Rotary Die Cutting (use BACK button to return)

Rotary cutting has a number of distinct advantages:

The depth of cut can be controlled precisely between the anvil and the die which makes it ideal for 'kiss' cutting and results in long life and clean cuts for 'thru' cutting.

Cuts tend to be consistent since the dies are machined from a single piece of tool steel. The blades will break or wear out before moving. It is possible to make a bad cut by deforming the material going through the die.

Material can be processed at high rates of speed. The limiting factor for productivity rarely lies in the cutting. It is usually the material handling, the size of the rolls, or other in-line processes that limits the process speed.

Rotary processes lend themselves to being combined. It is not usual to combine rotary cutting with coating a substrate, laminating a foam material, and embossing it before die cutting.

Because processes can be stacked, the register (timing) between each process can be maintained. A Flexo printed label is an example of this. Each color is a separate rotary process as is the cutting out of the label. When combined in a single rotary process, the relationship between these steps can be adjusted and an aesthetic product is produced at high speeds.

Because of the way a rotary die is constructed, there is less make-ready involved. The results are faster setups, greater productivity, and less scrap. In the broader sense of the word, rotary is a high quality process.

The cost of tooling is moderately higher than steel rule but lower than male/female dies.

Because the material is fed in roll form at high speeds, there is less handling and fewer opportunities for contamination of the product.

Dies can be made and delivered to us in 7 to 10 working days, usually more quickly than material can be obtained.

Given these features, rotary die cutting is ideal for:

High volume applications,

The disadvantage of rotary processes:

Limited size of cut part: we have the capacity to cut 10"x 26" and will soon be adding a 12" and a 20" wide press. It is possible to go up to 60" wide, but for practical and cost reasons, most rotary cut parts are less than 36" wide.

The cost of a rotary die is generally greater than that of a steel rule die, especially for larger patterns and simple shapes.

The material must be supplied in roll form, though in some cases, sheets can be viable. Some materials are hard to find in roll form and in small quantities. We have extensive experience in finding materials and can help locate what you need through a network of distributors and resellers.

Though there are fairly effective stripping processes available to remove internal cut outs such as tractor holes, it is difficult to insure %100 clean parts.

The blades cannot be easily added or moved on existing dies. Blades that are too badly damaged can cost more to repair than it would cost for a new die. It is always possible to remove a blade by

Other considerations:

Inherent in any high speed process, is the problem of handling the parts and the trim as it comes off the press. The simplest solutions involve winding the product back up or dropping the parts into a box. For many products, these are not viable options. For these, additional processes must be used such as shingling on a conveyor, stripper bars, and hand stacking.

In most cases, not all the raw material becomes part of the finished product. The left over material is called trim if it comes off in continuous strips and slugs if it comes off as discrete cut-outs. Special consideration must be given to the layout of the part on the die to optimize the use of the material and the separation of the trim and slugs from the finished part.

There some limitations as to the blade configuration when converting thicker materials. For example, it is not recommended to place two blades 1/16" apart when cutting .040" thick HDPE.

Some materials are sensitive to the chemicals in the tool steel and others are corrosive to the tool steel. In these cases, there are surface treatments and other tooling materials available.