cutting Engineer

Digital Diecutting

2011-02-15T19:38:00.002-05:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

What is Digital Diecutting?

Digital Diecutting is the Buzz word for the converting of materials, that have been traditionally cut using dies, without the use of dies. Just like in the printing industries, where many short run prototype and specialty jobs have gone to digital printing, specialty diecutting projects are moving more and more towards cutting without a die.

Depending on the material, the shape to be cut, and the quantity to be cut, there are a variety of machines that can be used to cut products without tooling. Digitally controlled Waterjets, Lasers, Routers, Milling Machines, Drills, Specialty Cutting Knives, and even Ultra Sonic Waves are all used throughout the world today and all fall into the category of “Digital Diecutters.”

As this technology has become more sophisticated and controllable, great amounts of time have been poured into making these machines as fast as possible. Multiple cutting heads and beefed up construction techniques have made some of these machines faster and more economical than the traditional diecutting press, given the right situation.

Keep in mind that given the right quantities, nothing beats diecutting for speed! However, there are many instances where a projects production costs may be reduced by eliminating tooling, at least in the early stages of product developement. We recommend having a professional estimate costs using several possible production methods before a decsion is made.

Waterjet Cutting Gasket vs. Diecutting

2011-02-15T19:34:00.000-05:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Waterjet Cutting Gaskets may be a better answer than die cutting.

"Given A Diecuttable Product In Production Quantities - No Other Cutting Method Can Beat Diecutting For Processing Speed."

Here's a quick one from a friend in NJ. He recently called seeking out a little relief from the mighty jamb he had gotten himself into with a good customer. It would seem that the drawing that was first sent on over to be looked at and quoted upon had been blown up to about four times its' actual size so the engineer could see all those fine nooks and crannies. Well, when the actual order came in for the 100,000 gaskets, the dimensioning was full and complete and revealed that the looming Christmas season may be a little more stressful than usual this year. Here's how it all went down.

The Question:
Please check out the attached drawing of a gasket product we just realized is perhaps too tough for a steel rule die. Can you suggest another type of tool or punch, or anything that will get the job done for us? "We're in a pinch and could use some relief" (I believe those were the exact words used.)

The Answers:
Some of the details of the fax that followed showed us a smallish gasket about 1.000" x 2.000" (25.4mm x 50.8mm) with a few small ovals, a few round cutouts, and four incredibly tight dog bone style cut outs that just about filled the image with clutter. The dog bone shape had a narrow slot to it that curved and the width of that slot was a mere .050" (1.27mm) wide. The kicker was this - the material is a specialty, ground to thickness, material in about a 65 durometer (pretty non-squishy stuff) in a finished thickness of .065"(1.65mm). Bingo! Very quickly the thinking started to shift. Steel rule dies and specialty punches were immediately ruled out. Cutting would be tough, and ejection would be even harder. They'd blow up a few thousand dollars worth of these tools and we would get taken off this guys Christmas list real fast. Male/Female tooling with a progressive design may accomplish the task but it was still risky since the other thing that wasn't on the original print or on the fax sent to us was the tolerancing. Yep... ±.005"(.127mm) on the finished part for all dimensioning! This is a really tough part to cut!

We started to explore the waterjet end of our industry for the short haul while at the same time our stressed-out inquirer explored specialty molding for the long haul. Sample cuts were made on the waterjet and the results were fantastic. Tolerances could be held and perfect nesting eliminated the amount of waste that would have typically been produced during a normal punch and feed. So now the trick was to get the pricing close to where the job had been quoted originally. Maybe to save face the diecutter would loose a bit of money or perhaps if the customer were understanding, there could be some room for upward movement in the price. I didn't think the diecutting price could be matched with waterjet cutting and once again the basic rule was proved. The rule of thumb on pricing diecutting vs. other cutting methods is this: Given a diecuttable product in production quantities - no other cutting method can beat diecutting for processing speed.

We did have several things working in our "Save Face for the Customer" favor, however.

The parts were going to be close to impossible to produce well on any type of cutting die. This was going to be a tough one for any diecutter to handle.
The Waterjet process will use less material to produce the same number of parts and that's great on this particular job because this material is pricey.
Partial deliveries were due on this job and partials could be produced without tooling, almost immediately.

So to make a long drawn-out process seem a bit shorter - A manufacturer was found that waterjet cuts using a four head machine. Processing speed got better by four times compared to the prototype run and although the price was higher than diecutting, and unfortunately higher than the base quote, the job dropped back into the producible realm. This dropped the stress level back into a manageable level and kept a few purchasing agents happy for a while. The larger batch of yearly parts will more than likely go to some type of a molding process to save money, but in the short run the problem was solved. This fix will also afford a bit of time to explore male/female tooling that has what we feel is a remote possibility of being the best method.

Progressive Cutting Tools

2011-01-12T21:22:00.000-05:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

What is a "Progressive Cutting Tool" and should everyone be using this type of tooling in their diecutting operation?

There are many different types of tooling for many different specialty applications that involve diecutting. Progressive cutting tools typically fall into the category of male/female or matched metal tooling. They can also include steel rule die or milled punch shapes as well. For the sake of this answer we are talking about a single tool where all of the component cuts are made within this one tool. What this type of tool does so well is cut very complicated shapes from difficult to process materials (AKA - the stuff nobody wants to work with). The shape will often include interior knock-out, slits, embosses, and unusually shaped perimeter cuts. Because the tool would be very difficult to build as a one stage, one strike does it all type of tool, the final shape is accomplished through a series of steps that the material progresses through. As to whether or not everyone should be using this type of tooling - the answer lies in the complexity of the shapes you tend to cut and whether or not you have the type of machinery, designers, and tool makers to run a tool like this.

The Machine:
The typical machine that runs a progressive tool is a punch press or a flatbed platen type press with some type of accurate incremental feed system. The key to having all your options open during the tool design phase is to have a machine that has an open bottom or clearing bolster plate, an open back or side(s) for clearing waste and feeding, and a feed system that is tied directly to the motion of the machine. For moderately to large tolerances (± .062" 1.57mm) the feed system must hold the material accurately the entire time it is in motion and while it is stopped. In this type of tool there is no registration while in the tool except for side guides. For more accurate alignment throughout the process (±.005" .127mm) the feed unit must hold and place the material accurately and then just as the impression is made the feed unit must allow the material to move freely and settle on the pre-punched locating holes (pilots). Having a finely tuned feed unit with a material release is critical to the entire process.

The Tool:
The typical tool layout will have a series of stages where various cuts take place. The natural stages occur in this progression -

1. The material enters the tool and the first impression cuts a series of two or four pilot holes that will allow for exact registration during the balance of the cuts. The more piloting holes you have the more accurate the product will be. The pilot holes make the location by sliding onto or being centered by a tapered male pin in each stage of the tool. Other part related holes, shapes or slits can also be cut at this point.2. During the second, third, or fourth stage(s), other cuts, embosses, etc…, can be made all in perfect registration using the pilot holes. The real beauty of the cuts made during the several progressive stages of cutting is that extremely unusual or complex shapes can be made via multiple cuts at one image. 3. During the last stage, the final perimeter cut is made and the final finished part is typically blanked through the tool into the part collector below. Because of the way the stages have been planned, the final part will have no chance of nicks or uncut areas in any of the normal joint areas related to a steel rule die.

During all the cutting, the material web is never asked to carry a part that has been pushed back into the web after a cut as is often the case with a steel rule or combo male-female/steel rule die. Each cut stage strips the waste away and only during the final cut does the web become weakened by the missing part. Because of this, the press can be run at maximum speed and accurate parts can be delivered waste free very quickly given just about any material type or part shape.

All in all this type of tool should win the "REALLY COOL TOOL AWARD".
This is one of those great areas to explore with just the right project and I hope that one day you have the need to buy, help plan, or run one in your shop too.

Cutting Registration to Printed Fabric Materials

2010-12-29T21:15:00.000-05:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

A brief question:
I am in the promotional product's business. Currently I am preparing to manufacture a product where I will need to cut sheets of fabric, such as neoprene and ultraseude (polyurethane) into (140) 3 inch (76.2mm) X 1/2 inch (12.7mm) printed strips. I have contacted various die cutting facilities but there are potential accuracy problems since the sheets may not be perfectly shaped and may not align perfectly. I am assuming that some form of laser guided cutting would illiminate this concern?

And a brief answer:
Right off the bat I can think of a few ways to approach the project you are talking about. The fact that your printing may wander and not be in accurate/consistent registration to any corner of the sheet is the main problem.

Registration marks could be printed at the same time as your main printing. These could be designed as either simple slash marks or simple target type circles. This then opens up your options.

1. Use the registration marks to align your materials in any type of cutting machine. Diecutting, guillotine, and laser immediately come to mind. A simple retractable and clear overlay that has been pre-struck acts as your line-up. Each individual sheet of material to be cut is lined up under the retractable sheet. Once the part is aligned and fixed to the cutting bed the clear overlay is moved away and the impression is made for a near perfect cut every time.2. Other tooling methods would include using see through tools that could be registered one at a time on press by the operator. A clear Polycarbonate (*Lexan) or Acrylic based steel rule die or clicker type die may be your best bet.3. Circle type registration marks can be used with a *Spartanics type machine that will automatically pre-punch a perfect hole at the mark. This can then be used in conjunction with a tool that has retractable registration pins. This method is used all the time in the membrane switch and flex-circuit industry.Optical registration is also an option on many diecutting machines and may be a good method for your particular job.

Each of these methods will result in accuracy of ± .010"-.015" (.254mm) depending on the operator. These ideas are slow but luckily your quantities are small. If you increase your quantities you will have to inquire about better ways to register to the flexible material you are using.

Rotary Steel Rule Diecutting Hard Anvil

2010-12-15T21:13:00.002-05:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

I recently read a press release that said that a rotary steel rule die could be used cutting against a hard steel anvil. I thought that you could only cut into a soft blanket with this type of die? Could you give a brief explanation of the benefits vs. soft anvil, differences in the tool/press, make-ready differences or comparisons to flatbed steel-on-steel and anything else that could clue me into this new technology? Is it new technology?

This is not new technology. It has been around at least 20 years. Marumatsu Company manufactured a 1350mm & 1700mm (53" & 67") diameter bottom cutter with a stripping section. United Machine has also made a 1.700mm (66") S-S top cutter with a stripping section.

The die is built in some ways similar to a flat die with extra considerations such as the straight rule is always mitered to curved and curved cut pieces are usually no longer than 10 inches. Soft anvil rule is serrated in order to penetrate the urethane blanket where as the S–S rule is a continuous bevel (non-serrated). The rule used in S-S cutting is 4pt center bevel edge hardened with a soft base. The idea here is to run-the-rule-in so that it levels itself off before actual diecutting begins. Rule heights around the cylinder vs. across the cylinder are varied by about ,075mm to ,127mm (.003" to .005") and the final heights are established during the run-in process on press. The hard anvil cutting surface is made out of an 85+ Rockwell steel and stands up to a great deal of pressure. As you can imagine, much of the success you achieve with this process comes from good maintenance of the press and well made and maintained tooling. The rule must be consistently perpendicular to the base surface and that tool base material must be able to maintain a perfect curvature. Excellent tool building and on-press “tricks” account for the success or failure of this process.

The benefits over soft anvil rotary cutting are that you can achieve the same rotary speed with the accuracy and cut quality of flat-bed diecutting. Because the surface you are cutting against is consistent, you avoid the dimensional variance that you get during soft anvil diecutting. Recent improvements in blanket re-surfacing and tool calibration to the soft cutting surface during prodcution have improved finished part tolerances, however there is still a big difference between the two processes.

Typically a stripping blanket is manufactured with each cutting die. The blanket is made from a ,75mm (.030") mounting material with "T" and "L" shaped stripping pieces attached to push off scrap in a section immediately after diecutting.

Because the cylinders run 1:1 in their gearing (opposite to a soft anvil cutting where the soft blanket cylinder will strike the cutting blades in a different spot every turn), the make-ready process can be made in several ways. Upon running the die and beginning the diecutting process and after achieving 80 percent good cutting, make-ready tape is applied to the die cut anvil in the non-cutting areas. This raises the substrate and helps the cutting in the non-cutting areas. Some companies will also make-ready under the die for fine tuning. This is typically the wrong way to go when making ready in flatbed applications but because there is no secondary steel cutting plate on top of the cutting cylinder, behind the die may be the only choice. The tricks here are in choosing a rule that will self-level and having an operator that is level headed enough to make it self-level. The 1:1 gearing/cylinder ratio also lends itself well to using matrix or other counter materials to form the scores.

From what we can see out there, this process seems to be a fairly rare one. Not many presses were made with this capability and the tricks of the trade needed to be successful seem to have taken a toll on its popularity. The companies that are using steel to steel rotary with SRD’s are enjoying some terrific benefits!

Some of the stories that helped answer this question and put together this summary were told by;

Thomas A. Sporleder – Printron

Mike Porter – The Rayner Company

Tommy Moore – Stafford Cutting Dies

Thanks Guys!

Laser Cutting

2010-12-01T20:06:00.000-05:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

(LASER) Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Lasers come in many different shapes and sizes. They range in usage from the standard supermarket scanner to those being developed as part of military defensive systems. The laser has existed in usable form since the mid 1960's.

The type used almost exclusively for cutting a wide range of materials is the CO2 gas laser. Hole drilling is typically done with solid state YAG lasers.

A laser beam is created by the introduction of gas and electric current to a sealed chamber. As the electricity breaks down the gas an energy is released and resonates between mirrors within the chamber. As it resonates it increases in intensity and at it's optimum is released through a partially transmissive mirror. The beam is then directed to a focusing lens and is further intensified. At this point the laser beam becomes a usable cutting device.

Some advantages of cutting with lasers include, the ability to cut incredibly complex shapes with no tooling or set-ups. This makes them perfect for production or prototype runs for a huge variety of different products.

Laser cutting systems cut quickly and very accurately through a wide range of materials. In general, for steel, laser cutting lies between cutting with wire EDM, which is more precise but slower, and plasma, which is less precise but faster. They go well beyond the range of these other methods as well in that they can cut through just about anything within certain thicknesses.

Given the right material and type of system, tolerances can be held to ±.0005"(.0127mm). Lasers can be found most commonly being used to cut:

Most types of steel and aluminum. Large lasers will cut up to 1"(25.4mm) steel and .250"(6.35mm) in aluminum.
Paper
Wood, plywood, hardwoods
Rubber
Most Plastics - Acrylic

When matched to a suitable motion control system, laser cutting provides extremely accurate cuts with a high degree of repeatability over a wide range of materials and shapes.

DIe Cutting Wood

2010-11-23T20:23:00.002-05:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

The question/problem came to Cut Smart basically in this form:

Designs in Wood, Inc.(alias name for case study) manufactures over 400 different sizes and shapes of small wooden parts in Eastern White pine ranging in thickness from 1/8" (3mm) to 1/4" (6mm) with a surface area under 6 square inches (152mm). Generally the surface areas are 3 to 4 square inches (75 - 100mm).

Our current process involves bandsawing 8/4 stock and then slicing and sanding each part. This is time consuming and we are looking for a way to lower our manufacturing costs. We have looked at laser cutting but have ruled it out because our secondary process requires a finished, unburned edge.

I am not completely familiar with steel rule die cutting, and wonder if it is something that we might be able to use. I would be interested in the following:

Can this type of wood be cut with a steel rule die (tolerances of .010" to .020" (.25 to .50mm are OK)?
What kind of equipment (press tonnage/manufacturer) would be required?
The cost of a typical steel rule die?
The life of such tooling in terms of number of impressions?
The finished edge appearance?

We answered in this way;

Because we don't know all the shapes you are cutting it is hard to say what your final results will be. The more flowing and rounded your shapes are the better the results will be. Sharp corners and thin areas of image will be tough to cut. There are several types of dies that could work including steel rule dies, clicker dies, EDM cut specialty punch dies and matched metal tooling. All of these are possibilities depending on the shapes you are cutting and your overall volume. Tolerancing like you mentioned will be tough to hold on any but the machined tools and punches.

Eastern white pine is a fairly soft wood that can be cut on a steel rule die. The 1/8" (3mm) thickness will be a great deal easier and will give much better edge results than the 1/4" (6mm) material. We have worked with several companies that build models from wood. They use steel rule dies as well as other cutting tools that cut in one hit. They have had excellent results with all of the types of cutting dies mentioned above. Tools other than the steel rule die will work well, but the steel rule die may be the place to start because of its relatively low cost.

The type of press and the tonnage needed would largely be a factor of how many you plan to cut at the same time on a sheet. One at a time like you describe would require very little tonnage 1 - 5 tons and a very common hydraulic type press would work well. Costs may range from $5,000 used to $20,000 (USD) new depending on the size and style.

A simple one up steel rule die would cost in the range of $100 to $300 (USD) depending on the shape and who you buy it from. The more images you add to the tool the cheaper each image becomes. Specialty punches and machined tools would cost substantially more.

Although we have seen manufacturers with millions of impressions on their tools, the material you are cutting is tough. I would estimate no better than 10,000 hits from a tool before it needs a reknife.

Generally you will find that an extremely hard, thin rule with a very long bevel will work well. Support the rule as high as you can with your base material for best results. There is a rule called "Razor Rule" that works excellent for cutting wood. If diecutting is still something that sounds like it would fit your needs, I suggest connecting up with a local qualified diemaker or diecutter that would be willing to cut a few samples for you. This will show you the type of product you can get and how economical this process may be for you.

Depending again on the shape of the cut, your edge results will probably have a slight roundness to the top and a square, sharp bottom. Grain, moisture content, sharpness of the tool, cutting surface wear, will all effect the results. Your with grain cut will most likely be of better quality than the cross grain cut. Knots will be a problem!

High speed CNC routering is another method we have seen used that performs the same way the laser does without the burned edges. Although slow compared to cutting with a die, the method may make sense if laser cutting came close to making sense for you.

Die Cutting with Rule Joiners

2010-11-02T20:20:00.000-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Cut Smart recently dealt with this question:

Does anybody out there know how to create a perfect joint where radii come into one another on a steel rule die? We have more than one customer that insists that their radius cornered gaskets be run with a common cut in both directions to save material. On the other hand we have a diemaker that insists that he must have a double knife in order to put in the radius corners. There must be a way but we’re diecutters not diemakers and have no idea how. Should we find a new diemaker or is there some information out there they could use? Thanks!

For the common application where a steel rule die will be used in some type of flatbed cutting operation, the best answer we can give is to use Rule Connectors - A.K.A. - Rule Joiners - These are a love/hate product. Some people swear by them; others swear at them! Rule Connectors are a solid steel machined punch which replaces the regular steel rule at tough to make joints. Rule Connectors typically replace normal rule where rules meet at a radius corner.

The Plus Side is this -

At the point where most diemakers have an major problem making a joint that works and is accurate, especially in tough materials, the rule is replaced by a virtually indestructible piece of machined steel that is perfect. The joints are moved to an easier and more desirable location usually on a straight-away and the problem is solved.
They are readily available, in a variety of different radii.
The Custom possibilities are endless.

There are two main drawbacks -

One is how the rule and punch is installed. Rule Connectors typically have "V" notched ends that join rule to the punch. If you do not cut the rule to the right size or the bevel on your rule is off-centered, you will pull your hair out trying to get the tool to work properly. However, if it is installed correctly, you will have virtually no spaces or natural nicks in the rule pattern. When you put it together right, it works great, especially on materials that love to separate rule.
The other drawback is the cost of the Rule Connectors. They cost roughly $20 to $30 (USD) each. Most of the time the cost can be justified by eliminating downtime, rule repairs and material waste. If you have a small run, the cost may be prohibitive.

To answer the question more pointedly –

The diemaker may be right! Even though there are rule joiners on the market, you will leave yourself open for more actual natural nicks than if you had allowed for space between your cavities and had made only one or two natural nicks in each cavity. Depending on your customer’s final product, this may be a big factor when selling the job in the first place.

Other answers in a case like this one are numerous - Could the product be more easily cut in a rotary application where a solid machined or chemically etched tool may be of use? No joints here! Also it may be worth thinking about a fully machined punch or die that actually outlines and cuts the entire image without any joints. More expensive, but in some cases that doesn’t matter at all. Have you thought about, for short runs, laser cutting, waterjet cutting or CNC Knife cutting machine production? All of these are methods that are being used and are working well in the right situations.

Rule joiners are not new to the market. As is the case in many situations, the usual for one manufacturer is the unusual for the next. Good luck in all your cutting adventures.

Thin Foam Diecutting

2010-09-10T18:12:00.000-04:00

Recently a manufacturer came to us with a production problem. It went something like this:

We have been over the edge with one particular job recently and could use some advice. We have a customer who has us diecut promotional models from 1/16" (1.587mm), fairly dense, polystyrene(foam cups are made of this). About ten different models are cut on separate steel rule dies. Each die runs the same part in up to a twenty on configuration. All the dies run between 1,000 and 2,000 inches of cut and are approx. 24" x 36" (610 x 918 mm). We use a 1 1/2 pt long double bevel rule and the dies are all rubbered solid with relieved areas in the bigger open spaces. We cut this job on a large clamshell type press and have had very good results cutting into a nylon (plastic) plate. Our problem is that we have run into one particular tool that just will not cut. Some areas will cut and others will not. We have made-ready forever on this job and feel like we know what we are doing, yet we get no where! Our diemaker has checked and rechecked the rule and says it is still good. The problem areas tend to be in areas of more rule concentration, some rules being as close together as 1/8" (3.175mm), yet similar situations have yielded better results. Help !

OK lets approach this with pure logic. Given your information filled question we can make a few assumptions;

Since you have run similar jobs before and had good results…

Tonnage Factor or what pressure your press is able to develop is adequate to get the job done. If you had not run similar jobs well, this would be extremely important to look at.

Die Materials meet the needs of the job at hand. A double long bevel ("razor rule") or sometimes even a micro-serrated rule usually will work great with this type of foam. Side-face rule may even work better for you in some areas depending on the shape.

Cutting Plate made of a dense and durable plastic such as nylon is well suited. We often recommend that diecutting, especially in long runs, be made as a steel blade onto a steel cutting plate, but foam is a totally different animal. If it works with the rest of your dies it should work with this one.

Areas to look at a little more closely are;

Ejection material - By rubbering a tool with a solid piece of ejection material many problems can be both eliminated and created. In this case where you have what sound like some very small areas you may be creating zones in which the foam cannot be easily compressed into. Remember the idea of ejection is to move freely with the stroke of the cut and then still have enough "kick" to remove that part. It may be worth trying a denser "gum type" rubber that fits your narrow areas ("areas of concentration" as you put it), more loosely. This will allow the ejector to move downward and still have the power to pop that part out. You could start by removing all the rubber. Can you get it to cut now? If so, then more than likely some experimenting with different materials for this one tool will yield good results.

Die Ruling can also be changed to incorporate side bevel rules in the area giving you problems. By taking the material being cut and pushing it towards larger open spaces rather than crushing it into the small slot, you can relieve pressure and perhaps gain some cutting power in that area.

Material Type - Are you sure the foam material you are purchasing is the same density and make-up as last time you cut for this customer. A slightly different material may knock out some of the earlier assumptions we made. I know this is a weak point, but in some situations you need to look at every angle!

The Impossible Image - We have certainly run across situations before where an image cannot be cut. In this case, where you have rules that are very close together compared to the thickness of the material, you may have to take a step back and look at the actual design of the part and the limitations of the die / press / material / etc... . Can the image be changed to eliminate the problem areas ? Will your customer kill you if you even suggest such a thing? Can this be avoided in the future by working with the designer of the part?

So logically, assuming that we have all the information correct, we have eliminated the tonnage factor, die materials, cutting plate problems and make-ready. Material type is a weak one so lets forget it for now. I would concentrate on ejection material problems first, die ruling second, and then as a last resort start talking and investigating problems with the design of the part vs. the capabilities of the process.

As it turned out in this case the ejection material was able to be changed enough to solve the problem. From that point on the diecutter became involved in the design process from the very beginning and new projects seem to be flowing smoothly.

Glue Assists- Tricks of The Trade

2010-08-31T18:08:00.000-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

"If the glued part of the product ever fails then we are not selling boxes, we are selling flat pieces of nicely printed paper." Quote from a very determined folding carton Glue Department Manager.

WHY do glue assists work better when they run across the grain as opposed to with the grain? Most people say they just work better - most don't know why - they just do. Is there anything written down explaining why?

Let's start this answer with another question -
WHAT is a glue assist?
A glue assist is well known in the folding carton and printing industries and rather unknown in most of the rest of the diecutting and converting industry. Glue assists were developed as a method to break through the clay coating, varnish coatings, UV coatings etc… of paperboard so that the water soluble glue could penetrate the soluble fibers of the inner core of the board. A series of knives are placed into the die (usually in the glue flap area). These knives are set at a height typically 30% of the overall stock thickness lower than the through cut knives. This partial cut gives the glue more adhesion between the two glued surfaces. If the board is pulled apart, the top layers of the carton board (covered by the slick coating) must tear apart before the carton surfaces will separate.

The penetration of the knife also adds to the actual surface area that the glue has to adhere to. This exposed area must be formed in a way that exposes fibers and stays open through the gluing process. A cross grain cut will tend to stay open were a with grain cut will tend to close. By running the specialty rule that is forming the glue assist pattern across the grain, we force more fibers to be exposed. For example if you were to take a piece of pine, lets say 1/2" thick, and break it with the grain then the woods' cellulose fibers break in long strings. Should you take the same piece of wood and break it across the grain the cellulose fibers will splinter in longer slivers and expose more of the interior of the wood. The same happens with the paper board. By penetrating the material across the grain the pressure on the inner fibers forces the same cellulose fibers to break and splinter exposing the inner fibers to the soluble glue allowing for greater adhesion.

One concern is that a number of companies add glue assists to the flaps of their seal end cartons and then seal the carton using hot melt non-porous glue in their cartoning process. Although not as big a help as with a penetrating glue, glue assists still help in that the hot melt glue will form around the broken and exposed fibers. The general rule is that unless the product is being spot glued in only a couple of small areas, the use of glue assists will help the strength of the box, not hurt it.

Most die shops and diecutting shops have a very specific pattern they use that they know is better than the competitions'. This is to say that there are many patterns that are common and each has it's own reason for effectiveness. Some shops use a simple straight perforating rule that cuts in just one direction. Others use wave perfs or half a zipper rule that cuts in both directions to the grain. Whatever the case may be in your shop, keep in mind the cross grain factor to help make your decision.

Applying Phenolic Counterplates

2010-08-24T18:06:00.001-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Phenolic CounterPlates On-Press Application for Spray-on Glued Plates
Get the Press ready:

1.Get the press ready with a cleaned cutting plate locked in place with the spot sheet and any other make-ready in place. Make sure the cutting plate is locked in and in ready for the entire run position. No movement is allowed in this location.

2.Set up the steel rule die ready for the run, locked into the chase, spot sheets, etc..., all in place.

3.The counterplates must be applied to the cutting plate before any bringing up of impression or patch-up has started.Get the Counter Plates Ready:

4.Put the registration pins on the plates with the rubber seaters on the pins. Pins and rubber go on the side with the channel cuts. Make sure you know how the orientation works and where the plates attach to the die.

5.Set-up a spraying area (paper sheet) so that all the plates can be sprayed at one time. This area needs to be close to the die when it has been slid out of the press. Place the counterplates pin side toward the sheet, flat side up ready to be sprayed with 3M #77 glue. Make sure the plates are oil and debris free.

6.Spray all the plates at one time with the glue. Be careful to get enough glue on but not too much. Too much glue will allow the plates to move and shift after they have been stuck to the cutting plate. The glue will stay tacky for quite a while so don't panic that they will dry too soon.Apply the Counterplates to the Die:

7.Touch the edges of the plates only and locate the plates to the die using the pins to start the line-up. Use a small ball peen hammer to tap the counterplates into the die as evenly as possible. Tap only on the locating pins as damage to the plates is possible if they are hit directly. A very small amount of water or saliva on the tip of the hammer will stop the glue from becoming a problem when hammering.

8.The plates need to be tapped down as close to the die as possible in order to clear the press when the die is slid back into the press. The plates should not be tapped down to the point where they start to buckle or bend due to contact with parts of the die. If they do curl up not only will they hit the press upon sliding the tool back in but they are likely to pop away from the locating pins causing a non-accurate line up.Apply the Counterplates to the Cutting Plate:

9.Slide the die back into the press. Lock the die in place where it will sit every time it is slid back in. No movement in this registration is allowed.

10.Bring the impression up and leave it on for approx. one minute. Bring the impression off.

11.Slide out the cutting plate and using a block of wood or plastic and a hammer, gently tap all the plates in place to make sure the glue has set and there are no parts of any plates that are curling away from the cutting surface. Applying Tape to the lead edge is an option but should not be needed if the counterplates have been made with a skived lead edge.

12.Return the cutting plate to its original position and start the make ready process.

13.As an option, the die and plate can be dusted with a small amount of printers powder in order to stop any excess glue from adhering to the sheet.

Depending on the size of the tool and the number on, the entire process above can be broken down into sections or parts of the image to be applied. This may allow better control over the drying of the glue.

For those press operators familiar with make ready using matrix with common plastic locators, the general application of phenolic counterplates is nearly identical in every way but the gluing stage.

Phenolic counterplates are now available with self adhesive tape already in place in order to save a bit of time and to make the process more convenient. The disadvantage of this type of plate is that they are a bit harder to make and using the plates a second time around is harder due to hard to remove adhesives.

Non Stick Diecutting

2010-08-17T18:04:00.000-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

That job needs to be running at 145 strokes per minute, your parts are stuck in the die on every third impression, and the job is getting hotter by the minute. Now what!

Everyone has the problem, and everyone admits it at one time or another. Whether it is to your fellow worker, your customer, or to your boss, we have all had to admit that we just can’t get the parts to come out of that tooling fast and clean enough. It’s quite a dilemma. Tons of money has been put into planning materials, and printing, and tooling, and the right press, and the right operator, and when the time comes to put it all together we just can’t get the parts to do what they’re supposed to do. There are many ways to set-up ejection. In fact there probably should be a different way of setting up ejection for every material there is out there. Ejection rubber comes in every durometer, cell type, surface emboss style, recovery rate, thickness, and color the mind can imagine but sometimes there is another piece to the puzzle that rubber just doesn’t cover. Let’s tackle a couple of parts to this puzzle that many of us have either never tried or have never heard of.

Puzzle Part # 1

DriCote by Bostik – It’s not too often that we talk about a specific product but what the heck, this stuff may be the miracle drug for the cutting press operator. Spray this product on your cutting blades and the parts will just fly out of the press.

DriCote is a Blade and Bit cutting lubricant that is sprayed on. It’s most typical application is in the woodworking industry where it is sprayed onto saw blades, router bits, joiner blades, etc…. . It adheres and dries in just seconds and depending on the material you are cutting, it can create a wide variety of advantages. By spraying it on cutting blades in a typical diecutting operation – steel rule and specialty tooling - it will have some of the same effects expected in the woodworking field. It will prevent resin/glue build-ups from just about any source. It can extend blade life due to reduced friction. It reduces the heat effects caused by friction and it contains no silicone or petroleum oil making it safe for many applications. We don’t recommend DriCote for medical and food products but for your run of the mill adhesives and foams it is nearly contaminant free. It can also reduce the tonnage needed to cut. Most of all though, in a difficult die cutting situation, it can enhance the quick ejection of the parts from the tool and in many cases will keep that residue build-up from happening at all.

In particular I have had a recent exposure in the foam cutting field where the normal drag caused by residue build-up from repeat cutting on medium density open cell foam was virtually eliminated. A fast moving press that had been brought to its’ knees several times per hour for tool cleaning is now operating at non-stop full capacity with two applications per day of this lubricant. Given the right situation, this product can work wonders.

Puzzle Part # 2

Feed-Thru Punches on Steroids - How many times has the speed of your press, the waste free quality of your parts, or the length of time needed to set-up your job been effected by a specialty material not working well with the feed thru punches you just bought off the shelf? If this is a problem, even every once in a while, keep reading.

Recently I have encountered specialty feed-thru punches. Yes, I found out that not only can I order special diameters on the cut edge, the base size and the ejection bore, but a feed thru can be specially ordered to work well for certain materials. The last items that can be specially ordered are the exterior cut angle(s) (bevel angles), the interior “grab the waste” lengths, and the interior bevel angles for cutting. By combining these factors with tough to feed material specs, a sometimes difficult situation can be made easier or possible. Ask your current supplier about these special order items the next time you are having troubles or anticipate a problem with a new material or shape.

A recent experience led me to the KEN KUTS-ALL PUNCH. In this particular case the punch was built as a specialty item for the abrasives industry. Because the tooling must cut through two very different types of material and then grab and pull off the cutting plate a thick and tough to cut material, the angles, depths and hardness had to be changed to make the punches work well. The result is now an in-stock item that cuts longer, grabs better, and sets-up faster than the standard punch for the abrasives industry. You will pay more, but in the right situation they are worth their weight in gold.

Filling your pockets full of tricks makes you a specialist in your field, so keep in-tune with the latest and please share some when you can. We'll look forward to hearing your tricks of the trade!

Pre-Press Counter Plate Validation

2010-08-10T18:01:00.001-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

What is the best way to validate the accuracy of the counter plates produced, to the die, without the benefit of a press or XY coordinate inspection machine?

There are several parts of a typical counter plate that need to be checked before it goes to press. Those parts include:

The thickness of the counter plate material
The width of the channel that was cut
The depth of the channel that was cut
The size of the locating holes that were cut
The actual image that was cut
The size of the image that was cut

How each of the parts is passed through Quality Control varies from shop to shop. The most common are outlined here. Specifications for each tool set must pass with the tooling through the QC process. Your quality control people are only as good as the information they are provided with. Training in what's important to inspecting a counter plate is also vital to the quality control.

The thickness of the counter material
This is very important as the overall thickness controls the overall emboss we get when the creasing rule enters the counter. Typically a spot check is made of two or three points on each counter with a vernier. ±.001" (±.025mm) is the standard thickness deviation allowed within the industry.

The width of the channel that was cut
The width will typically vary with the grain of the board you are working with. Both the with the grain and against the grain width should be at least spot checked within the counter plate. Again a vernier is typically used to check this width. The channel width should fall within ±.002" (.052mm) of the nominal dimension.

The depth of the channel that was cut
Again an extremely important factor in how well a tool set will work together. More than any other variable, this is the one that may be out of tolerance. Any up and down movement of the material during production will produce results that may not work. Unlike the width of the channel where the constant tool produces a fairly constant channel, the depth relies on the up and down tolerancing of the machine head and the ability of the machine to hold the material in place. Spot checking the depth with a micrometer is standard practice. Typical tolerancing is ± 10 % of the overall depth of the channel.

The size of the locating holes that were cut
Here's a simple one that really matters to the press person. If the holes are to small it's a nightmare to get your pins in the plates. Nobody wants to have to take the time to ream out the holes in pre-make ready or worse yet, on press! If they are too big you'll have to be a magician to get them to stay with the die long enough to make that first impression. You can use a vernier to measure but that's tough to be accurate with a round hole. One of the actual pins that will be used on press is often the best bet for a great and practical QC. Spot check all your plates. The standard deviation allowed is ±.002" ( .052mm). Another excellent measuring device to use is a standard gauge pin. This especially works well if you are a commercial shop and your various customers use various sources for their pins. Set-up the size you need to give them and go with it based on the gauge pin.

The actual image that was cut
The actual image we refer to here means differentiating between creasing / cutting / perfing / cut scoring / etc.... Making sure that there are no channels missing and that all of your cut backs stay far enough away from the cutting areas. Again spot checking is most commonly used by putting in few locating pins and actually laying the plate on top of the knifed die (it's easier before the die is rubbered). Check that everything that should be there is there and that areas that should not be there are not. There's no standard tolerancing on this, it's either right or wrong.

The size of the image that was cut
An XY Coordinate measuring machine is a great tool to have in your shop for many reasons - measuring counter plates is not one of the reasons. The amount of time and effort that would be spent measuring each and every counter plate would slow your inspection department to a halt and there are not too many customers that would be willing to pay for this service. So how do we get comfortable with the fact that we really are not checking each and every channel in our plates?

Calibrate your Counter plate machine as you would your laser, your bending machine, or your XY coordinate measuring machine. When you're comfortable with the fact that your laser and your counter plate cutter are cutting within tolerance, then you can start to relax about you final product.

Most companies again perform a spot check by laying the finished plate over the finished die. You will be able to see whether it lines up or if it's questionable. This is done at the same time you are looking for discrepancies in the image that was to be cut. Again this is the fast down and dirty method for checking your tooling.

Two other methods used in practice include:
1). Produce a one up vinyl of the carton or product to be produced and use it as an overlay to check the plates. Make sure you are comfortable with your plotter accuracy by calibrating it along with the rest of your equipment.
2). Take the laser cut die board before it is knifed and lay it on a light table. Take the counter plates and fit them to the die board. Because phenolic counter plates are see-through at the cut channel, you will be able to see whether the light coming through the die is locating to the plates. This method only works for steel counter plates if you have Superman working in your QC department. The only company that we have been able to find that has this ability is Metropolis Die Company.

We hope this has helped in your quest for the best possible checks on your system. As always, quality leads the way in being the best at anything.

Rotary Steel Rule Diecutting Hard Anvil

2010-08-03T17:44:00.002-04:00

Thomas A. Sporleder – Printron

Mike Porter – The Rayner Company

Tommy Moore – Stafford Cutting Dies

Thanks Guys!

Please contact Cut Smart if you would like more information on this subject.

Die Cutting Presses / Finding the Right Press

2010-07-28T17:41:00.000-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Developing The Best Cutting Method For A High Volume Product - A Case Study

An engineering team for a large automotive subcontractor needs to develop a best method to produce parts in large quantities. Here are the details of that project and hopefully some answers that will swing them in the right direction.

Total yearly volume - ramping from 2 million now to 16.5 million parts per year within 2 ½ years.
20 different but similar images to be cut. Possibly going to 40 within three + years.
Images range from 12" x 14" (305mm x 356mm) at their smallest to 17" x 20" (432mm x 508mm) at the largest. Images are rectangular with radius corners. Some of the images have 1 - 3 simple interior cutouts that must be stripped. Tolerances are ±.060" (±1.53mm).
Material is .015" (.381mm) Polyurethane
Material typically comes 60" (1,524mm) Wide X .015"(.381mm) X long rolls.
Raw material and cut parts have an unlimited shelf life.
Cutting and finishing operations will take place in Mexico.

A numbers break-down looks like this:

16,500,000 parts per year / 20 images = 825,000 parts per image per year.

That's 68,750 parts per month of each image.

If the factory works 20 days per month they will need to cut a total of 68,750 parts per day.

Some of the basic needs include:

The process must be fast

Easy change-overs / set-ups

Material yields must be excellent for as little waste as possible.

Cut quality must be good. The final assembly process, after the cut, is forgiving of some quality issues arising out of production compromises.

And here's where the fun starts! What's the best method to cut these parts? Given the large quantity of parts, the large number of different images, and the material to cut, we should look at three different cutting methods. Flatbed diecutting, rotary diecutting and digital diecutting. The production and pricing numbers are ballpark estimates but are close enough to make a good comparison. For the sake of comparison I have also used an average sized part of 16" x 16" (406mm x 406mm) with an 18" (457mm) repeat in both directions.

Flatbed Diecutting:
Because of the roll goods, the very wide material width, the quick change over needs, plus the quantity of images and the easy cutting material, I automatically lean toward a steel rule die type set-up cutting against a hard plastic cutting surface. A belt drive system would allow this fairly floppy and stretchable material to feed well into the press and would allow the final parts to flow off the machine for stripping and/or packaging. Multiple layer feeding and cutting are possible, especially against a specialty belt material. By using a CNC controlled belt feed and cutting head system on some type of wide beam press, fantastic yields can be achieved through the use of the entire 60" (1,524mm) width of material. A production rate of 50 impressions per minute is a conservative enough number to use for comparison. A multiple up tool or full bed beam press may improve the numbers. At this rate one machine would need to run three shifts per day twenty days per month in order to keep up with the volume (50 per minute x 60 minutes per hour x 3 shifts or 24hrs = 72,000 parts). Some pressure could be taken off by adding a second machine or experimenting with multiple layer cutting. My best estimate is that this material could be fed and cut in layers of at least 3 deep, reducing the cutting to one machine on only one shift per day.

CNC / Steel Rule Die / Belt Feed Diecutting:

Rotary Diecutting:
Because of the large quantity of parts to cut and the possibility of larger volumes after the initial three years, we must take into consideration the fast process of rotary diecutting.

Both Soft anvil and Hard Anvil cutting are options. In soft anvil you cut against a hard plastic blanket somewhat the same as the belt talked about in the flatbed diecutting above. In soft anvil cutting an inexpensive steel rule type rotary die is used. In hard anvil cutting you cut against a steel cutting cylinder with a solid steel machined rotary die. Both methods achieve very fast running times ranging from 75 to 150 feet per minute on a project/material like this. The major differences are trade-offs between quality and costs of tooling and machinery. Soft anvil cutting will typically produce a less accurate part than hard anvil. Soft anvil will typically be the least expensive route to take.

Given all the parameters of this project the following information is applicable.

Soft Anvil Diecutting:

Hard Anvil Diecutting:

For both types of rotary cutting, a production rate of 100 feet per minute should be a conservative enough number to use. At this rate, on a 60" wide machine, one machine would need to run one shift per day fourteen days per month in order to keep up with the volume (assuming a 16" x 16" part running three across the web at 100 feet per minute x 60 minutes per hour x 1 shift or 8hrs = 96,000 parts). More pressure could be taken off the machine schedule by experimenting with multiple layer cutting.

In the hard anvil cutting the 60" width becomes a major hang-up due to the cost of the tooling and the cost of the capital equipment. The tool handling also becomes a factor as these monster tools are heavy! The web width could be reduced in both the machinery and tooling as well as the material but some yield compromises would have to be made and the production volume would be cut proportionally. If you had 16,000,000 of the same part this method would certainly be more attractive.

Digital Diecutting:
For this project I am including laser cutting, waterjet cutting and knife cutting within the digital diecutting areas of production. All are quite capable of doing a nice job on this material in the material width, within tight tolerances with excellent edge cutting results. With our average part having 70" of cutting (16" x 4 plus an internal cutout), our yearly volume of 16,500,000 parts would have total cutting inches of 1,155,000,000 (yes that's billion) inches. At 200 inches per minute, a good average for digital cutting, there is 96,250 hours of cutting. One year for one shift is 2,080 hours so we would need 16 machines running 3 shifts to keep up with the volume. Cut at four times that speed with a multiple head machine , or common cut as much as possible and you still need alot of machine time to get through the year. The advantage is that there are no tooling costs and set-up time is just about zero. The disadvantage is that the process can't keep up and be cost effective. Once again we run into the large volume fact that nothing beats diecutting for speed!

All In All:
Given all the factors discussed, the best route to take is to pursue both the flatbed diecutting and the soft anvil rotary diecutting. There are several manufacturers that would be willing to run real tests on real machinery in order to qualify the processing speeds and the quality of the cut. The other major factor to be tested on press is stripping of the internal waste pieces. Depending on the size and location of these cutouts, the rotary press may have the advantage over the flatbed process. The total cost for this type of testing should be limited to your supplied material, the applicable tooling, and an agreed upon fair hourly rate.

Membrane Switch Cutting

2010-07-23T17:40:00.000-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

It’s amazing how many things out there involve specialty cutting.

Do you own a Microwave Oven? - a Treadmill for exercising? - a flat faced calculator? - a machine with a pressure sensitive operation switch? If you do, then chances are you own and use a Flat/Tactile Membrane Switch (or several) everyday! These switches can be used for everything from the simplest of on/off switches on a blood pressure reader to a complicated multilevel/multitasking switching/control system for a printing press.

It’s hard to say when the technology came into being because some of the simpler connectors/switches have been cut with dies since the 1950’s. When was electricity invented? Membrane switches really took off in the 1980”s when consumers were demanding lower prices and manufacturers had to push for an alternative to the traditional molded/hard printed circuit boards that were so often used as the base for switches on most machines. Their main attributes are, the relatively low price, their relatively quick turn-around production time, plus they look pretty cool!

Membrane switches are typically made up of six different layers that are all die cut (with Steel Rule Cutting Dies, or laser cut, router cut, matched metal or rotary diecut, etc... depending on the situation) separately and then assembled. The concept is nearly simple in that as with any electrical switch you are trying to create a space between two wires when the circuit is inactive and you are trying to make them touch when you are connecting or making them active.

The basic layers are;

# 1 - Graphic Layer - This layer of thin plastic material is what the user sees and touches. It acts as the guide to show you where to push the switch and it sets the tone for the product and it’s operational instructions via the graphics. As with the other layers of a membrane switch, the graphic layer is silk-screen printed. Sometimes the top/graphic layer is diecut as a final pass once everything has been assembled to it, other times it is cut into it’s shape separately. # 2 - Graphic Adhesive Layer - This layer acts as a two sided glue to bond the graphic layer to the top circuit layer. It’s shape can often times be the most intricate in that there can’t be any adhesive that touches the actual switching area. Each of the areas where there is a button or switch must be cut away. # 3 - Top Circuit Layer - This layer acts as the first half of the electrical connection. Silver Ink is printed on polyester to form the electrical paths. Protection from electrical interference from outside the circuit is stopped by printing conductive ink shields, or applying aluminum foil, metallized mylar or copper foil on the top surface of this top circuit. The feeling of the switch is created in this layer as well. You know that great “Popping” feeling you sometimes get when you press one of these switches? That’s when these switch guys have found your “tactile optimum” a.k.a. “feels good point.” The plastic that this layer is made of is put through a process where a heated mold forms little domes at the areas where you will push. When you push down on this dome you get the feeling that you are actually doing something. I hate those switches when you can’t tell that you have pressed anything! # 4 - Spacer Layer - This is the really ingenious layer! Some designer probably made a fortune on this! This layer creates the space between the two circuit layers. The general shape of the outline is cut as well as holes at the points where you want the switch to activate. When you push the dome/top circuit down it pushes through this spacer layer and makes the connection to the bottom circuit, thus completing the electrical circuit. Some of the feeling of the switch is created in this layer as well. When all of these layers are assembled there is air trapped in the “spaces”. The designers will install more cut-aways, called air-tracks, between the various spacer holes. The movement and resistance of this trapped air, when the dome is pushed by the user, can make it harder or easier to push down depending on how many they plan for and how wide they make them. # 5 - Bottom Circuit Layer - This is where the final electrical connection is passed to from the top circuit. The electrical leads from both the top and the bottom circuit pass through a part of the switch called the “TAIL.” This tail is just an extension of the printed plastics that extends beyond the visible part of the graphic layer and goes to the inner workings of the machine you are controlling. # 6 - Rear Adhesive - This double sided glue layer adheres the completed switch to the surface of the machine/circuit board, or whatever is planned for the tail to go into.

And that’s it! Of course there are about a million variations of how this can go together. Different plastics, metals, rubbers, etc..., can be used to create different electrical properties, feelings for the switch, etc.... . Backlighting can be created, LED’s, resistors, capacitors, even memory chips, can all be added to a switch of this type. Every manufacturer has their own techniques for not only making the switch work but for making it feel like it should for the user, and work for just about any situation.

The concept is fairly simple yet when you see either a set of dies, prints or even cut parts laid out in front of you, it can look like a fairly complicated puzzle.

What’s the future in this type of market? Faster and Cheaper! What else! Many manufacturers are actually producing the cuts for membrane switches with lasers. They can produce one switch or short production runs this way with no die costs and no waiting time for the tools. Diemakers hate to hear that! Digital printers now produce the top/bottom circuit and graphic layers direct from the file without having to produce screens/plates/etc.. .

I’ll be using the membrane switch on my printer now and then switching my computer off to wait for that next inspiring question to hit my desk. Thanks for reading!

Make Ready Patch-Up Techniques

2010-07-16T18:16:00.003-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Starting Patch-Up at the Right Point During Make-Ready is important, let's explore the basics....

On a cutting press, with a new job, at the beginning of a make ready - What % of cutting does a cutting pressman start to patch-up the make-ready sheet to get the most mileage from the die?

This is a tricky question in that having a die last forever and making a profit on a job are often two very different things. Balancing die costs, press time, run length, and the likelihood of repeating the order in the future can become very complex. In most shops an operator is given a set amount of time that he or she should take in order to make the job ready to run. The shorter this given amount of time tends to get the higher the percentage you talk about in your question tends to be. If your press and make-ready system are set-up well, you will not necessarily have to sacrifice die life for a quick make-ready.

"Spot up" (patch-up) is the process where a pressman uses tapes or other thickness building devices (paper, metals, etc….) to add thickness to areas of the press and the die that tend to be lower than the rest. On a brand new smaller platen type press or a press with a well made die-set used as the cutting surface - the surface that the die rests against and the cutting surface will often be ideal. This means that if you have a well made tool to put in this type of press you will be able to start your patch-up at about 99%, depending on the material being cut. If you have an old beat up machine that never comes down straight twice, and was made with a cutting surface that has more hills and traps than your favorite golf course, then your patch up may start down in the 30-40% range.

It is for good reason that there has been much talk about setting up your press permanently with a sheet that levels the footprint (takes out the hills and traps), it works and will save you tons of time and add die life as well. By spending this initial set-up time just once on both old presses and new presses you should be able to bring the percentage of nice even cutting up into the 90% range before you need to start your spot up. Again your perfect press situation must now be matched with a perfect tooling situation and profits will soar! Give us a call if you want to find out more about leveling or footprinting your press.

So to answer your question - there is no real answer. Every press and every press person will have their own intricacies that need to be dealt with. Starting the patching process when you are just starting to see the first cuts penetrate the material is ideal, you just have to work towards getting as much of the image coming through the material at the same time as you can.

Score Bend Testers

2010-07-08T16:40:00.001-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

THE QUESTION:
I have recently been given a SCORE BEND TESTER by my superior, and have been instructed to start using it. I have been in the industry for 20 years and have had no need for this device. Can someone please tell me how I go about implementing this into my daily routine, and what are the parameters for it's use. I do about 25 - 30 make-readies on Bobst Diecutters a week. Thanks in advance for any help...

A Score Bend Tester
Made by Thwing-Albert Instrument Company

The Score Bend Tester is a device used to test cartons, after they have been die cut, for their strength at the scores. The main result the tester is there to calculate is how much force it takes to open the carton up, from its flat, ready to fill, condition. There are other testers out there that measure the board strength before it is converted into a carton or before a score is formed, but for this question we are focusing on the testing of the scored board only. There are several machines on the market The ones we have researched cost between $6,500.00 and $10,600.00 USD.

The main purpose of having and using the Score Bend Tester is to control the quality of machined filled boxes. As companies that use automatic machinery in their packaging lines become more sophisticated, they are demanding equal sophistication from their carton producing vendors. Most of these machines find themselves within the Quality Control and/or testing labs of medium to large sized box shops. Typically, parameters are set-up for how much strength it should take to fold open the carton during the machine filling operation. It is then the job of the carton manufacturer to stay within those parameters. The only way to properly test and document what is actually being produced is to run tests on some type of bend tester. As in any statistical process control situation, every production runs' quality control will vary slightly from one to the other. Many companies will take test measurements at the beginning, middle, and end of the run. Each test sampling will usually have at least ten cartons and again will vary depending on the size of the run, the number up the tool is running, the parameters set-up by the final customer, etc...

We have learned that the testers are used all the way from the sampling process for new cartons, up through the first article inspections done on press, and on to the final production runs. By using the tester as a guide from start to finish, the manufacturer can get controlled information in order to make educated decisions on everything from paper parameters to tooling specifications. To try to insure maximum speeds in their finishing operations, some companies also use the machines to test the flat diecut cartons throughout the run to insure consistency and conformance with their own gluing departments requirements.

So, those are the basics of what the machine is typically used for. As far as putting it to use as a regular part of your day to day operation, it would seem that this will be a combined effort between you, your quality control department and your customer. The same combined effort holds true if you are using the machine for extra information for your own production improvements. Instead of including your customer in the mix, just include anyone effected by the bend strength of that scored paperboard. Sounds like you have your work "cut-out" for you.

Many thanks to the Thwing-Albert Instrument Company, who sells 15 - 20 of these machines worldwide per year, for their pictures and candid information.

Cutting Plates for Flatbed Diecutting

2010-07-01T20:02:00.000-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Much attention has been placed on cutting rule height tolerances, degree of bevels, type of edge (ground or shaved) and the abilities of the make-ready artist to achieve the best cut. What should one expect from a steel cutting plate? Is the thickness tolerance of the cutting plate equivalent to today’s steel rule height tolerances? How smooth should the surface be? Under normal conditions, how often should parallelism be checked?

Wait a minute - did someone say artist? In today’s’ world of computer generated this and computer aided that, can there possibly be room for hand/eye/brain type skills anymore?
Certainly!

As we have talked about several times in other articles, the diecutting and the diemaking functions are completely interrelated in everything from information gathering to the materials and skills used to connect them. The cutting rule and the cutting plate are the very last parts to make the connection in the process. If all goes well this last connection is a smooth one and the perfect cut or "burst through" is achieved. In the perfect world, with many materials, the rule and the cutting plate actually never make contact with one another, as the final particles of material are actually pushed apart or burst through. In reality the connection can sometimes be a very aggressive strike.

Over the years, as the industry as a whole has strived to improve upon itself; new methods of manufacture, new materials, improvements in die design, etc.... have been applied to the areas that relate to the question posed. The idea being that if we can improve upon each of the individual, yet related areas, the final process and product will get better.

The areas that apply to this final connection are;

The Cutting Press and the quality of its’ parallelism, whether it be across the entire flat surfaces that the die and the cutting plate are applied or around the cylinder that the jacket is applied to. Wear or poor adjustment will effect die and plate life as well as help to produce a poor product. Often times this is where the artist (press person) is asked to turn a school kids’ finger-painting into a Picasso.

The Steel Rule Cutting Die and the quality of its components and design. Today’s best ground edge-hardened rule will achieve a consistent height tolerance of ± .0005* (.0127mm). This is unbelievably close to being perfect! The bevel may drift much more than this from side to side yet this will not effect the height. Designed in balancing knives or blocks that distribute the weight of the presses’ stroke across the entire cutting surface (press, die and plate) are tremendously important to maintaining control over height and pressure. Without these balancing knives the press is forced to rock across the cut, defeating any efforts to take advantage of close tolerance presses, rules or plates. Help, call in the artist!

The Cutting Plate - Finally getting around to the meat of the question. Given the perfect situation (press, die, press operator, etc..) you should expect the world from a good cutting plate. Billions of impressions? What are the limits? Anyone out there feel like bragging? (resurfacing doesn’t count). The thickness tolerance of today’s best quality cutting plate will be better than or equal to ± .002" (.0508mm). So to answer the second question; NO, the thickness tolerances are not as close in plates as they are in rule height. In fact, in talking with several companies that build the plates, the feeling is that they may be as close as they are going to get to being perfect.

Many of todays best cutting plates are built per the following;

1. The initial blank sheet is ground to a rough state that is close to its’ final thickness. 2. The plate is hardened to the desired Rockwell (usually 47-52 RC). 3. The plate is then further finished by hand to its’ close to perfect state (talk about artists!). 4. The plate then goes through its final machine grinding process to create the desired smoothness and final tolerance requirements. The smoothness of the surface is produced in a number of different ways and each manufacturer will claim that their method is best or most cost effective. Everyone’s cutting situation is different and therefore it is hard to say what is smooth enough.
There are companies that produce the entire plate with no hand work at all. Who’s are better and why? may be a great future subject.

Parallelism - What is this anyway? Parallelism is the relationship that the top surface of the plate has with the bottom surface of the plate. The best situation is to have a plate who’s’ surfaces have no deviation from parallel (a parallel plate). An un-parallel plate means that your plates’ overall shape is that of a wedge, or perhaps several wedges. Cutting plate parallelism with a deviation of .0015" (.0381mm) is common. Although we have not been able to develope a hard fast answer for how often parallelism should be checked, the basic principals of process control would dictate that each companys’ maintenance routines will vary and will also be constantly changing as newer and better technologies are applied.

In many cases a soft "under the cutting plate" material help adjust differences in die/cutting plate heights and deviations and take a step towards eliminating the need for press foot printing at all. Expensive on a short term basis, yet one of the cheapest products on the market if looked at from a long term cost standpoint.

All in all, a great subject that goes to the very core of the diecutting process!

Cutting Wire Mesh

2010-06-23T17:49:00.002-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

This brief and right to the point question came up during the Fall 2000 IADD Association meeting in Vancouver. Should Wire Mesh be die cut or laser cut into unusual shapes?

Well it just so happens that a recent job required an in-depth investigation of this very subject. The answer, as is almost always the case, lies in the details of the job at hand. The main details to consider with this type of cutting project are these:

Type of Material and the Tooling - Wire mesh or screen comes in a large variety of different material types. Everything from hard stainless steel to light duty aluminum are included in the category "wire mesh." Thicknesses can range from a micro-wire of only a few thousandths of an inch to mesh used to screen out rocks for landscaping which can be just about as thick as you can imagine.

When I think of diecutting I automatically think of steel rule dies, forged tools and matched metal tooling. During the research I found that companies are using steel rule dies and forged dies to cut wire mesh, in stainless steel, up to wire diameters of .0625" (1.6mm). This does raise some questions of die-life, or maybe we should call it die-death! Even with some sophisticated coatings, it's tough to find a rule that is much harder than a 60RC and steel rule has the problem that all of it's cutting power is concentrated in the cutting edge. The most common problem with cutting the harder and thicker meshes is not with bending or failing of the rule but is with chipping of the tip of the blade. The steel rule die is great for mesh that is softer than the rule and/or where the quantities are very small. In thicker and harder meshes, no matter the quantity, it really makes no sense at all to use the steel rule or forged die.

Laser cutting or hard tooling is the answer in these more extreme cases. Long run aluminum jobs can run well on steel rule dies but most stainless and other steels are best left for other types of dies or other types of cutting.

Matched Metal tooling is a great way to cut most types of wire mesh. Although the cutting edge of a matched metal tool can experience the same chipping a steel rule die does, there is less of this tendency and the cut edge results of the part will tend to be excellent. Depending on the type of mesh to be cut and the type of press you are cutting with, surprisingly good quality and good running speeds can be achieved with hard tooling. The one disadvantage is the high tooling cost and this may be one good reason to go with laser cutting if the quantity you need is low. If it's a long running job, and the equipment is available, using a matched metal tool will result in far fewer headaches than dealing with a steel rule die or the laser cutter. In some situations wire mesh is being used as screening for a medical device or other high end product and good edge quality far outweighs any other consideration. In this case the sky becomes the limit on the method used, no matter the quantity needed. In most of these cases, the matched metal tool will be the best method.

Quantity to be Cut and Repeat Orders - When we die cut, we are typically dealing with a substantial quantity of parts that need to be produced. The main reason this is true is SPEED. Given a diecuttable product, no other cutting method can beat diecutting for processing speed - and it doesn't matter how many head laser you have! In making the decision on laser vs. die cutting or steel rule die vs. matched metal tool, the total quantity over the course of the life of the project has one heck of a big influence. Laser cutting has the advantage when the material is too thick and/or hard to be cut with a die, and/or the quantity needed is very small - less than 1,000 parts may be a good starting point.

Combine the quantity factor with the type of material factor, and the edge quality factor, and you will be closing in on the perfect cutting method. In the case we were involved with, the parts were produced using a male/female set-up by a company that stocks thousands of different tools specifically made to cut stainless steel mesh/screen. This company also produces the mesh! Once the contact was made the choice became easy as there was no tooling charge and we were able to reach the quantity minimums with no problem even though the run was very small - only 500 parts total. The quality of the cut was perfect and the question of using an alternative method was ruled out. It won't always be so obvious, especially when the shape is a bit on the unusual side or the material is on the edge of being diecuttable. All-in-all this question is a very open ended one with lots of room for discussion of details. This makes it hard to answer with absolute definition, but will make it an interesting and fun job to tackle when it comes into your shop.

Cutting Punches Defined

2010-06-17T18:03:00.001-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

A possible lead-in question may look like this.
As the purchasing agent at medium sized die-cutting house, I am responsible for the purchasing of punches for our dies. It seems that every year our company is purchasing and using more and more punches. It is very important that the punches I purchase are right for our application and are “quality punches”. As there are multiple vendors out there selling punches and there are so many punches available, I would like to know ... what exactly are the most common punches and what makes each a “quality punch”?

You have come to the right place! There ARE many types and qualities of punches available and your specific applications will constitute what types of punches you want to purchase. First, you need to educate yourself as to the most common punches and then what makes each a “quality punch”...

The most common punch is the tubular punch. Tube punches are the most economical of all of the punches and are used for the widest range of applications. Slugs cut by a tube punch do not feed thru the punch, but are left in the product being cut with the help of die ejection. A standard tubular punch by definition is a piece of 16 gauge tubing that has a bevel machined on one end to a specific cut size. Tube punch cut sizes span the decimal chart in both millimeter and inch measurements and can be machined into virtually any custom size. A quality tubular punch should have a chamfer on the bottom on both the inside and outside to aid in ease of insertion into the die board. The base size should have a .000" to +.003" tolerance, the cut edge bevel should be virtually free of tool marks and the cut edge should be razor sharp. Springs are available in tube punches to alleviate the need for die ejection. These springs should protrude approximately 1/16” from the cutting edge. A quality tube punch will also be clean of scale, free of burrs, have a case hardening depth of .003" to .005" and a surface hardness of 58-60 Rockwell.

Similar to the tubular punch is the straight wall punch. Straight wall punches are used for applications with minimum punch space allotment where the base size of a standard tubular punch would be too bog to fit. A straight wall punch has a base size that is only several thousandths of an inch larger than the cut edge. This small difference allows for a slight support bevel for strength. Straight wall punches cause less distortion of cut size in thicker materials. The slugs cut by this punch are left in the product through the use of die ejection or springs and share the tubular punches tolerances and quality guidelines.

Another common punch is the feed thru punch. Most people will confuse a “feed thru” punch with a “side outlet” punch. In a feed thru punch, the slug exits the punch through the bottom rather than the side as in side outlets. Feed thru punches are used when your application calls for the scrap to be removed from your product rather than being hand stripped at a later time in your manufacturing process. Feed thrus must be run on a bolster plate which supports the die while at the same time allowing the slugs to feed thru where they are vacuumed, blown away, or otherwise disposed of. Feed thrus are constructed from thin wall tubing which is spun or sized then re-machined to your specific cut size. This method assures the proper relief for slug ejection. A quality feed thru’s specs and sizes offered are much the same as a tube and straight wall except that the feed thru’s inside chamfer is minimal, the cut edge should have a slight support bevel on the inside for strength and they do not come with springs.

A side outlet punch is a punch who’s waste slug feeds through an exhaust chute machined into the side of the punch. Side outlet punches are used when your application calls for scrap to be ejected - as in a feed thru - but this punch does not require the use of a bolster plate. Other than the location of the exhaust hole for the slugs, differences between the feed thru punch and the side outlet are that the side outlet is machined out of a solid piece of steel and it’s use of a shoulder. A side outlet shoulder is defined as the machined area of the punch from the top of the cut edge to just above the exhaust chute.

The most common type of side outlets are standard and heavy duty. The heavy duty side outlet is used for thicker, heavier, abrasive materials, has an elongated shoulder and often includes a “knurl”. A knurl is a raised portion located at the bottom of a punch - similar in texture to a ratchet handle. It is approximately .005" to .010" larger than the base size of the punch and is .250" wide. The knurl is used to prevent the punch from spinning or becoming misalligned in the routed die board. The standard side outlet is used for easier to cut, medium to thin materials. It has a shorter shoulder than does a heavy duty and does not include a knurl unless specified. Again, a good quality side outlet should be razor sharp, free of tool marks, scale and burrs. It should include a slight support bevel on the inside for strength as well as an undercut which prevents the slug from jamming in the punch before it enters the exhaust chute.

All punches can be made in a variety of heights - the most common being .937" (23.8mm) and each can be altered to meet your specific application. The life of these punches is effected by the material being cut, the application for which the punch was designed and operator skill level. Typically, a punch should last as long - if not greater than - the rule used in the die.

Tubular punches, straight wall punches, feed thrus and side outlets may be the most common punches, but they are far from the only ones offered. Custom punches can be manufactured to virtually any shape or size and can be used to produce everything from high tolerance flex circuits to components used in military aircraft to the gasket in your car. Custom punches ... now THAT is another question altogether!!! I hope that you now have a better understanding of some of the more common punches and what makes each a quality punch.

Rotary Die Cutting via Matched Metal

2010-06-13T20:18:00.001-04:00

In a continuing series of Technical Projects that focus upon rotary diecutting and the tools that go with the processes, we must explore the very exciting method of using the male/female die with a small twist. Actually a very large and fast twist may be a bit closer to the mark as this type of cutting system is designed to turn very quickly and very accurately for a growing number of converted products. There seems to be no specific name that has emerged as the common term for this type of cutting. Some common names for the process include; compression cutting, pressure cutting, male female rotary cutting, and rotary pressure cutting - so for the sake of this writing let's call the method the MMRC or (Matched Metal Rotary Cutting).

Rotary Die Cutting 1

As a guy with a semi-flat background (careful), I remember seeing one of these tools at the CMM show in Chicago back in the early 1990's. I was amazed. This was probably the most complicated looking monstrosity I had ever seen. It looked to be made in one piece, had to be made to an accuracy that just blew me away, was at least the width of the widest tool I had ever made 60"(1,520mm) and the contraption was round! I mean there were two of them and they were cylinders that matched one another perfectly. Now if I had a hard time getting our flat dies to come up and kiss a flat plate, how in the world could these guys get these things to work. I stood and stared until a salesman explained a little more. Slowly it all began to gel - I was the only sane one in the booth, everyone else had to be nuts! Well, nearly ten years later a good customer of mine has made the decision that this type of MMRC will be the best bet to improve the overall production quality for a particular long run product. I was one of the people that recommended the process to them and in retrospect to that earlier experience in Chicago, the people in that booth were among the savviest converters at the show. The balance of this article will try to explain why.

Rotary Die Cutting 2

What is a Matched Metal Rotary Cutting System? Instead of using a crushing cut where a knife like cutter rolls against a solid anvil to make the cut, a shear type cut is made by passing two precisely machined blocks or cutters by or through one another without ever touching anything but the material to be cut. The material is actually squeezed or compressed to the point of bursting without the two parts of the tool ever touching. The two cylinders that make up the tool set both rotate at exactly the same rate in order to create a perfect match to one another through the cut. The two can be brought closer, moved apart, and can even be slid parallel to one another in order to maintain the quality of the cut during the run. The fact that the tools and the system that the tools ride in are so accurate and never actually come in contact with one another creates a unique opportunity for perfect quality and long tool life.What type of products can and should be cut on these tools? The tooling that make this type of operation a success can be expensive. They last for a very long time but usually the cost translates into making products that have a large volume and have specific quality requirements that are hard to accommodate with other methods. Material thickness up to .125" (3.175mm) and no less than .007" (.177mm) can be cut. Some typical materials that convert well include paperboard, high-density plastics, corrugated, recycled paperboard, and specialty coated boards. Folding cartons are a very common product followed by gaskets and then specialty items. What is the quality of product difference? When compared to standard crush cut rotary or flatbed cutting the major product quality improvement issues that make a difference include; less dusting, less slivering, less burring, less nicking - both natural and production oriented, and greater accuracy.

What are the main production advantages?

Feed rates are not limited by the cutting operation! Now there's a statement. These tools will spit out finished product as fast as you can push it through the press. Usually another process like in-line printing or part delivery systems will limit the feet per minute speed of the line.

Stripping is done at the cutting stage by either a series of fingers, a through the cylinder collection of waste, or other techniques that remove all waste before the part is delivered to the back side of the die. There is no separate stripping stage and parts are delivered waste and web free. "Stream Stripping" is a term used to describe the waste being removed as a continuous stream as it is pulled into a vacuum tube.

Tool life is typically measured in millions of revolutions. Depending on the operator, the material being cut, and the method used to manufacture the dies, cases are reported of solid dies lasting up to 350,000,000 *(yes, that's 350 million) revolutions before needing a sharpening. Flexible dies will typically max out earlier than solid tools somewhere in the range of 4 to 5 million revolutions. This long tool life usually translates into less down-time overall and can translate into lower overall tooling costs when compared to other methods.

Rotary Die Cutting 3

What about the tools?

The tooling for this type of process is made in both flexible plate and solid machined configurations. The flexible plate tools are usually made via chemical or standard machining or through a combination of the two and are wrapped around a cylinder that stays in the press. The solid machined cylinders are typically made using EDM (Electronic Discharge Machining) or standard direct machining or through a combination of the two.

Hardening and finishing techniques for the cutting surfaces can include laser hardening and cladding as well as specialty coatings and platings. All are designed to improve tool life.

Web widths can range from 6" to 60" (152.4mm to 1,524mm)

Tool diameters can range from 3" to 24" (76.2mm to 610mm)

Accuracy is ±.002" (.05mm)

Costs for a single matched tool: $1,000.00 to $250,000.00 US That's a huge range and it can vary greatly depending on the image to be cut, the style you choose - flexible or solid, the stripping requirements, the surface finishes, the number of rolls you put in line, etc… Flexible tooling tends to range from $1,000.00 to $3,000.00 US with most narrow web applications falling under the $2,000.00 mark

Solid tools can typically be sharpened about five times before they are retired and they can be reworked. Flexible plate tools cannot be sharpened or reworked.

Just like male/female cutting in a flat operation, the tolerancing and adjustments made to offsets allow for just about any material to be cut accurately and with ease.

How is a Crease, Emboss or a Perf produced?
The MMRC technique will only cut through material. Just like with a pair of scissors or a steel rule bridger, it's tough to make a kiss cut or a dent with a male/female tool. When a crease or an emboss or a perf need to be produced a crushing operation must be added. A blade like or crease like male is added with a hard anvil counter on the opposite cylinder. Because the upper and lower cylinders are both being machined, reverse scores and reverse cut-scores can be created as easily as the standards. These can be incorporated into the tool that does the perimeter cut or can be incorporated into a second set of die cylinders that fall before the final cut stage. Separating the stages has the advantage of creating a long life tool and a shorter life tool that can be worked on individually.

Are there specialty machines that are needed to run this type of tooling?
There are many companies that make presses to accommodate rotary cutting. This type of tooling and process (MMRC) can be used in many of them. In general the die manufacturers that make this type of tooling will do their best to build a tool that will work in your press.
Finishing UpEveryone has their own take on techniques used in our industry. What the future will hold for MMRC will most likely be embroiled in what happens to run lengths, corporate consolidations/product consolidations, and mechanization of other attached packaging processes. For the time being this technique has a growing number of markets that it plays very well to. The cheaper flexible and magnetically mounted tooling is being pushed hard right now by a couple of tool manufacturers. Although this type of flexible tooling will never replace the need for the more expensive solid tools it will more than likely allow more converters to use this type of cutting technique on a more regular basis. As more rotary converters discover the benefits, for those special jobs, the technique will flourish. I predict that this will lead to an explosive market over the next twenty years where once again our productivity as converters advances by leaps and bounds.As lessons go, this ten year process of becoming familiar with MMRC has been too slow but has taught me to listen a little longer and a little harder to everyone I meet. I hope you too find a product that can use this process to your full advantage, and that the IADD has once again started you off in the right direction.*At printing of this article the production was closing in on 400,000,000 revolutions (not parts). This solid machined tool was made by Bernal Technologies and is cutting .018" Poly coated SBS. Wow! Not all solid tools will last this long. It all comes down to materials, machines, and operators.

Support for this writing came from several sources including:

Marc Voorhees - Bermaxx LLC / Bernal TechnologiesMarc Love - Atlas Chem-MillingJim Redd - XynatechRon Brenwall of Maxim InternationalPhotos courtesy of Bermaxx LLC / Bernal Technologies.

Thank-you very much!

PMC Dies and Diecutting

2010-06-03T11:34:00.000-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

PMC Die Cutters and Cutting Tools

The question came to us the other day on whether we worked with companies that dealt in PMC Cutting tools and could we suggest a source. The first part of the question led to the first part of our answer - What the heck is a PMC cutting tool?

Because of my “bag over head” knowledge in this area, and because others may also be in the dark on this one, the mission is clear. So here we go, trying to shed a bit of light on what they are and how they are used.

PMC turned out not to be a type of technology - it turned out to be a brand/manufacturer name. PMC (Printing Machinery Corp.) developed its first hollow die label cutting machine in 1940. The idea was to create a machine that could cut a variety of printed and non-printed materials accurately and quickly. What was developed was a machine that uses a cutting tool that acts as a high speed feed through punch. The machine pushes a large stack of materials up through the tool and the finished parts are ejected out the back of the machine, the tool, and finally the bolster plate. I have found that there are four major players in this type of machinery/cutting system - PMC, BUSCH, BLUMER, and VIJUK.

The machines are designed to feed sheeted materials that have been stacked to a height of up to 4" (102mm). Press bed sizes are usually small, staying in most cases less than 20" x 20" (508mm x 508mm). The machines can cycle up to 20 times per minute. If the part you are cutting is only .005" (.127mm) thick it means you can cut a whole mess of parts in not a whole lot of time. The manufacturers claim that on certain materials on certain machines the cut sheet rate per hour can easily exceed 1,000,000. Yes that’s one million sheets! Just to compare, a fully automatic Bobst Carton cutter on steroids may hit the mid teens (that’s thousands).

So why haven’t some of us been exposed to this type of cutter/tooling in the past? It may be that the machines are primarily used to cut very high volume common products with dies that are not steel rule dies. Plus they are used to cut some fairly usual but specialized products that many of us shy away from.

The list of products and services that work well on this type of machine include the following:

Labels
Wrappers
Envelope Blanks
Note Pads
Credit Cards
Identification Tags
Deckle-edge postcards
Game Cards
Paint Chips
Luggage and Price Tags
Coasters
Placemats
3-way Booklet Trimming
Round Cornering

Some of the more common materials that are cut on these machines include:

Embossed Paper
Unevenly Printed Label papers
Plastic
Foil
Mylar
Paperboard

Stacks of material are loaded outside the die cutting area and are automatically jogged and lined up. The stacks are held on all four sides throughout the die cutting operation which makes the possibility of a very accurate cut quite good. There are material shuttles that allow one stack to be automatically loaded while another one is being cut. This creates very little time in which the machine is not actually cutting. Parts do not have to be ejected back out through the front of the die and so the machine can constantly act towards cutting rather than cutting and ejecting. The tooling only makes contact with the cutting plate during the last cut of the stack. This means that tools last longer as the only friction they see is the material they are cutting.

The Tools:
Dies for this type of machine are quite simply feed through specialty punches. They are typically made in two ways. They are forged dies made from pre-ground rule that is bent and formed and then welded at the joint, or they are machined (usually wire cut) dies that are cut from a single block of steel. The height will vary from job to job and machine to machine but usually ranges from 1 1/2" (38mm) to upwards of 4" (102mm). The thickness will vary depending on the application and will have a taper that runs from small at the cutting edge to large at the base. Because the die will feed the finished parts through the center, all the taper will run to the outside of the tool. Support tabs, mounting brackets, and stripping knives are all items that can be built-in to help the operator speed the process and help the tool survive the incredible stress of the impression. Standard bolster plates are used within the machine to create a space for the finished parts to pass through the back of the die. On unusual shapes or large repeat run jobs, a custom bolster plate can be made for a perfect match.

Thanks for all the help from Brian at Stewart Industries (PMC Worldwide) and Lynn at Progressive Service Die Co..

Fiberglass Cloth Cutting

2010-05-27T16:39:00.003-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Can woven fiberglass cloth be cut into non-square shapes with a steel rule die?

Fiberglass cloth can be easily cut into shapes with a steel rule die as well as many other types of tooling. In order to make the cut well, with no hanging threads, a sacrificial belt system or an operator with great experience, or both, will have to be involved. The problem comes after the cut in the unraveling of the edges that have been freed during the cut. Like in a slapstick cartoon, a single thread can lead to the entire part falling apart, leaving you exposed to all sorts of problems. If you need just a basic, jagged cut, they can work well. If you need to retain the shape perfectly to pass on to the next operation (usually some type of gluing), you need to make a change to the material.

Add material to the fiberglass to give all the fibers a pre-bond. Either a permeable laminate or a specialty additive work well to give the parts some bond before you make the cut. Your fiberglass supplier should be able to do this for you. Besides adding something to the material to keep it together we have heard of no other way to cut this product and keep it from falling apart. Even a heat sealing type cut is hard to make work because fiberglass is heat resistant. Great question in a very specialty field.

Thanks to Mutual Industries and RP Associates for their technical advice and expertise on this one.

Dies and Die Cutting Tolerances

2010-05-06T14:22:00.001-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Several times over the past few years we have had to try to explain to our customers why their tooling costs skyrocket when they ask us to better the accuracy (tighten up the tolerances) on their finished parts. Let's try to layout the basic differences in tools and tolerances here between the steel rule die, the solid milled die and the male/female (matched metal) tool. For comparison sake our sample part is a 2.000" x 2.000" (51mm x 51mm) square with four .250" (6.35mm) radius corners cut from .010" (.254mm) polycarbonate. Keep in mind that this article is trying to compare just for tolerances. Each one of these types of tools has production advantages and disadvantages depending on your exact situation. Longevity, ability to be reworked, trouble free running, speed, delivery of parts, etc…, must also be considered along with accuracy.

The Steel Rule Die: Typical close tolerance tooling is guaranteed to be within ±.005" (.127mm) Typical final part tolerancing is ±.010" to ±.015" (.254mm to.381mm) for this sample type work. Sample Die Price $100.00 USD

Of the three types of dies, this type of tool is the cheapest and the least accurate. Typical steel rule die accuracy is limited by the base material, the method used to cut the base, the centricity (cut edge fidelity) and dish of the rule, the finishing operations done by hand, and the distortions that can happen during the impression. The number of separate parts and production operations involved in making a steel rule die make it inherently the least accurate of the three.

Laser cutting the steel rule dieboard base is typically accurate to ±.001" (.025mm) on every 12" (305mm) of cutting distance. This table movement accuracy, as well as perpendicularity of the kerf, effects the final tool size. Depending on the quality of the base material used and the storage of that die, the tool accuracy can be effected by warping, twisting and general contraction and expansion of the laminate layers. Run to run part sizes can change!

The rule itself has a ±.002" (.051mm) tolerance on where the center of the blade sits. If the blade is out by the full ±.002" (.051mm) allowed and two opposing rules are placed in the tool, the total accuracy of the tool can be effected by ±.004" (.102mm) because of this factor alone. Dishing on a typical rule is allowed up to ±.002" (.051mm) on 1.000" (25.4mm) of height. Who knows what this translates into as far as image size distortion, but it is one more factor.

Finishing operations include bending the rule, inserting the rule, grinding and fitting the rule as well as applying ejection rubber to the tool. All of these are typically done at least in part by hand and add more factors to the possible distortion of the final tool.
The final factor that makes this tool lose accuracy is the rule movement during the impression. The rule can bend, the ejection material can push the rules, and the base may give a little which can all lead to blade movement.

The Solid Milled Die or Custom Punch: These dies use the same crush cutting concept as the steel rule die except they are made from solid steel. This type of tooling has middle of the road pricing and accuracy. Typical tolerancing for this type of tooling is guaranteed to be within ±.002" (.051mm). Typical final part tolerancing is ±.005" to ±.010" (.127mm to.254mm) for this sample type work. Sample Die Price $300.00 USD

The accuracy of this type of tooling is limited by two things: The CNC milling or EDM cutting of the shape into the solid block of steel and the heat treating process done after the tool is cut to shape.

The machining accuracy can be held within ±.0005" (.0127mm) on most of today's CNC millers and can be held even closer with some types of EDM (electronic discharge machining) centers. Limits to the machining accuracy as well as the secondary operation of putting the cutting edge on the tool can help push the tolerance up the scale. Machining the cutting edge, takes this from 2-D to 3-D machining which can push out tolerances.

Most custom milled dies must be heat treated after they have been cut to the right shape in order to give them longevity in the press. The finished hardness of the part makes it impossible to machine after the heat treating is done. This heat treating can have a growth or shrinking effect on the tool and help add to the finished pull away from optimal. This type of tool is especially effected by the heat treating process when the size of the image is greater than 6.000" (152mm). The bigger the tool the more it may shrink/expand/twist/etc…. . This can be compensated for by building the tool in smaller segments, but it almost always remains a factor in at least the large tools. Once made and finished the tool will remain consistent from run to run and will experience no size changes. It is more rigid than the steel rule die and will result in less flex and distortion in general during the strike compared with a steel rule die.

The Male/Female (AKA - Matched Metal) Tooling: Built with a completely different concept, this type of tooling is made in two parts. One part passes through the other to make the cut. Matched metal tooling is the most accurate to cut with and is the most expensive. Typical tolerancing for this type of tooling is guaranteed to be within ±.0005" (.0127mm). Typical final part tolerancing is ±.001" to ±.005" (.025mm to.127mm) for this sample type work. Sample Die Price $2,000.00 USD includes a die-set and is made as a standard blanking style tool.

This type of tooling is typically cut from solid blocks of specialty steel via EDM Wire Cutting machinery after the steel has been treated to its' full hardness. Tolerancing for the machinery processing of both parts of the tool can be as good as ±.00016" (.004mm). Add some possible distortion during finishing and tolerances are still the most accurate of any die cutting tool made.

Because of the lack of hand operations in the milled dies and these matched metal dies, they are controllable and reproducible. This becomes a terrific advantage when a parts' finished size must be to very tight tolerances. Because the process is so controlled, fine adjustments can be made on subsequent tooling and revisions in order to perfect a process. On very precise projects that involve both known and unknown materials, you and your customer should expect large increases in tooling and engineering charges to get through this "dialing-in the size" process.

Other Options:
Often times a diecutter will look at these three types of tooling as either/or situations, when in fact some of the most successful jobs are won and run on tools that combine two or more of these types of tooling. Not only can you gain some production advantages, you and your customer can gain some pricing advantages in making the tool. Perhaps the outside perimeter of the part needs to finish at ±.015" (.381mm) but two interior cutouts need to measure within ±.001" (.0254mm). It's possible to make a matched metal tool to cut the interiors while incorporating a steel rule die or a milled die for the perimeter cut. By doing this you can expect that your tooling costs will be dramatically reduced.

Guide to Selecting the Best Steel Cutting Rule

2010-04-29T11:20:00.003-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Cut Smart has compiled the information presented here as an aid to businesses trying to make decisions on what types of steel cutting rules may fit their needs. All of the tangible factors presented here must be mixed with the intangible effects that present themselves like, relationships and loyalty, customer service and commitment to improvements. It is through this mix that a good decision can be made.

1999-2001 Rule Manufacturers Technical Data
(Being Updated During June 2004)

Who Is Making The Rules These Days?

Steel Rule Diemakers - have you been approached by your customers about trying a new rule or perhaps by another rule manufacturer claiming their rule is better than what you are using now?
Diecutters - how well do you know the type of rule that is going into your tools and do you really need to know? Could that job have perhaps cut longer or faster or with less dust or with less make-ready if you had specified a different rule?
End Product Buyers - should you know what goes into the tools that make your products? What will you specify on that next job and how detailed do you really need or want to get?

In today's aggressive converting market, the sea of information is vast and the nets used to gather and compile that information are often full of holes. Our intention with this Rule Guide is to compile the information our research has shown is important to rule buyers and rule users within a very specific, but large market. We feel that the presentation of this information in a condensed, straight forward, and unbiased format will save readers lots of time and will help to educate those in the industry that are lost in the sea of information.

Our concentration for this guide is for 2 point - .0282 (.71mm) thick Center Bevel cutting rules used within the converting industry for a vast number of applications like; folding cartons, gaskets, labels, nameplates, membrane switches, medical applications, plastics, etc… . According to all the rule manufacturers, this 2 point standard cutting rule is by far the largest volume item produced and is by far where the largest amount of marketing and research dollars go. At the time of this article, we have found that there are eleven rule manufacturers that concentrate on this market, worldwide.

We will focus on the following areas within this guide, first by discussion of the areas then by presenting our gathered information from all the rule manufacturers. The information gathered is to the best of our knowledge and the manufacturers, accurate and correct. Line items like minimum bend radius and hardnesses have been tested by the manufacturer and can be expected to perform to that level. The following areas are the most important factors in knowing what makes a steel cutting rule work for you.

Edge construction method

Bevel Angles

Body Hardness

Cutting Edge Hardness

Body Coatings

Edge Coatings

Decarburization thickness

Minimum bend radius and angle

Standard Heights and availability

Height tolerances, general tolerances

Special Notes

Pricing

Edge Construction Method:
There are two methods used within the industry to put the cutting edge on a flat strip of steel rule.
Grinding (Ground Edge) This method uses a series of grinding wheels to grind the edge on the rule as it passes through the production line. The wheels typically grind in a perpendicular direction to the length of the blade. They can be turned in some cases to create an angled grind direction.
Shaving (Shaved Edge) This method uses a series of hardened solid tools to peel back or shave away the steel in order to create the cutting edge.

Grinding gives you a sharper edge than shaving. The grinding process leaves a very sharp edge that has thousands of microscopic points per inch, almost like a serrated edge rule. Because of this inherent sharpness, the rule cuts very well in situations where aggressive materials like plastics are being converted. If you are cutting gaskets, labels, membrane switches, nameplates, laminated folding cartons, etc…. there is no question that you will produce better parts more quickly with ground edge rule.

One disadvantage of grinding - Grinding the rule leaves microscopic grooves in the edge that can cause stress fractures when trying to create a very tight radius bend. Grinding at an angle instead of perpendicular to the length of the blade can help to eliminate this effect. Shaved edge rules can usually achieve slightly tighter radius bends without cracking.

Shaving the edge is typically faster than grinding and therefore the rule is usually less expensive. Up until recently, shaving has delivered a smoother edge finish resulting in less dusting especially when cutting recycled paperboards. New production methods in grinding are delivering as smooth finishes on most ground edge rules by all manufacturers. The concentration for reducing dusting and poor edge finishes in the final product has very quickly been re-focused within the industry from the construction method to the cutting edge bevel angle.

Bevel Angles:
The basics are these - The steeper the angle the less pressure needed to cut and the more shearing effect you get. More shearing effect will allow for smoother less fragmented cuts eliminating or reducing dusting and chipping.
The steeper the angle, the weaker the rule. Although there is less cutting pressure needed to penetrate the material, there is less strength in the rule (especially the cutting edge) to absorb the punishing effects of the impression. There are three bevel angles commonly in use around the world today.

60 Degree - The American StandardSteep
52 Degree - The European StandardSteeper
42 Degree - New for Dust reductionSteepest

Most manufacturers produce at or around these angles. Some of the other angles companies produce are listed within their section of the technical guide. The advantage to staying with a standard is that the tools used to cut and miter the rule are typically set-up to work with only one angle. The best joints and ruling job will be done with tooling that matches the rule angle exactly. Although you can get away with slight differences in angle of rule to tooling matches, it is best to stay at least close to the angle the tool is meant to cut. Changing the machines can be expensive and time consuming and this has always been one of the big resistance's to change within the diemaking industry around the world.

Body Hardness:
Because most rule manufacturers are now hardening the cutting edges of at least some of their rules, you must be careful in making the distinction between the body hardness and the cutting edge hardness. Both are very important!

All manufacturers are using the Rockwell C scale to measure hardness. Although each has their own method of testing, the measurement can generally be used as a good comparison. The only areas we have found where the Rockwell measurements have not helped in comparison is within certain rules made from specialty materials that bend extremely tight radii yet have fairly hard Rockwell comparisons. These rules are noted in the "Special Notes" section of some manufacturers list of rules. Keep in mind also that the body hardness is a measurement of the inner part of the body and it does not include the softer decarburization layers that most rules have.

The body hardness effects a number of things. The softer the rule is the easier it is to bend consistently, especially multiple bends in auto benders. The softer the rule is the tighter radius you can bend with it. The harder the body is the better it will stand up to the punishment of the cut. Be careful when choosing rules with a drastic difference in cutting edge vs. body hardness. In some cases the body can collapse or shrink before the cutting edge does. In cylinder presses especially, where the rule not only has a downward pressure exerted on it but has a sideways push, the hardest possible body should be used.

Cutting Edge Hardness and Methods Used:
The harder the rule the longer it will last. That's the basic rule. Of course the harder the rule the harder it is to work with too. This means there must be compromise when choosing the right rule to use for each project. It used to be that all rules had the same hardness in the cutting edge that they had in the body. This is still the case in many rules that work excellent for today's various markets. Many rule producers however are now offering the service of edge hardening their rules. Laser, Plasma, High Frequency, and Induction are some of the methods used to concentrate energy on the cutting edge that results in the effected area becoming harder than the rest of the rule. To this date there has not been a great deal of marketing or research to say that one method is better than the other. Expect that anytime! We have included the hardening method in our technical guide for those manufacturers willing to tell us how they do it.

The reasoning behind hardening just the edge is to try and keep some of the benefits of the softer body while having the long lasting edge. Be careful again as the harder that edge is made the more cracking you will get on the tighter radii. If a manufacturer shows that no hardening has taken place it means that the entire rule has been through hardened and the body and the cutting edge are the same rockwell.

Body Coatings:
Most manufacturers are coating their rules with some type of protection from the elements. Often times this is merely to prevent rust from taking over. Most are using some type of petroleum based product that is put on as the last step in the process, while others use no coatings at all. One of the major factors in the coatings area is how they react to automatic processing equipment. Not only is the grabbing power of the machinery effected, the residue left within the machine can help in some cases and hurt in others. Be sensitive to the maintenance requirements and internal workings of your particular machine when choosing a rule. Other specialty coatings like Teflon are sometimes used for specialty applications, but are uncommon as stock items.

Edge Coatings:
Edge coatings are different than body coatings in that they concentrate on and try to help the effectiveness of the cutting operation. Although they are uncommon and add greatly to the cost of the rule, they are offered by several manufacturers as specialty items and by a few as stock items.
Molybdenum and Titanium are two of the more common coatings. In interviews with several manufacturers the actual make-up of the coatings is either proprietary or unavailable. These coatings perform a couple of functions. They fill voids and tend to smooth the cutting edge thus reducing dusting and cracking and make for a generally smoother cut. They also create a very hard cutting edge that can extend the life of the rule. These coated rules tend to be used in only very special circumstances where the material being cut is very abrasive or the finished part edge finish is absolutely critical.

Decarburization Thickness:
Decarburization is the decrease of the carbon content at the surface of a steel due to interactions with the environment at elevated temperatures. Carbon has a huge influence on the mechanical properties of steel and decreasing carbon content causes a degradation of these properties. The decarburized layer in steel rule is the weakened outer layer on both flat surfaces of the rule. The only significance we feel that this has to selection of the right rule for your application is again related to bending and in particular to automatic rule processing machines. This "decarb" layer is what tends to be scraped off during processing. In many cases it is what the machine or bending tool is able to grab onto and therefore its thickness and consistency can effect your final results. Build up of this debris along with the coatings mentioned earlier should be taken note of by operators and maintenance people as well as those involved with calibrating the equipment. The thickness of this "decarb" layer also has a direct impact on the bendability within most rules. Since this outer skin is softer and weaker than the inner body, the thicker the layer is the easier it is to bend.

Minimum Bend Radius and Angle:
This measurement is for the smallest bend a rule can take without
suffering a stress crack at that corner. Most of today's rules are
capable of much more than what most applications need for a
minimum radius. The charts for each manufacturer show the smallest radius they guarantee their rule will take on a consistent basis. The line below this radius shows how deep you can go with this bend (the maximum angle) before it will crack.

With the most bendable of today's rules, a bend can be made that will actually allow the rule to be completely folded over on itself at 180°. Even when this bend is made with the sharpest of tools, like a Standard Helmold X3 hand bender die, the minimum radius that can actually be achieved, past 90° in depth, is somewhere between .0152(.381mm) and .0282(.711mm). In order to get a smaller radius on these deeper angle bends, steel must be removed at the bend location. Removal of this steel is called "broaching." Broaching the rule means that a section of the face of the rule is taken away in order to relieve the corner where the bend will be made. This will usually allow for a very tight, flat bend to be made at the cost of slightly weakening the rule. Some manufacturers rules will bend to a tighter radius than the typical minimum we just talked about. In these cases it must be noted that broaching may be necessary to get this extreme from the rule.

Standard Heights and Availability:
The industry standard height is .937" (23.8mm). Other very common heights are the old type high .918" (23.3mm) and the conventional cylinder press height of .923" (23.44mm). Depending on the application and the type of press, rule heights can and will vary greatly. Most rule producers will offer at least the three heights mentioned here as stock items in at least a couple of their rule types. Expect to be able to find the .937" (23.8mm) height available in just about all categories of rule in just about any quantity needed.

Purchasing rule in strips has been the most common way for many years. These strips vary in length from the American standard of 30" to the 1 meter standard used around the world. Coils of varying length are now very common with the more common use of rule processing machines. Less waste and speed of processing are both keys to the coils new found popularity. All rule manufacturers are now making their rule available in both strips and coils. For this reason we have not made this part of our technical charts. The one area to be careful of is to make sure your manufacturer can easily coil in the proper direction for your operation. Clockwise feed means that with the cutting edge facing up the rule feeds the same way the hands of a clock would move. Counterclockwise means the opposite. Most manufacturers can coil both ways. There is a movement now to try to standardize the coil direction and packaging for all rules and machines - we say, good luck!

Height Tolerances / General Specifications:
In general, all of the manufacturers of rule involved with this guide meet or exceed the tolerances and recommended specifications set forth by the IADD (International Association of DieCutters and Diemakers) for cutting rules of this type. These specifications control height, thickness, temper, cut edge fidelity, cut angle fidelity, camber, dish, twist, and coil set. We have included height tolerances in our guide as it is often used as a measure of quality and comparison. Holding the best possible height tolerance is becoming more and more important as today's presses and make-ready systems become more sophisticated. If extremely tight tolerances are needed, talk to your manufacturer about their tolerances within a specific single batch of rule. It is usually the case that within a batch, the rule will be extremely uniform in height and being able to segregate that batch will allow extreme close tolerances to be held for particular customers or jobs.

Pricing:
This is an interesting area to tackle. For the large production user of steel rule, pricing can and should be one of the large factors in deciding on a rule. Quality should not be sacrificed for a good price, yet in many cases the lower priced rules may be sufficient to get the job done well. Often times a lower price doesn't mean the rule is of lower quality or feature, it may simply mean that the rule is produced in such high volume that the price is able to be reduced. As your volume of rule used goes up it becomes more and more important to know all the factors involved, including price!

Pricing becomes complicated as many factors are involved. There are exchange rates to deal with as well as the flexibility your particular distributor or salesperson has with regards to your final pricing. Because of this we have set up a system for a very general comparison of pricing. Final pricing will be very much based upon your volumes used, your ability to negotiate, and the ability of the manufacturer to produce.

Typical prices range from the low end of $.28/ft.(USD) to the high end of $3.00/ft. (USD). Our system differentiates between the following as a basic guide. Please consult with your local distributor for precise pricing details.

LOW PRICE.......$
MEDIUM PRICE....$$
HIGH PRICE......$$$
SPECIALTY.......$$$$

In the real world steel rule diemakers like to choose one or two rules that work for most of their basic workload within a given market. It makes sense from all standpoints including the customers to do this. Substantial savings are made by; buying in volume, reducing set-up times for all machinery involved, and controlling of quality and tracability.

One more major item to keep in mind when choosing a rule is that all of the factors found in our comparison charts can be mixed and matched if your volume is big enough. The standard volume needed to try something new, just for you, is approx. 5,000 feet (1,500 meters).

Special Notes:
This is the area where room was made for those facts that couldn't be explained in the rest of the chart.

Cut Smart Engineering & Manufacturing's Part In This:

Cut Smart is proud to play a part in an ever evolving industry! With more than twenty-five years of experience in the diemaking and diecutting field I have learned that good information is the most important factor in growing a profitable business. Finding that good information is also one of the hardest things to do, especially if your business is growing fast! How involved you as an individual or company get depends upon how much time you have and how much you are willing to trust in the information presented by others. We hope this information helps you and your customers perform to the highest level.

Best Cutting Method Process Calculator

2010-04-22T11:45:00.002-04:00

Good Morning Everyone!

It is really exciting that more people have stumbled upon our Blog! I hope everyone that has been here so far has been able to take some new knowledge with them!

This week I'm not going to be posting an article but instead I am going to introduce our Method Process Calculator.

"Whether you are engineering parts for R & D, or engineering for production quantities, start the process by knowing the best quality, fastest, and least costly way to produce. The Method Calculator uses a database of constantly updated industry engineering information to show you an accurate picture of possibilities, right now!"

Click Here to Check Out the Calculator

Thank you everyone who has taken a look at our website and I hope you did enjoy it!
Remember if you have any questions ever feel free to shoot us an email contact@cutsmart.com or check out our website www.cutsmart.com

-Samantha

Polycarbonate Cutting

2010-04-15T09:26:00.002-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

How would we best cut 1.2mm (.047") polycarbonate (50,000 sheets) using a conventional flatbed - platen style machine? The sheet size is 1,524 x 762 (60" x 30"). The part is a simple rectangular shape with rounded corners, but with 32 keyhole shaped cut outs. These keyholes are 9.52mm x 12.7mm (3/8" x 1/2"). What would be the best type of rule, etc... to use? We are used to cutting paper...

Polycarbonate, very commonly known in the US by its trade name Lexan, is a very diecuttable material. It is used constantly in the nameplate, membrane switch and sign industries due to its toughness, ability to be printed on, electrical non-conductivity, and general availability.

We would make just a few suggestions that may make your life a bit easier going from paper to Polycarbonate.

Feed the sheets and strip the waste the same way you would treat similar shaped paper products.

Use fewer nicks to start with than you normally would and try to get away with just the natural nicks caused by the rule joints. The material will tend to stay with itself even though it has been cut and it can be a real bear to separate if it has not cut all the way through or if too big a nick has been made to get it through the press.

Use 3 point sideface rule with a ground edge. Face the bevel to the waste. Test cut your keyholes with long bevel and sideface before you make them all, especially if their size is critical. A simple one up test die may save you a great deal of time.

Use 3/4" base material (assuming .937" high rule) to support the rule as high as you can. Under the strain of this thickness of this material, the rule will want to move with a thinner base material. Movement will make it more difficult to make-ready and maintain ready. Etch away the front of the board if need be to make way for any feed devices like gripper bars.

Other than that, you shouldn’t have too many problems. It will make one heck of a POP when it cuts compared to paper, but that is normal.

Depending on your quantities you may want to take a look at laser cutting, waterjet cutting and perhaps even routing the parts.

Polypropylene Cutting

2010-04-07T12:55:00.003-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

Prepare Yourself for a Mind Teaser!
This one has presented itself as a real technical dilemma, not only for the questioning company but for a large group of technical experts. It's a work in progress and may be for a while to come!

The Case Started with this question;

We are a manufacturer of a non-oriented polypropylene material. We have a fairly new product line that involves cutting holes in our raw material and delivering this finished product in roll form. We have had a flatbed machine built to perform the diecutting operation and are having problems delivering the material through the machine with zero waste left in the areas where the holes are cut. The material is being used extensively in the reinforcement of boat bodies and other hard shell consumer good products. Do you have any suggestions?

After a few phone calls and a visit to the facility, the following additional information started to gel:

The raw material is produced, and final cut product will be delivered, in rolls. These rolls vary from 16" to 24" (406mm - 607mm) wide. The raw material is about the consistency of bathroom tissue and varies in thickness from .005" to .050" (.127mm - 1.27mm) thick. It has more pulling strength than bathroom tissue because of the micro-strands of polypropylene. These micro-strands are a major part of the cutting and waste hang problem.
The pattern of cutting resembles that of a grid of holes that are approx. 3.00" (76.2mm) on center, cover the entire width and length of the material and range in size from 1/4" (6.35mm) to 1/2" (12.7mm) in diameter.
The annual volume of goods is now approx. 700,000 lineal feet (214,000 meters) and is expected to get bigger.
The press that was made specifically for this project is a flatbed style press with multiple, and individually air actuated, male/female stations. The separate feed and take up mechanisms are a constant feed and pull set of rollers. The male pins cut with a ball into a correct diameter female type set-up (very strange).
The non-cleared reject rate is currently close to 40% but this converted material is used because this is the best available. There are currently no training or routine maintenance plans in action.

After checking out the process, a few thoughts on how to proceed to improve the process started to become obvious. Cut Smart answered the question this way.

Because of the rather large investment already made in equipment, I think it will make sense to continue to produce the parts/finished material in-house with most of the equipment already in place.

In order to do this you will have to make the following changes/improvements in this order of priority.

Try a new type of die punch male and female set-up. This is absolutely key! The punches we saw in operation and the ones given to me as samples are out of the ordinary and seem dysfunctional for the material to be cut. I don't think that this ball and cut mechanism is helping in the slightest and may really be throwing everything off. I would talk to one of the well known male/female punch experts to get their opinions on a reproducible and well thought out set-up for your press. By making this your first step, you may save a tremendous amount of time and effort in what other changes, if any, you make to your machinery.

SIDE NOTE - We discussed and talked to three of the big punch guys out there and nobody had seen anything like this nor did it look like these punches should work.

Change your feed mechanism from a constant pull to a pull and stop for each impression. No matter how fast your impression is made, the web is still moving and in theory you will get some of the pulling, tearing, and poor cutting results in the material just as you are getting now. This may be easier said than done especially in your thinner materials but is necessary for good cutting results in a flatbed operation like you are running. Your overall rate of production will probably be slowed by this stop and start but it will allow you to control the impression and eliminate a possible cause of your problem.

Connect both your unwind and rewind machines/systems to your diecutter. The fact that there are three units in operation and none of them are solidly connected, (plus the diecutter is on wheels) is not helping your consistency of set-ups or cutting. At least, any new feeder must be attached to the diecutter.

Once the above items are changed and can be proved to work individually and together, just in R & D or sampling, you should proceed with the following before you can expect consistently good results.

Control the air temperature and humidity in the cutting area so they are both constant at all times.

Develop a make-ready and changing punch procedure that is documented.

Develop a system that tracks when in the life cycle the cutting dies are wearing out. Follow the answers from this documentation to replace or sharpen the cutting tools exactly when they need it. For a 100% perfect product, like you are hoping for, you will have to error on the side of caution when it comes to replacement.

Train all your operators in these systems.

Putting all of these ideas into use, with a few more that I'm sure will be gathered along the way, will result in better and perhaps a perfect product using the same basic method you are using now.

The one possible problem I see with correcting these problems and spending the time, money, and effort to do so is that the flatbed cutting method may be too slow to make it cost effective in the long run. If this products' volumes will continue to increase, as they have been over the last year, you may find that rotary cutting is the fastest and cheapest alternative. By gathering some pricing not only for machines but for finished product via rotary converting you will probably find that rotary cutting is the first alternative to look at for your in-house operation.

Throwing good money after bad makes no sense - but finding a route to determining whether a method is doomed can be very frustrating. We hope this helps open up a new possibility or two or even a new line of thinking on this very difficult cutting problem. Good Luck!

Kiss Die Cutting

2010-03-31T14:06:00.003-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

We started with this Question:

We are a small Die cutting shop that produces flat labels and decals. For years now we have run kiss cut jobs. The problem we have run into is on the more intricate, and complex jobs. In some areas we will produce a perfect cut and in other areas our cut will only dent the surface without even penetrating the label material. We consistently use the same backer or liner which is a 90 lb stock, approx. .010" (.254 mm) thick. We have been told by some industry people that we would get better results cutting into a thinner backer for these complex Kiss cut jobs. Is there any truth to this and do you have any other suggestions for us?

There are many potential problems and/or combinations of problems that an cause uneven cutting, especially when Kiss cutting.

Possible Problem: Not enough tonnage on your press.

Check: Have you run larger dies (with more lineal inches of cutting) on your press without problems? If so, then this is not the problem. Note that a great deal of cutting in a very small area requires a larger amount of tonnage to cut. Also, a dull knife requires more tonnage to cut.
Solution: If a lack of proper tonnage is the problem, then reduce the number of cavities in the die, spread out the cavities, use a larger press or reknife the die.

Possible Problem: Your Press is not level.

Check: When one side/section of the die is not cutting deep enough, rotate the die 180 degrees in the press. If the problem area follows the die, it is generally a die problem. If the problem area does not follow the die, then it will be a press problem.
Solution: Die problem - have diemaker correct the die. Press problem - level the press or replace the cutting plate. Also the use of "stop blocks" in the die will help and sometimes eliminate this problem.

Possible Problem: Diecutting pressure is not centered in the press.

Solution: Make sure the cut to cut area is centered on the press. The exception is when the die has a large amount of cutting concentrated in a smaller area, move this area closer to the center of the press. Balancing the press is key in every situation. A rocking press will never Kiss well.

Possible Problem: Cutting rule in die is not level.

Check: Make sure the back of the die is level. You may not be able to notice .003 to .006" offset in the knife. The knife may be too tight in the diebase and cannot be leveled correctly. Check for any debris under the back of the knives. Wood or other material may have worked its way under the back of the tool.
Solution: Send die back to diemaker for inspection and/or correction along with a couple sheets of your material and sample die cuts.

Possible Problem: Cutting rule is dull or just not sharp enough.

Check: Check to see if you can see shiny areas on the cutting edge of the knife. This may be caused by (1) The diemaker's bending dies not being squared up which will flatten the edge during the bend; (2) improper handling of the knife during the cutting, mitering, bending and/or insertion of knife into the diebase; (3) the knife was dull to start with; (4) the knives were damaged after the tool was made.
Solution: Again, ask your diemaker to check the die (send sample cuts with returned die). Also check incoming tools and just off the press tools for wear spots. Remember, that first impression can be a killer. Ask your diemaker these same questions and make sure he is confident that he is supplying you with a flat tool/ ± .0005 flatness in the rule is fast becoming the industry standard. In some cases the radius areas will need to be broached (steel removed) prior to bending the knife. This results in a flatter rule at radiused areas.

The question at hand: Yes, you may get better results cutting into a thinner/harder backer material. Your .010" (.254 mm) thick liner material will cause you problems when the cutting edge of the knife is not sharp or when the material being cut is a thin mylar or vinyl. These materials have a tendency to stretch not cut especially when the liner us softer. Many times you can go with a thicker liner which will allow for more slop in the cut and still allow for a partial cut that looks good. Just remember that you always want to cut into the softer material first.

Before you reach any conclusions on the backer material it would be worth going through the above problem solving areas to try and find the real cause. The cause may be in the die, the press, the operator, the material, or perhaps in a combination of two or more.

Cutting Polystyrene Without Angel Hairs - 101

2010-03-25T14:44:00.003-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

This question was put out to a network of Tech Heads to find a fast cutting edge solution. We thought it would be fun to show the results just as they came in – one at a time.

We are cutting 24 mil Styrene (polystyrene) on a flat bed Bobst machine. The material gets angel hair hanging off the edge. Is this a characteristic of the stock or is there something we can do to eliminate the angel hair?

1. It is a common characteristic of styrene materials. We have experienced the same situations on many occasions because of the material and the way the die cuts it, bursts through the material and hits the bed harder than normal, thus dulling the die itself. (Tom with Larkin Industries)

2. This sounds like the same problem stuff we used to work with for promotional model airplanes. The best results are had with a special razor rule 1.5 points with an extreme 30 degree bevel angle, and about a 65RC Hardness. This is only made by one company I know of. I can't remember all the details but the trick seemed to be in the steep angle. (Mark Baril from Cut Smart)

3. Maybe I'm doing something wrong too, because I have always had trouble with fine hair on styrene. If you get a plausible answer back from someone, could you let me know? (John Mechetti from Mechmar Industries)

4. Without more details, it may be difficult to pin down the specifics of the problem, such as type of rule used, configuration of the part and spacing layout, ejection being used, etc. A quick answer however may be to glue a piece of mylar (.007) or hard oak tag stock (.010) on the cutting plate. This may remarkably improve the situation. (Allen Gurka)

5. We used to cut styrene on a hand fed platen press and found that the only way to eliminate angel hair was to use a very sharp die and cut with either something underneath (like paper) or to not cut completely through and then pull the part out of the web. Maybe others know better methods. (Fred Antonini from Cutcraft)

6. I have tried all kinds of cutting rule to get rid of the angel hair problem with diecutting polystyrene. We use Bohler Universal Supreme 45 degree cutting rule .937 2 pt. We also use a cutting rule called Mpower. This is made by Atlas Die in Elkhart, IN. This works the best so far. I went from 300,000 impressions to a million impressions on die re knives with the Mpower rule cutting .013” polystyrene. This has not gotten rid of all the angel hair; we still get some once in a while. I believe it is caused in the mixture of the plastic some how, because you will run one lot and have very little, if any, angle hair, and in the next lot it will be all over the sheet, but the Mpower rule helps to eliminate the angle hair and if you use a water jet rubber so the rubber is away from the knives this has helped a lot also. We use a T-75 tiger-x rubber. (Leo Moore from Master Tag)

7. Angel hairs are caused by dulling of the rule. If you have sharp rule, as it enters the material, and penetrate to a set depth, the material fractures the rest of the way. Much like splitting a log with an ax. However, when the rule dulls, you have a flat spot on the edge of the rule, as it penetrates the material it actually holds the material in place on both sides of the rule edge. As the material fractures there are two fracture lines through the material. This causes a small "hair" on the sides of the cut part. The hair becomes more pronounced as the rule keeps getting duller. There are three solutions that I know of on how to reduce the hairs:

1. Add heat to the tool which reduces the fracture point. Approximately 190 degrees. 2. Preheat the material to reduce the material rigidity. 3. Use extremely sharp rule reducing the stress of the material as the rule enters it. I have had good luck using Tsukatani 30 degree bevel with a ground and polished edge, however, Sandvik and National also make a similar rule that I am sure would work just fine. Standard rule is 42 degrees and that causes too much friction going through this type of material. (Randy Norman from Preco)

WOW....that's a lot of knowledge!
The common threads that may lead you to a solution in your shop include:

Know your material and your supplier so you get the same type of plastic every time.

Get yourself a very steep angle cutting edge knife to help penetrate the material.

Cut against a cutting blanket that will not dull the knives or spend some extra time in make-ready when cutting against steel.

Keep a close eye on tool maintenance. Does the job start with perfect results and deteriorate to angel hairs? If so work to keep the blades sharper or replace them more often.

Add heat wherever you can. To the tool or to the material.

Good Luck!

Inexpensive Starter Presses for Die Cutting

2010-03-18T11:30:00.001-04:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

THREE REAL QUESTIONS FROM THREE REAL COMPANIES...

Hi! I'm a designer in Pittsburgh specializing in custom-designed invitations, programs, etc. for special events. 90% of our work is made by hand. I'm looking for a desk-top sized hole-punch unit that could punch from 1 to 5 1/8" holes with approx. 1/2" spacing between the holes in sheets of paper. I also have other shapes that need to be cut in small quantities. Do you have anything like this or can you recommend anyone I could contact? Thank you! More Than Words

Sirs, I own a small business and have all of the equipment needed to manufacturer neoprene can coolers, except something to cut a 2 1/2" circle of 5mm thick neoprene. I had a die made and attempted manual procedures, such as using an arbor press and even just a rubber mallet. I just can't get enough pressure to cut through the rubber. I don't want to spend a fortune on more equipment. Do you have any recommendations? Lou Frazier

HI Cutting People My husband and I own a small specialty credit card manufacturing business in New England. We print and then laminate sheets of paper with a heavy plastic that makes them feel and look like credit cards. Currently we cut these out with a blade on a table. Our quantities are increasing quickly into hundreds per week and we would like to put a round corner on the cards too. Do you have any suggestions? Linda Quinn

These three situations have been dealt with time and time again. All three of the questions have similar elements that make for a common answer that makes a whole bunch of sense.
The common elements are:

They are Small businesses with limited cash resources.

They probably operate out of their homes so they need small machines that won’t; wake up the neighbors, need three phase power, or need an army and a crane to lower into the basement.

Quality cuts are needed to produce a high visibility product.

Low tonnage needed – max. of probably 5 tons.

Shapes to be cut are all conducive to using steel rule dies as the cutting tool.

Low quantities mean that a hand operated press will work fine. High speed cutting and stripping are not concerns at this point in their businesses.

There are probably a dozen types of presses out there that could be used for these applications. There are the standard presses from the hydraulic clicker to the clamshell to the pneumatic punch press style that are all still a bit on the over-kill side. They would not be a good total fit for the situation. There are at least two really cool machines on the market today that are the perfect fit.

1. They are hand operated presses that develop the pressure needed. 2. They are cheap to buy – less than $500.00 US. 3. They cut a reasonable size image (max. 9² x 12² approx. – 228mm x 305mm), 4. They are small and lightweight and take relatively little training to use. 5. They can use steel rule dies as there cutting tools and can also be used for embossing. 6. They are safe to use.

The Ellison Machine is a bearing equipped cam operated type machine that acts as a flatbed platen type cutting press. A large handle allows the operator to make the impression with little effort while maintaining excellent registration and cut quality. The press is a table top model and is very safe to operate. http://www.ellison.com

The Accucut Machine is a roller press type machine that acts as a flatbed platen type cutting press with pressure being exerted as the die passes under the top roller. This press is also a table top model and is quite safe to operate. http://www.accucut.com

Both machine companies will take a sample of the material to be cut and the tooling you own or a in stock tool they own and will do test cuts. This allows a real live test so the customer won't buy a machine that will not work for their business. What a deal! Both companies also act as suppliers for custom and stock steel rule dies and embossing tools.

If you strike out with the presses, one other route may be to have an outsource shop cut the parts for you. It could be quite cheap and maybe a good route to take. A local die cutter, laser cutter, Water jet cutter, sample cutter or prototyping house will be able to help out in any of the question cases outlined.

Metric VS. THe English System of Measurement

2010-03-11T10:07:00.003-05:00

Just about daily we battle between using the Metric System of measurement and the English system of measurement. Some of our customers use only the Metric system while most still use the English system with a bit of Metric thrown in here and there. Let's explore the question of which came first as well as the bigger question; are those companies in the USA the only ones in the World that are still dragging their feet on this issue?

Going as far back in time as the story of Noah's ark, the lack of a yardstick was not a serious drawback. Most measuring was done by one craftsman completing one job at a time, rather than assembling a number of articles piece-meal to be assembled later. It didn't make much difference how accurate the measuring sticks were or even how long they were. Generally, it doesn't make much difference how long a mile, a yard a meter or an inch are or how heavy a pound or an ounce is. What is really important is that everyone means the same thing when referring to each unit of measurement. Measurements must be standard to mean the same thing to everyone. Imagine your business with no way to measure the product...

The First Yard
When the Roman Empire passed into history about six hundred years after the time of Christ, Europe drifted into the Dark Ages. For six or seven hundred years mankind generally made little progress with regard to standardizing measurement. Sometime after the Magna Carta was signed in the Thirteenth Century, King Edward I of England took a step forward. He ordered a permanent measuring stick made of iron to serve as a master standard yardstick for the entire kingdom. This master yardstick was called the "iron ulna", after the bone of the forearm, and it was standardized as the length of a yard, very close to the length of our present-day yard. King Edward realized that constancy and permanence were the key to any standard. He also decreed that the foot measure should be one-third the length of the yard, and the inch one thirty-sixth. King Edward II, in 1324, reverted back to the seed concept of the ancients and passed a statute that "three barleycorns, round and dry," make an inch. However, seeds as well as fingers and feet were no match for a world that soon was to emerge from the ignorance and unrefined practices of the Dark Ages.

The First Meter
As the scientists were experimenting in their laboratories, practical tradesmen were making themselves permanent standards. In 1793, during Napoleon's time, the French government adopted a new system of standards called the metric system, based on what they called the meter. The meter was supposed to be one tenth-millionth the length of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator when measured on a straight line running along the surface of the earth through Paris. With the meter now determined as the basis of the metric system, other linear units of the system were set up in decimal ratios with the meter. With this system, all units are in multiples of ten: ten decimeters in a meter, a hundred centimeters in a meter, and a thousand millimeters in a meter. In the other direction, there are ten meters in a dekameter, a hundred meters in a hectometer, and a thousand meters in a kilometer. Compared to the yardstick, the meter is just a little longer: 39.37 inches long.

The French government thought it had an infallible system of weights and measures that would be easy to use and would be embraced by everyone. But people were accustomed to thinking in terms of yards, inches, pounds and quarts. At first the new meter as a measure of length proved confusing. Most Frenchmen thought in the old familiar terms, doing some mental arithmetic to convert one quantity into another and, after nineteen years, Napoleon finally was forced to renounce the metric system. However, in 1837, France again went back to the meter, this time for good, hoping to make it universal throughout the world.

While France was evolving the metric system, England also was setting up a more scientifically accurate determination of the yard. Where the French relied on the assumed constancy of the earth's size as a basis for the permanency of their standards, the British turned to the measured beat of the pendulum. Galileo already had learned the secrets of a pendulum. He found that the length of time it took for a pendulum to complete a swing depended upon the length of the pendulum itself. The longer the pendulum, the slower it swung. He also found that a pendulum a little over 39 inches long would swing through its arc in exactly one second. Since a pendulum always behaves exactly the same way under the same conditions, here was another unchanging distance upon which to base a standard measurement.

In 1824, the English Parliament legalized a new standard yard which had been made in 1760. It was a brass bar containing a gold button near each end. A dot was engraved in each of these two buttons. These two dots were spaced exactly 1 yard apart. The same act that legalized this bar as the standard for England also made the provision that, in the event it was lost or destroyed, it should be replaced using the pendulum method to determine its length. A few years later, copies of both the English yard and the French meter standards were brought to the United States. The English system of measuring was almost universally adopted in the United States.

In spite of repeated requests in Congress, there was no legal length standard in the U.S. until 1832. More or less authentic copies of the British copies of the yard were used as length prototypes. In 1832, the Treasury Department decided to admit as a legal Yard the distance between the lines 27 and 63 of a certain bronze bar, 82 inches in length, bought in 1813 in England for the Federal Survey Department. When the British yard bar, which was destroyed in 1834, was replaced in 1855, a new bronze copy No. 11 was sent to the United States which became the legal American Yard Standard.

Converting the United States
Since the mid nineteenth century the United States has made several attempts at converting over to the World Standard. On May 20, 1875 the United States became a charter member of the metric club, having signed the original document (The Treaty of the Meter), in Paris. They were the only English-speaking nation to do so. Since then, 48 nations have signed this treaty, including all the major industrialized countries. In 1975 the US Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act and although made with good intentions, the Treaties, Acts, established Institutes, and passed legislation have yet to push through the change.

To answer the second half of the question - it is not true that the US remains the last holdout. While the rest of the world is pretty much standardized on the metric system of measurements, when it comes to mandatory use, the United States has company in its foot dragging. Great Britain, Liberia and Burma are right there along with the United States. Some international organizations have threatened to restrict U.S. imports that do not conform to metric standards and rather than trying to maintain dual inventories for domestic and foreign markets, a number of U.S. corporations have chosen to go metric. Some Motor vehicles, farm machinery, and computer equipment are now manufactured to metric specifications. We have a feeling that you will be seeing more and more of your customers in the US using the Metric system in their purchases with you as their customers make more and more original specifications in Metric.

One More Important Thing To Know: SI is the abbreviation for the Système International d'Unités, the modernized version of the metric system that most nations have agreed to use. It defines the length of a Meter as the distance light will travel in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. Talk about calibrating your measuring tools!

Thanks goes to Cool Fire Technology for the reprint permission on much of the History contained here.

Written By Mark Batson Baril

One of those random post

2010-03-03T11:02:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Well I have been gone for two weeks and our views have doubled! Hooray! And we even have our first follower! I am going to be happy for what we have instead of being sad for what we could have be positive right?

I have now been here for 4 months and it's crazy how I'm still blown away by all the different ways you can cut things, or how many questions still boggle my mind. Measurements, materials, shapes of cutting, and all the ways you can cut it.
A great tool that we offer on our website that helps me all the time is called our Best Manufacturing Process Calculator. If your taking this moment to read this blog then you should take that extra moment to click on that link. Honestly a great tool, any thing you can think of cutting, any measurement that you can think of that Calculator will do its best to help you.

I hope everyone has enjoyed our blog and learned some new interesting things. I would really love some feed back from anyone with any questions, or if you would like to start our next blog topic? We are here to share everything we know about die cutting, and helping everyone learn anything that they might need to. Yes these blogs even help me understand everything a little bit more.

Again, feel free to ask any questions, leave a comment or even take that other extra moment you might have to become another follower! I would really appreciate it.

Hope everyone's March is going excellent!!!

-Samantha

Calculating Die Cutting Tonnage Continued...

2010-02-17T10:29:00.001-05:00

Let’s Get Really Technical:

A couple of us have actually talked about developing an on-line tonnage calculating website. It would be comprised of a database that held values and asked questions like; Strength values (Tensile) for most common materials (A), Shear strength values for several processes/rule types/ejection, etc…(B), Number of inches being cut (C), Thickness of the material (D). A X B X C X D = Tons 2,000

In fact, this is exactly how many software stress analysis programs work. They take a set of very obvious variables and make a simple calculation based on these (and other) numbers. It gives you a very consistent way of looking at every project you take on. Right or wrong, the answer is a base number to start with, and that is what we have gathered is the trick to determining proper starting tonnage numbers. Once you have this standard formula in place and trust that it will give you that base number, you can then depend on it and translate it to work in different machinery on your shop floor. Perhaps you have a string of ten punch presses and they all cut a little different. One is hydraulic, one is pneumatic, one is mechanical off a simple small cam while another throws off a giant flywheel that was welded back together by Uncle Joe a few years back. They all cut differently but they all have a factor you can use as a multiplier against that base number we just calculated out. It’s beautifully simple really, it just takes some time to develop and work out in your own shop, on your own equipment. Once you have that number, everyone can plan around the equipment you have vs. the projects you have with more confidence.

So then the formula may look like this;
(A X B X C X D) F = Tons (Where F is a press factor based on experience and/or a manufacturers guidelines.) 2,000 Putting this into a real life situation may look something like this; I have a ten up steel rule die cutting and creasing .018” paperboard. There are 1,000 total inches of cutting, creasing, stripping, support knives etc… I am using modern ejection materials. I am cutting on a platen style press.
17000(A) X 1(B) X 1,000(C) X .018(D) X 1(F) = 153 Tons. 2,000
Simple Formulas from above; C/6.5 = Tons (1,000 / 6.5 = 153.8 Tons) or (C X 400) / 2,000 = Tons (1,000 X 400) / 2,000 = 200 Tons

Both formulas work and give us a range that is safe and a good starting point.

Now Let’s Get Really Simple:

What seems to happen with all this fancy calculating in real world situations is that the base theory gets boiled down to simple formulas that work for similar situations. Most of us deal in very similar tooling and materials everyday and having a very fast and simple way of coming up with a safe base number is natural. If you are always working in paperboard in about the same caliper, taking the total periphery and dividing by a single proven number is a fantastic way to approach tonnage calculating. The same goes for plastic, steel, leather, or anything else you cut on a regular basis.

So, this article is not going to give a catch-all formula for determining tonnage for all materials on all press types, with all tools, because there are too many factors involved and nobody would ever use it in real life. What we can do is offer a base calculation where you plug in your own numbers based on experience. Your own situation will provide the best formula for you.

That base calculation would look like this;
Total Periphery to Convert X Material Factor / 2,000 = Tons Needed

Developing a living chart of MATERIAL FACTORS will then be the key to making this work in your business. We’ve been using paperboard a good deal in our discussions and it seems that a starting point for a folding carton manufacturer on a Flatbed style press would be a MATERIAL FACTOR of 300. The heavier gauge the material is the bigger the Material Factor. (1,000 Inches X 300) / 2,000 = 150 Tons Keep in mind that if your cutting process changes, maybe it’s as simple as going to a harder rubber or steeper bevel rule, you will have to use a multiplier to compensate for this change.

There is no trick of the trade in calculating the tonnage you need for a project but as you develop a more and more sophisticated list of materials and how they process on your equipment, you will have an estimating and production tool that will help you predict with greater accuracy how well a job will run, where it should run, how many up it can run, and whether or not it will run at all. You will have a leg up on the competition that is still shooting from the hip and this will really put the pressure on them…..

We’d like to thank all of the operators out there that are trying to improve their production techniques and came to The TECHTEAM with their questions!

Calculating Die Cutting Tonnage

2010-02-10T11:50:00.001-05:00

Compiled & Written by The IADD TECHTEAM

Knowing How Much Pressure It Will Take To Convert Your Product Is One More Key To Success

Here on the TECHTEAM we sometimes see the same question more than once. The question of “how much tonnage will it take to cut this product?” is the most common, and also one of the hardest to answer because of the complexities involved in calculating a perfect number. In fact the question should probably be, “is it possible to calculate exactly the tonnage it will take to cut a specific product, in a specific material, on a specific press?” This article outlines the basic theory of calculating tonnage needed to cut and will give most readers a base starting point they can feel comfortable with for their business.

Here’s my problem with the idea of tonnage. It’s an intangible sort of a concept that really has no place at all in my business. It seems to change and move and act quite slippery and I really just don’t think I need to deal with it. That is true until I find out that the machine I just planned a job for in a very specific factory, on a very specific machine, on a very specific tool, in a very specific material, will not run because the machine doesn’t have the guts to get the job done. Then it becomes a factor that I should have paid allot more attention to right from the get go.

For most of us, the machines we plan around have all the tonnage we’ll ever need for 99% of the jobs we will ever see. I’d bet most estimators never even look at this factor when they plan a job. For many diecutters the advantage of knowing how to accurately calculate tonnage needed makes the biggest difference in faster make-readies, and that alone is well worth the effort of knowing how to at least get a good starting number. For some of us it will only make a difference when we are planning an usual job that needs to run perfectly the first time around, and that alone is also worth knowing exactly what you are talking about.

So, where on Earth do we start? How about a bit of theory? The tonnage needed to cut/emboss a material is strictly a function of the strength of the material, the shear power of the process being used to cut, the size of the image to cut, and other factors like flex in the machinery, ejection materials, air pressure build-up’s, etc… That being the case then we should be able to use a simple formula that says – This is the amount of image I have to cut/crease/emboss/etc. that has value A. This is how thick the material is and it has value B. This is the material that I am cutting and it has value C. Calculate them all out and I get an exact number that works every time. Answer D.

Straight from the from Machinery's Handbook 25th ED. P1924 “P = periphery x thickness x tensile strength(PSI) where P is cutting force in pounds.” That was easy! And in fact for many cases it may be a number that is good enough to get started. The problem lies in the fact that there are many different processes and techniques for cutting and each holds a different value that must be factored in, and there must be a starting value for the material you are cutting.

Over the past year we’ve been answering tonnage calculating questions and it’s really interesting to take a look at all the formulas being used out there. Here’s a typical and really great question. "Thanks for taking my call. Here is my question. I need to be able to figure if my die cutting press has enough tonnage for different jobs that we produce. We die cut anything from 10 pt to 100 pt. paper in different shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are 1 up, sometimes they are 100 up. Is there a formula that I can use to determine if I can run a job 2 up as oppose to 5 or 6 up? Something like 1 ton of press is equal to 6 in of cutting rule when cutting 18 pt. and 5 in of rule when cutting 24 pt. This would greatly help when trying to quote jobs knowing that I can't die cut as many up as I print. Thanks in advance for your help.”

Here’s a sampling of formulas and answers that worked for this and other applications;

6.5 inches of cut rule with ejection = 1 ton pressure This should be good for paper up to .030 thick for thickness .031 - .050 reduce the inch count by 10% for thickness .051 - .070 reduce the inch count by by 20% for thickness .071 - .100 reduce the inch count by by 30%

Total inches x thickness x (some material strength factor you know to be correct) /2,000 is one way to get total tonnage needed.

For each inch of rule, you will need 300 lbs of pressure and for each square inch of rubber; you will need approximately 50 lbs of pressure. So if a die has 1000 inches of cutting rule and is rubbered in strips of ½” wide on each side of the knife, it will calculate to 1000 x 300 and 1000 x 50 or 350,000 lbs of pressure or 175 tons.

We use a factor of 400 pounds per linear inch of rule up to 500 pound per inch depending upon material being cut. Paper is 400 pounds. Ejection rubber can add up to 20% more pressure needed, depending upon amount of rubber in die.

I have looked over the information you supplied me and I feel fairly confident your 50 ton press would be able to cut your material to the size and # up you are considering. The most basic formula many of us in the industry use is 6.5 inches of cut knife requires 1 ton of cutting pressure to cut and eject a paper sheet .018 thick. Considering other factors such as the die area, serrated rule and the fact that I feel that a press can be called upon from time to time to cut up to 110% of its tonnage rating. If I didn't know for sure that it did not have the ability to cut to this pressure I would take a chance and build this die and use it as a "benchmark" as what the press is capable of cutting. If you would like me to go into further detail please contact me.

Case Study: Snow Shoe Cutting

2010-02-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

On this particular project we were asked to visit, and so we did. The following is a gathering of facts as seen from the manufacturers viewpoint...

A few quotes gathered during that visit;
"We dread the busy season this year. We make snow shoes and one of our major operations includes diecutting. We currently have twenty-eight different shoe models and each model averages five different cut shapes. These five parts will often be of at least three different materials all of which are fairly tough to cut multiple layer synthetics. We produced approx. 5,000 of each model during last year. About every two to three years the models change and so we must at least partially re-tool. Some of the models have an overlap of parts allowing us to combine diecutting runs. We currently use clicker/forged dies, steel rule dies, and specialty machined dies."

"Our problems include the following:"

Sales of our product are increasing fast. They are also unpredictable in regards to which model will sell best and what the actual quantities will be.
We are running two clicker type presses full time on two shifts and can barely keep pace. We plan to go to a third shift this year during the busy season.
We believe that the diecut parts of our product will become obsolete within 5 - 10 years.
Prototypes are needed by R & D, quickly and accurately from our CAD files. We have no way of doing this well.
Yield is critical because our materials are so expensive. All our material comes in rolls. They vary from 36" (915mm) wide to 60"(1,524mm) wide. Currently we must slit and sheet everything to size and then make our cuts, not always enjoying a no-waste situation.

"The question is - Is there a better way, and what is it?"

A Better Way:

After gathering some facts from the outside, we have put together the following possibilities followed by a recommendation.

Put on the third shift and continue as you have been. This has the advantage of simplicity, very little capital cost and no additional space needed for production. Your operators are already trained and new ones will be easy to bring up to speed. Disadvantages include having to hire more people, no yield improvements, and no prototype abilities. The costs of doing this may prove to be the highest of all of the solutions mentioned here.

Put in another clicker press and keep the production to just two shifts. A good clicker type press can be purchased for under $8,000.00 USD and will save you a lot of money in the cost of actually setting up a temporary third shift. This doesn’t solve all the problems but it may be a good cheap fix for this year. Long term this still has the yield problem nipping at your heals. As we all know in the diecutting business, material is where the money can be made or lost!

Choose several of your common large quantity parts and have a diecutting manufacturer produce these parts for you. You can still control the materials and the timing for deliveries while someone else absorbs the cost of the machinery needed to do the job quickly and efficiently. You may be surprised at the overall cost of the purchased parts compared to your actual costs of cutting them yourself. The current manufacturer of your materials may even be able to provide you with this service and with today’s quick turn-around times, your unpredictable sales volumes will not be a problem. Your company can continue to produce the specialty and low volume parts in-house while having the stress of the high volume parts passed on to someone else.

Plan to purchase a new type of press. The perfect type of press for your situation would be a traversing head press with a belt delivery system that feeds from a roll. These presses can also be purchased with computer controls that allow for a best yield for material based on your CAD file. The head can turn in any direction as it travels in order to get the perfect nest and the fastest cut. These machines also have the advantage of being able to store into memory each part or job and to be able to recall this information at the touch of a button. Between this technology and tooling matched to it, set-up times would be very short. You would, more than likely, be able to use most of your current supply of dies. Cost would be around $ 80,000 USD. You would be able to eliminate your slitting and sheeting operations and should gain enough time to be able to reduce your full time cutting staff from four people to two. This combined with material gains may make it a very logical choice. The gains would outweigh the costs over the course of a few years, and should beat the obsolescence of your product by a wide margin. You may even be able to cut products for other companies in your area. The only area it misses is the prototypes!

We talked about waterjet cutting, CNC routing, and other computer driven cutting machines at our meeting. The advantages they all have are that they would enable you to produce prototypes, would allow you to get a great yield from the material, and would eliminate any tooling costs associated with your constantly changing models. They would also eliminate the slitting and sheeting of materials. The two big disadvantages they have are that they are slow compared to punching parts out with tooling, and they all are very expensive to purchase, possibly reaching past the $125,000 mark without blinking an eye. Typical running speeds on any of these machines will be between 30 and 200 inches per minute depending on the material and how intricate the cuts are, where as a tool with 30 to 200 inches of cutting surface can make an impression many times during that same minute.

From this group of five possible solutions it seems as though the traversing head press purchase is the most logical with prototypes being cut by an outside vendor. A closer look may uncover that a combination of the above suggestions may be your best choice.

Our recommendation at this point would be to gather together and take a closer look at your costs, especially those costs associated with wasted materials. Is it really possible to gain a significant amount of money by cutting materials to a better yield? How much time and money will you really save by not having to convert the rolls before they are die cut? What does your labor really cost you over the course of a year and does it make sense to try and reduce the labor cost? What are the sales predictions for the next five years and have they been accurate over the past five years?

The final conclusion set this company on a course that continued some production in-house while developing an outside source that cut finished parts and prototypes. A great solution for a semi-complicated situation.

Diecutting from an outsiders view

2010-02-03T13:47:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone.

First off let me say if you are reading this you better be a follower and if you are not then you should start!

As you might be able to tell this blog is new and we are trying to keep it as exciting as possible. If you have any questions about diecutting feel free to send us a message and maybe we can create a blog about it. Or feel free to go to our website - www.cutsmart.com .

We really do appreciate any feedback that could make us a better site.

My name is Samantha and before I worked with Cut Smart I admit I knew really nothing about diecutting, laser cutting, waterjet cutting, even now it is a still a little confusing. But there is so many things that we use in our daily life that has something to with one of them! Even in the last article about diecutting food!? Didn't even know that was possible. If you are just sitting on your couch can you even count the things that have been through the diecutting process? It is really interesting how these little things, like your TV remote, has been through some sort of process like that. Those things that you don't think about normally but if you thought about it for a moment it could actually be pretty interesting to learn how such things are made.

I hope you all enjoyed my little post, I will try to post again.

And again please feel free to leave feedback, or even become a follower!

Have a great week everyone!

Diecutting Food

2010-01-28T13:41:00.001-05:00

Written by Mark Batson Baril

SO - YOU WANT TO DIE CUT WHAT? It never stops amazing me how many different products are cut with dies and specialty cutting processes. Most recently I have been reminded that there are many companies out there that need to cut food as part of their production. Sometimes it's just slitting, slicing or chopping and sometimes a manufacturer will want to produce a product in a shape that cannot be extruded or made in a mold. In this case, we as die cutters, die makers, and specialty cutters are called upon to step up to the oven and take a shot at the unusual. Years ago I built some tooling that was to be used for cutting brownies into that typical rectangular shape brownies come in. Instead of slitting the shapes in two directions after the sheet of goods was baked, the manufacturer wanted to cut the entire sheet of cooked goods in one shot as it passed down the line. They wanted a very uniform size and wanted to trim the baked edges off so everyone got exactly the same thing. As it happened, we made no effort to look into any type of government regulations or standard industry practices that would help us figure out what materials to use. We had a couple of meetings, used a bit of common sense, and came up with a very basic steel rule die that used solid stainless steel blades and a plastic base that was approved for medical applications by a US government agency (good enough for medical it must be good enough for food, right?). Ejection was handled with a center hole in each cavity that allowed a stainless stripper plate to be activated from the back of the tool. Everything was washable, would resist rusting, corroding, and no part of the tool could flake away and become part of the food. We built a great tool and everything worked well. In retrospect, we probably should have made the tool with no base and welded everything together so it would have been easier to wash, or better yet we should have passed the whole project onto someone that really knew the business. Still the question remains with me today, did we build tooling that met the standards?

All around the world governments have set-up standards that food manufacturers must adhere to. Deep down, I think this is what we all worry about when we get into making tools, or processing foods, and rightly so. In the US we have the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) that tells us how to produce things when it comes to foods - they police it too… In Europe there are as many regulators as there are countries and yet with the growing closeness of European countries an entity called The European Commission is taking more control of these matters. In China, the Ministry of Health plays a big part in who does what and how. From Ministries of Health to Food Inspection Agencies around the world, everyone has got to follow some sort of rule when they process foods. There are even cooperative agreements set-up between countries/agencies to help manage the production of food that will be imported/exported between them. All in all it can become a very complex task to take on compliance with these government regulations.

"I'm just a diemaker" you say! Well we've got to start somewhere and I'll tell you that it's quite a relief to find that a government agency (the FDA is easiest for me to access and has a pretty decent web site) uses at least a little common sense when it comes to the equipment used for cutting food. Here are some excerpts from:
The FDA Code of Federal Regulations- Title 21, Volume 2 - TITLE 21 -- Food And Drugs - Chapter I -- Food And Drug Administration, Department Of Health And Human Services - Part 110--Current Good Manufacturing Practice In Manufacturing, Packing, Or Holding Human Food.

Sec. 110.20 Plant and grounds.
(a) General maintenance. Buildings, fixtures, and other physical facilities of the plant shall be maintained in a sanitary condition and shall be kept in repair sufficient to prevent food from becoming adulterated within the meaning of the act. Cleaning and sanitizing of utensils and equipment shall be conducted in a manner that protects against contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials.

Sec. 110.40 Equipment and utensils - (This Includes the Dies and Presses)
(a) All plant equipment and utensils shall be so designed and of such material and workmanship as to be adequately cleanable, and shall be properly maintained. The design, construction, and use of equipment and utensils shall preclude the adulteration of food with lubricants, fuel, metal fragments, contaminated water, or any other contaminants. All equipment should be so installed and maintained as to facilitate the cleaning of the equipment and of all adjacent spaces. Food-contact surfaces shall be corrosion-resistant when in contact with food. They shall be made of nontoxic materials and designed to withstand the environment of their intended use and the action of food, and, if applicable, cleaning compounds and sanitizing agents. Food-contact surfaces shall be maintained to protect food from being contaminated by any source, including unlawful indirect food additives.
(b) Seams on food-contact surfaces shall be smoothly bonded or maintained so as to minimize accumulation of food particles, dirt, and organic matter and thus minimize the opportunity for growth of microorganisms.

Sec. 110.80 Processes and controls.
(10) Mechanical manufacturing steps such as washing, peeling, trimming, cutting, sorting and inspecting, mashing, dewatering, cooling, shredding, extruding, drying, whipping, defatting, and forming shall be performed so as to protect food against contamination. Compliance with this requirement may be accomplished by providing adequate physical protection of food from contaminants that may drip, drain, or be drawn into the food. Protection may be provided by adequate cleaning and sanitizing of all food-contact surfaces, and by using time and temperature controls at and between each manufacturing step.

Wow - Did you actually read all that? Those are three minor sections of a seventeen page document that outlines the basics you need to know to cut food or to build tooling that will cut food in the US. You'll have to go to another document for some of the definitions of some of those sections. All in all though I must say that most of it is common sense and quite achievable within most diemaking shops and with many die cutting machines. If you are not in the US you may find that the rules to follow are more stringent or less stringent. Putting it all together as one neat, consistently reproducible manufacturing process is the trick. There are consultants as well as people from within your various government agencies that can help in setting up and maintaining a proper process.

So to answer the question of whether or not we built tooling that met the standards - I would say yes we did. (That's a load off my mind!) In fact, if the company that was using the tooling was following the rules, they would have had a person in charge of making sure we were in compliance and if there had been a problem, we would have heard about it. And if they were somehow out of line with this way of thinking, I'm sure the Food Police would have caught up with the whole bunch of us.

Of course none of this covers the very related area of diecutting items that will come into direct contact with foods. Labels, packaging, tags, etc….. all fall into this category and although the manufacturing of these will carry somewhat the same rules and regulations that actual food cutting does, the big added factor to watch out for is the type of material that you are incorporating. Papers, plastics, inks, coatings, glues, etc….. are all controlled under many government agencies.

Good luck and I hope this gets anyone interested in die cutting food, or making tools for the same, started in the right direction and further away from that anxious feeling that comes with dealing with government regulations.

Please contact Cut Smart if you would like more information on this subject.

The Natural Hierarchy of Industrial Information

2010-01-20T12:30:00.003-05:00

What, When, and Why to Share Your Knowledge
Mark B. Baril – Cut Smart Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc./ IADD TECHTEAM

Have you ever wondered what the inventor of the wheel did to protect the idea when he or she came up with the first prototype? I picture a heavy load of stones rolling down a path, the entire load, including wheel(s), completely covered with animal skins so nobody could see how this difficult task was being performed so easily. He moved the loads at night to try and keep the idea to himself for as long as possible but after some time passed, he took the wheel idea and shared it with his closest group of friends so they could have an easier life as well. Some of them paid him in food for the idea, while others simply became part of his group of idea makers. Because the idea was shared within this close and trusted group, the axle was invented by another person inspired by the original invention within the same group of people. Cloaked in secrecy, he and his friends could now go further and faster than anyone else in the village and they prospered because of it. This sharing, stacking, and building of ideas upon one another is the basis for technological and social advancement whether it be for a wheel, a new teaching technique, or an advanced material. It is one of the most exciting and complicated activities we can focus on in our businesses.

GE (General Electric, a USA based mega-corporation) uses the tagline “Imagination at Work.” BMW (the German Luxury car maker) says in their advertising “At BMW ideas are everything.” Having great ideas is sexy and not only are these companies working to capitalize on it in their marketing strategies, they are working hard internally at finding these new ideas and innovations. Google (the World’s leading internet search engine), seeing such enormous value in this concept, has built an intranet site specifically to bring in new ideas from all employees. Each employee, no matter their position within the company’s hierarchy, or their level of expertise, is encouraged to spend time each day in the R&D function of assembling their ideas and thoughts for improvement. They then place the ideas onto the Google internal site. All employees are then able to enter into discussions and debates around the ideas and a buzz of activity starts to surround the ideas with the best legs. The person in charge of moving new ideas forward is then able to categorize, review, and bring to group brainstorming sessions these new ideas. By bringing everyone into an interactive process of thinking out-loud, more ideas are born creating an ever growing system of new ideas.

I would like to focus on one very strong basic feeling or concept in this paper. It’s the same, very simple, concept your parents probably taught you at a very young age, with a small twist at the end. That concept is; Sharing is good - as long as everyone involved is aware of what is being shared.
One of the first things I tell potential clients is that I am really good at keeping my mouth shut. In the business I’m in I have to be…. I recently went through the process of signing a NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) with a potential client. This was a medical device manufacturer and they knew my company already had clients in this market. They wanted some protection against me possibly taking their ideas and sharing them with the competition. This was fair enough, and I have done this enough times in the past that I have a file full of NDA’s. They are an important part of many new relationships and should be treated with respect. Off we went into sharing information, most of it not very new to anyone involved, some of it reminding us of ideas we hadn’t thought of for quite some time, and a few hints of fresh tracks here and there. This talking process led to a meeting at their facility and a full-blown tour of what they do and how they do it. It was informative and enlightening, yet, besides a few details on quantities of parts and forecasts for usage, etc… there hadn’t been a great deal of new idea sharing in either direction. Going into the tour, the one particular process I was curious to learn about was a special material that this company is world renowned for being able to make. I had assumed that the NDA was mostly there to protect this sensitive area of their shop. As we hovered around that production area door with the large “Restricted Area” signs, and saw the finished goods warehouse, and discussed the complexity of building the material, I asked if I could be brought in to see how it is manufactured. The two people giving the tour both shook their heads “no way.” The head of R&D who has been there for many years said nothing more, but the junior engineer seemed to feel that an explanation was in order. He said, “you know, I have been working here for seven months now and they won’t even let me in to see that operation.” It was a valuable moment for me. Here is a company that is a World leader in a very specific niche market and not only were they experts in building what they build, but they were experts at controlling the information that makes that product and their business possible. They know exactly what they have and exactly who they can and will share it with. We continued with the tour and did end up sharing some information that proved to be valuable to both companies.

Knowing What Kind Of Information You Have Is Essential To Knowing What You Can Share

When have you shared too much? Everyone has had that feeling of wanting to pull back information that just spilled out of their mouths. Maybe you talked about something you have talked about with many people, but this person was not the person to tell. Maybe part of your new idea came out and it shouldn’t have. There’s not much you can do once it’s out and it’s not a great feeling when it happens. Reducing this to as close to zero occurrences as possible is an important goal. When have you not shared enough? Most information people have at their disposal is not only known by them but is known by many or most in their industry. When you don’t share this kind of information you make it more difficult to sell what you know and you make it harder for others to want to share with you. That mutual giving is one of the basic concepts in good sharing.

Let’s define this TYPE OF INFORMATION IDEA a bit better.
Information and ideas break down, in their simplest form, into one of four sequential categories or stages. Each stage goes through a time cycle that can be very short, as in minutes, or very long, as in many years. All four stages are forever linked and are interdependent much of the time. All new ideas/concepts start at Stage 1 and most ideas will reach Stage 4 at some point. In some cases, ideas may never make it to Stage 4. They are truly best in the business ideas and may remain at Stage 3 for thousands of years. Let me explain…..

Top Secret

• A brand new idea, technique, product or method.
• Valuable to inventor.
• Top Secret, Confidential, Proprietary.
• Used & known by very few people / companies. (perhaps just one)

Some examples may include; That new technique I can’t talk about in this type of situation! Perhaps your gravy train idea for die cutting that nobody else has figured out how to do yet. It could be an idea, a technique, or an invention, but the one thing it surely is, is new.

This is my favorite Stage to be involved with! It is where things are moving fast, are invigorating, and very exciting. It is also the most important Stage to know you are dealing with from a confidentiality standpoint. Both the sharer and the sharee must feel comfortable talking about these ideas and must know what is expected of them in dealing with this type of information. These concepts are what puts you ahead of the competition, allows you to bring something special to the table with your clients, and stimulates a culture of innovation in your organization. It’s very difficult to share this type of idea with someone you don’t know.

Just Released

• A just released to the public idea, technique, product or method.
• Very valuable to those selling it and using it.
• Cutting Edge Technology, a valuable sales tool.
• Used & known by only the most informed people.

Some examples may include; fuel cells, automatic benders, high speed blanking innovations, galvo laser cutting systems, hybrid cars, and the internet. (yes, you are familiar with these ideas, but millions of people are not)

Stage 2 information has just been released to the public. The timeline and sharing in this stage can be interesting to deal with because what some people have known about for only a little while, others that are more on top of new products and ideas may have known about for much longer. Also presenting a challenge are people needing services from outside their industry that involve your industry to help them. They may consider what you bring to the table Stage 1 ideas, when in reality they are not. Your competition knows this but your client may not. Knowing what to share and when is a key to keeping customers, and from your competition’s standpoint – landing new customers. It’s difficult to share this type of idea with someone you don’t know, but much easier than sharing a Stage 1 idea.

Common Knowledge

•Common Knowledge idea, technique, product or method.
• Valuable to everyone using and selling it.
• Level playing field technology, as everyone has it or knows it exists. If you don’t have it you may be falling behind. It’s mainstream.
• Used by most people and/or companies.

Some examples may include; language, cell phones, laser dieboard cutters, counterplates, cars, bicycles, computers, dancing, use of tools, electricity.
Most of us work in this area everyday in nearly everything we do. From sending an e-mail to washing your car – you are in Stage 3. The same situation exists as it does in Stage 2 ideas in regards to other industries or cultures coming to your industry or your culture. The ideas and ways of doing things that you take for granted are new to them. That creates an ideal mixing point for new ideas to be born. It’s easy to share this type of idea with someone you don’t know.

Obsolete

•Obsolete idea, technique, product or method.

• No longer being used or sold by most people.
• Old technology, in some cases forgotten by most in the industry.
• Antique status. Old timers may find comfort and knowledge in knowing the roots of the idea but new comers have a faster and better way.
Some examples may include; the horse and buggy, leather boots for skiing, letter presses, nicking dies with a screw driver and hammer, maybe even film for cameras is heading this way?
Can you think of any more examples here? I’m betting you can as we are surrounded by new inventions that have made what we used to do seem slow and outdated. The beauty of knowing about and remembering these outdated concepts becomes evident when we can take that old idea and combine it with another idea to build a brand new concept. It’s very easy to share this type of idea with someone you don’t know.

THE WHEEL IN VARIOUS STAGES

So Again – What Is My Point?

Sharing is good as long as everyone involved is aware of what is being shared and knowing what kind of information you have is essential to knowing what y can share especially when you as the sharer intend to share Stage 1 information. What kind of information do you have in your business? Who are you going to share it with and who are you going to keep it from? In order to move up in the information food chain you must be willing to share Stage 2, 3, and 4 information openly. Openly doesn’t mean carelessly but it does mean that you are at least open to the idea of sharing most of the time with later than Stage 1 ideas. In order to build trust within your circle of peers you must be willing to give. The openness created by stating what you are sharing and then sharing it, without reservation, is a stimulating, relationship building, trust building, and sometimes a trying exercise for all of us especially when we are sharing with potential rivals. The problem with not sharing Stage 2, 3, and 4 information, is that if you don’t someone else will and when they do you will have sacrificed an opportunity. That lost opportunity was to learn something new from them. You will have driven away a potential new idea someone else may have shared with you. The sharing of information opportunity you may have received from that person is gone and you have handed that opportunity to someone else. Knowing where to draw the line is the key to sharing well and moving up your circle of peers to as close to Stage 1 information as possible. It makes you stronger as a person, and as a company. By not sharing non-confidential information we isolate ourselves and make it harder for our organizations to grow and prosper.
Let’s Put It All Together

Between each idea stage there is a mixing point. That mixing point is what intimidates us when sharing because we may be sharing our higher stage information with someone that doesn’t know it yet. We may help the competition. We may help a customer do it themselves. There are all sorts of reasons to not share but unless you are working with Stage 1 or very early stage 2 information, that person is going to find out from somebody else. By not sharing, that relationship opportunity will be lost and you will lose in the long run as you will not be exposed to the potential benefits that the mixing point inherently provides – New Ideas….

TOTAL TIME LINE MAY RANGE FROM JUST A FEW DAYS TO MANY YEARS
The intersection of very new ideas and recently new ideas is where the best action is to be found.

The reality of these mixing points may look more like this model, multiplied out to cover the Earth, where many industries and many ideas all mix together at various times within the lifecycle of each stage creating an infinite number of possibilities for innovation.

There Are Several Factors That Have Developed And Continue To Develop Quickly That Make This Base Concept Of Sharing An Urgent One To Understand, Set Policy For, And Embrace.

The first is that the days of people staying in one job for their entire working life are gone. People change jobs frequently and are willing to uproot for many different reasons. This change in business reality has led to information and ideas moving with them. In many cases this is good for the company receiving the new employee and bad for the company loosing the employee. Confidential information, Stage 1 ideas, can walk right out the door with them. Some companies deal with this with non-compete agreements or other legal documents that cover information secrecy for a term that seems safe and fair, while other shops protect information so tightly that new internal ideas cannot form as easily as they would if the culture was more open. Whatever the case may be there must be an understanding of the root idea of sharing and what it can lead to both with internal and external information. Risks must be accessed and a plan must be in place to move forward.

The second is that technology has made it incredibly easy for us to share our information. The pace of new ideas forming has never been greater in all of human history. Concepts that used to take months or years to filter out into the public domain can be made understandable and available nearly instantly. CAD and graphics programs have become easier to use and more available to the masses for easy explanations and the advent of the world wide web of information access via the internet has pushed the exchange of this information right into the fast lane. If we understand what we have and want to share, this speed-up can work greatly to our advantage but if we are unsure of, or have no clue as to, what we have and want to share, then this speed-up can work against us.

The third relates to competition and exchanges both on a local and international level. Sharing with the local competition, if you are a local area service provider, is seen by some as self-defeating. I would say, for all the reasons outlined in this paper so far, that this can be true if you don’t know what you are sharing. If you do know what you are willing to share and are not will to share, then again for all the reasons outlined so far in this paper, you are making a wrong move by not sharing, even with the local competition. Taken to the next level of international competition that word “self-defeating” can rise to the term “treason” via feelings of patriotism and cultural superiority. How often do we complain about anyone caught sharing ideas or helping a start-up shop in a competitive country? It doesn’t matter if it’s an idea or concept being shared from Europe to China or an idea moving from India to the USA, the people in both giving information countries feel as though they are losing something that will eventually hurt them because they are helping the competition. They are taking jobs away. In reality, if they are sharing open information in an organized manner, they can gain more in the exchange than they give. They will build those relationships that provide fast, up-to-date, and fresh ideas that will help them survive both the local and international competition. If the new ideas in the industry have the current or future potential of emanating from outside your sphere of peers, whether that is local or international potential, then you will need to move your focus on sharing to a wider circle of peers. That may include the competition both near and far. It may also include the guy sitting in the office right next to yours!

So I admit it, I’m addicted to sharing. I love the giving part and I love the getting part as well. Most of all though I’m addicted to the mixing part caught between my ideas and someone else’s. That’s where the action is! I highly recommend putting the sharing information process way up on your list of things to do as often as possible. Whether it be with your best customer, your most loyal co-worker, your best supplier, or your biggest rival, the rewards can be terrific.

Mark Batson Baril of Cut Smart Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc. grew up as a steel rule die maker and has been involved in die making and die cutting since 1976. His company provides vital component engineering & manufacturing for complex specialty products, medical devices, filtration, life sciences, and aerospace products. Mark is a member of the IADD TECHTEAM. http://www.cutsmart.com/ & http://www.iadd.org/

Medical Device Tooling For Diecutting

2010-01-14T12:09:00.000-05:00

Written By Mark Batson Baril

More than once in the last month, the question has been put forth as to how to produce a good steel rule type die that will be used to cut a disposable medical device. There are many different types of medical devices. The ones we are talking about here may be produced in clean room conditions but are more likely required to be produced in clean areas that have very little contamination allowed. These medical devices may be used internally and almost always come in contact with the body. The parts may be sterilized after they are produced but they are expected to pick up as few extra particles as possible during all phases of production. In some cases the tooling is used in production of bio medical devices/products where it is important to the product to be exposed to as little extra material as possible during processing.

The make-up of the tooling seems quite simple until you start to research the methods and materials needed to produce a die that will fit the following set of conditions:

-Will not rust even if exposed to alcohol, water, and other nasty chemicals (we consider water to be nasty because it causes rust)

-Will not flake or shed material, including steel, wood, rubber, plastic, etc…

-Will enable cleaning of the tool to remove glues, hydrogels, foam residues, etc…

-Will be accurate, reproducible, long lasting, fast to produce, and of course inexpensive

-Will not crack or loosen during production runs.

Considering all of the above - the tool should be made of some type of plastic base with stainless steel rule/punches and a non-shedding ejection material. Here's what we found in each case:

Base Materials:
Acrylic is the clear plastic base material of choice for many diemakers. The main reasons are that it is clear, readily available, and it cuts very well on a laser. The main drawbacks for medical are that it is not FDA*(US Food and Drug Administration) approved and it cracks easily under the stress of diecutting. This material is not a great choice for medical dies.

Polycarbonate (common trade name is Lexan) is another common choice. It is clear, easily found, and resists cracking very well. It is 30 times as strong as Acrylic. It's two main drawbacks for medical dies are that it cannot be cut on the laser (thin polycarbonate can be cut on the laser, while ½" to ¾" prove to be almost impossible) and it is not FDA approved. If your tools must be clear (see through) this is probably you best choice.

High Density Polyethylene, Low Density Polyethylene, ABS, PVC and PETG are also commonly available base materials that are tempting to use. None of them cut well on the laser and none of them are approved for use by the FDA. We see no advantage to considering any of them unless you need to think about electrical properties and static.

UHMW-PE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene), Nylon, and Delrin are all readily available, and are FDA approved. None of them cut well on the laser but we highly recommend all of them for use in die bases. They are very impact resistant, chemical resistant, machine well, and come in White which really looks great when you are making a medical die. This is your best choice.

The problem with this best choice for base materials is that the laser is not a great way to work the material to the shape you want. The material can be jigged well and can be machined well which leaves us with quite a few production options. Most die shops will have a jig saw at their disposal and can produce their tool as it was done before lasers. Most also have some type of drill press or milling machine that will allow for simple shapes like holes to be cut to receive punches, washer sets, and specialty punches. All of us have at our reach the ability to outsource a specialty base like this to a machine shop equipped with CNC machining capabilities. The base can be machined in two pieces or more, in order to build just about any shape imagined. Offsets can be built in to receive rule or punches and the tool is built without bridges. Every project will be different, but there are very few limits that can be placed on a die when we combine the methods that are available to accurately machine plastics. Keep in mind one of the advantages of the old methods of producing steel rule dies (non-laser) is that the kerf is very consistent from top to bottom. There are typically no voids or pockets left to collect any of the fluids that the tooling may see for medical production clean-up and the top and bottom only grabbing we see from a laser kerf is replaced by a tight non-moving match of rule to base.

When it comes right down to it, if you can use a tool that has no base material, you will be best off. Forged tooling type dies are a great choice in this area.

Blade Material/Punches:
All the rules that we commonly use for steel rule dies will rust. They have coatings (usually oils) that stop them from rusting in the box, but once they're in the die and the oil wears off, they are going to rust, especially if you wash them with water. We have one customer who washes their tooling by putting it in a bucket of water (FDA Approved of course) and then scrubs it down. The other thing that we need to avoid in the medical field is delivering a tool that has oil on it to start with.

So there are a couple of choices to make. One is to produce the tool using a rust resistant steel, the other is to plate or cover the regular tool steel with a rust resistant coating.

Stainless Steel is the best thing to use for both rule and any type of punch. It is expensive, hard to find anyone who wants to work with, takes a long time to get through the machining process, and is hard to bend and work with once it is heat treated. 400 series stainless can be machined well, is heat treatable so it can be brought to the hardness needed for big volume diecutting, and it is still rust resistant. We accomplish everything we need except quick turn-around times for tooling and it is not cheap to make. 300 series is more common for diemakers to use in that it does not have to be heat treated, and is bendable. It is not as hard as a 400 series but it will withstand many impressions in many materials and is actually more rust resistant than the 400 series. 303 and 304 are more common than 316 and are use commonly for cutting medical products. The 316 series steel designation shows up as "the best" steel to use for medical devices and this is true for implanted devices that will be in the body for more than 30 days. For standard cutting the 303 and 304 work well.

Coatings are a great way to go if you have the right coating. The one major drawback that all coatings can have is possible flaking or wearing off. Especially in the medical field where non-contamination is key, the concerns with coating steel used for cutting is real. However, if you can create the correct coating the results can be no worse than the normal wearing off of steel you get from the typical steel rule, punch, or even stainless steel rule. We have found that Electroless Nickel Coating with an after coating heat treating, works well. This process adds .0002 (.00508mm) of rust resistant material that wears at close to the same rate as the steel it is covering. Relative to having the parts made in stainless it can be much less expensive, and it is a fairly common and fast process to get through. Make sure you deal with a company that can not only specify what they are doing for you, but can also provide a certificate that says that's what they did. Coating shops are a dime a dozen. Good ones are worth their weight in …. Electroless Nickel.

Ejection Materials:
Typical materials we use in the steel rule die industry for ejection will naturally wear and start to shed material after a certain number of impressions. That number will vary with every project and every press being used. Some of the tricks used for ejection for medical include the following:

-Don't use it! Yes, creating holes in the tool or some other way of ejecting the part is the best way to avoid contamination.

-Use Waterjet cutting to produce the rubber shape. This eliminates that first round of debris you may have from pressing the rubber into the tool or using another type of cutter to cut the rubber.

-Use a top coating or some type of sheet plastic material. This layer stays on top of the rubber and not only helps the top surface of the rubber last longer but also stops any debris from touching the product. I have seen regular old fiberglass reinforced packing tape work well for this.

-Use springs or even flat top ejection plates were you can within the tool. Make these out of stainless or have them coated.

-Consult with your rubber supplier on their best type of material that will give you the push you need and the lack of shedding that your customer requires.

Putting it All Together:

The one last key ingredient to make part of your system of making your medical dies work well is to train the final user to replace their tools on a regular basis. Base materials will wear and get contaminated. Steel used for cutting will wear, flake, and stop cutting well. Ejection will eventually stop ejecting and start to break down. Finding that breaking point in the tools productive life is probably best left to the operator. Telling the operator that a breaking point exists is up to the tool maker.

Tools for the medical industry can be tough to manufacture. I have met many die makers that tend to turn down this type of work. I have also met a few that like this type of work because it tends to pay very well and can be rewarding from a technical standpoint. I have found that it is very possible to meet all the parameters found in the first part of this article except - fast and inexpensive. I Hope this passes on a few tricks of the trade and helps you to develop new ideas on producing or buying better tools.

* The FDA recognizes certain materials as being OK to use for contact with food products during production. Although there probably is a special designation for base materials for cutting tools that the FDA sees as OK for producing medical devices, we have not been able to find it yet. We have always gone with the assumption that if it works for food it works for medical dies. Most medical manufacturers we have dealt with seem to run on the same assumption.

Please contact Cut Smart if you would like more information on this subject.