Die cutting machines can be used to mass produce high volumes of cut-out shapes from a variety of materials like paper, fabric, plastic, and more. Dies can be set in whatever shape necessary and their sharp edges reproduce the exact same shape every time. Steel rule dies are designed to be used on thick materials or to create multiple cuts.
Dies are very durable and very sharp—foam or plastic is often situated around the cutting edges to protect the user. Thin metal dies aren’t as heavy duty and are often better for thinner, easier-to-cut materials.
Types of Die Cutting
Different types of die cutting services and die cutters are best-suited to specific tasks:
Flatbed Die or Steel Rule Cutting
The dies are pressed onto the material using hydraulic presses. The strength makes this technique best for heavy & thicker materials.
Rotary and Semi-Rotary Die Cutting
High precision tight tolerance CNC machined rotary dies for high volume production capable of multiple laminations and fabrication options.
Digital Die Cutting
This process is automated via computer control. Instead of crafting every die individually, the computer uses lasers, cutting tools, and other specialized tooling to create precision cuts. Digital die cutting is great for smaller production runs, experimenting, and prototyping, since it’s easy to make changes to the design without creating new and expensive dies each time.
Die Cutting Capabilities
At Just Tape and Converting, our die cutters and die cutting services support a variety of processes, such as:
Through Cutting. As the name implies, this is a cut that goes all the way through the material. You’ll find through-cut parts in many industries, including electronics, aerospace, and more.- Kiss Cutting. Kiss cutting penetrates a single layer of material while preserving the liner behind it. This delicate process is used to create stickers, stamps, labels & custom converted parts.
- Perforating. Die cutters create the perforations that provide tear lines on items such as lottery tickets, checks, or coupons.
- Scoring and Creasing. These processes create a line that helps an item fold accurately. Scoring weakens the item at the folding location via one stress point. Creasing creates two folding points on thicker materials, making the material and any printing that is on it less likely to crack at the fold.
Benefits of Die Cutting
Die cutting offers a range of advantages for a broad variety of applications, such as:
- Repeatability/uniformity across production runs
- Can cut nearly any design shape
- Close precision cuts that significantly reduce material waste
- Faster and more cost-effective than other methods
- Highly accurate
- Professional appearance for the end product
Gaskets
Gaskets allow manufacturers to create finished products that function properly despite small imperfections. These small devices fill the spaces in between mating surfaces to prevent the leakage of moisture into delicate machinery. Gaskets also reduce the pressure from compression when the machine is actively in use, which protects delicate parts from potential breakage.
In the manufacturing field, these devices are made from a variety of materials that are chosen to fit specific purposes. Gaskets have a number of important applications in many industries.
Common Materials Used in Gasket Production
Flexible gaskets are produced from materials that allow them to fulfill specific functions. Some of the most useful materials include:
- Rubber. Rubber materials include natural rubber, SBR, silicone foams and rubbers, EPDM, and other specially produced materials selected for the properties they can provide.
- Foam
- Films
- Teflon/Teflon coated fabrics
- Rubber-coated fabrics
- Foils. Stainless steel, copper, and aluminum and other foils.
Gaskets can be designed to fit the needs of a broad variety of industrial users. Material choice is key to creating a product that functions within expected parameters.
Applications and Uses for Gaskets
Industrial manufacturers use gaskets in a variety of ways, including:
- Bonding parts together to keep them in contact during machine operations.
- Sealing components to prevent the leakage of air and moisture that can compromise machine functions.
- Allowing electrical flow through machine parts without the admittance of unwanted environmental elements.
- Reducing the penetration of electric and radio waves into sensitive equipment.
- Insulation from cold, heat, heavy impact, and other environmental conditions.
Gaskets can be used to cushion, correct, protect, and facilitate the functions of mechanical and electrical machinery. High-performance materials enhance the part’s ability to perform its functions even in harsh applications.
Custom Gaskets from Just Tape and Converting
Gaskets are an integral part of many manufacturing processes. These devices allow the continuous operation of high-speed equipment without wearing down some of the more delicate components. Ensure your parts meet your specifications by choosing the right materials and design to fit your purposes.
Just Tape and Converting
Just Tape and Converting has been offering high-quality die cutting & custom converting services for companies throughout North America since 1999. We serve a wide variety of customers in an expansive range of industries, including medical, aerospace, electronics, renewable energy, transportation, construction and manufacturing. We can help you identify the best solutions to meet your needs, and we have the expertise and capabilities to manage even the most complex, demanding jobs.
We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in over two decades, and we look forward to putting our experience to work for you. Please contact us if you have any questions about our die cutting capabilities or other products and services.