INCREMENTAL FEED

A feed system for a cutting press which incrementally feeds material to be die cut into a die press in increments of inches equal to the depth of the cutting bed of the press. Also called progressive feed as in P-Feed dies.

 

IN NICK

A nick or small “V” shape, half round shape or square shape, put into the edge of the die which cuts out a small section of the die cut piece. It is used as a location device to align various die cut sections for assembly.

 

KNOCK-OUT

A knock out is any device that knocks out the scrap from a cut out in a die.

 

LAMINATE

A web material formed by bonding two or more materials together as in a pressure-sensitive construction. To apply one layer of material over another.

 

MASTER ROLL

A full width roll that has finished primary manufacturing process and is usually untrimmed and unslit.

 

MATRIX (WASTE SELECTION)

The face material and adhesive surrounding a self-adhesive label, usually removed after die cutting.

 

METAL BLANKING DIE

Otherwise called a male/female die having a male section which entered in to the female section of the die crating a shearing action to cut both soft and rigid materials.

 

MULTI-LAYER CUTTING

Many materials are laid up in multiple layers before die cutting. It is not uncommon to lay up many thicknesses of fabric 3 or 4 inches in height and have a die cut through all the layers in one down stroke of a press.

 

NESTING

The nesting of similar or different parts to be die cut on a printed sheet or layout to maximize the material utilization of the material being used in the die cutting process.

 

OFF PRESS MAKEREADY

The off press preparation of a die along with its cutting plate to insure that the die will cut perfectly with not set up time once the die assembly is placed into the cutting press.

 

PERFORATING RULE

A cutting rule that produces perforations in the material to be die cut The perforations can be an aid to better glue adherence in the folding and gluing process of folding cartons.

 

PNEUMATIC PRESS

An air operated cutting press.

 

POWER STRIPPERS

A pneumatic tool that pierces into a stack of die cut blanks to strip away the excess materials from the finished die cut parts.

 

PRESS HEAD

Platen (upper) which you print or die cut against.

 

PRESS PLATE

Cutting surface under which makeready is positioned.

 

PRESS SET-UP

Often called makeready.

 

PROGRAMMABLE FEEDING

Computer operated automatic advancing of the material to be die cut into the cutting area of a cutting press.

 

PROGRESSIVE DIES

Cutting dies that have more than one cutting station to perform complex or complicated die cutting and stripping operations.

 

PROGRESSIVE FEED DIES

A steel rule die made on a long die board sometime up to 30 feet long used to die cut many component parts of a product, like automobile upholstery, carpet treads, etc. The die is incrementally fed under the head of a full head cutting press in increments equal to the depth of the cutting head so that all sections of the die cavities of the P-Feed die are cleanly die cut.

 

PUNCH

There are a wide variety of cutting punches used in the die cutting process. Different types of punches are used in different types of cutting dies to cut out round holes, ovals, squares, rectangles and other shapes in a die cut piece. Typical types of cutting punches are: Center bevel punches Feed thru punches Cup punches Hang hole punches Inside wall punches Seamless punch Serrated punches Side outlet punches Threaded screw punches Tube punches

 

QUICK RELEASE MECHANISMS

Quick release fixtures and assemblies designed into the heads of cutting presses to rapidly remove and insert cutting dies intended to eliminate to drastically reduce down time caused in the changeover of tooling.

 

RECEDING HEAD CUTTING PRESS

A type of a cutting press where the head of the press moves back out of the die cutting area after it has completed its downward and return upward stroke. The advantage of this press is that an operator can have a full view of the work area in advancing material and placement of the die for the next die cut

 

RELEASE LINER

The components of the pressure-sensitive label stock which functions as a carrier for the pressure-sensitive label. Prior to application, it protects the adhesive, and readily separates from the label immediately before the label is applied to product.

 

REPEATABILITY

The ability of cutting a die to reproduce an exact duplicate cut part after each cutting action. Reparability also refers to the ability of a system to exactly duplicate its actions. Specification denoting the ability of a plotter or samplemaker to return to a previous position accurately.

 

RE-RULING

Re-ruling refers to the re-knifing of a steel rule die to replace a dull or worn steel rule blade so that the die will be sharp again for continued effective use.

 

RESHARPENING

Clicker and high dies can have their cutting edges resharpened many times. In resharpening a small amount of height is lost on the die as the edge is rubbed down to flat and parallel condition. The cutting edge is then filed back onto the die to regain its original condition. Where overall height is critical, the back of the die can be spot welded to add height and then the die is blanchard ground back to its original height.

 

ROTARY DIE

A curved cutting die, used in a rotary die cutter. It can be constructed in several methods using curved steel rule blades more being machined by CNC or EDM methods from a solid cylinder blank. Flexible etched magnetic rotary dies are turned around a magnetic cylinder.

 

ROTARY DIE CUTTER

A cutting press that cuts and scores a soft to semi-rigid material with rotating (rotary) dies. Principal benefits are speed and long die life.

 

RUBBER EJECTION

Rubber used to eject the finished product from a cutting die.

 

RULE, PERFORATING

Steel rule die blades that make perforated cuts in the material being die cut

 

SCORING RULE

Steel blade that leaves impression in blank without cutting – usually a fold line.

 

SHIM

A thin strip of steel or plastic, even hard paper used as filler to build up the height of cutouts in a cutting die.

 

SHOULDER CUTTING PUNCH

A cutting punch which has a shoulder machined onto the base of the punch.

 

SIDE OUTLET PUNCH

A cutting punch that ejects the die cut pill or slug out the side of the punch rather than flowing directly through the punch and out the back of the die.

 

SOLID MILLED CLICKER DIE

A close tolerance clicker type die manufactured out of a solid piece of tool steel. It can be either milled out on a milling machine or wire cut on a Wire EDM machine. Normally bent for forged clicker dies are constructed to a commercial tolerance of W0.015”, but when a closer tolerance is required, the die maker will often manufacture a solid milled clicker die to maintain closer tolerances.

 

STATIC

Electrical charges generated in handling materials which cause materials to cling together. Can jump to humans or equipment causing shock or fire if solvents are present. With reference to films, causes them to cling to one another or to other insulating surfaces.

 

STEEL COUNTERPLATE

Steel rule cutting plate with creasing channels that can be either chemically etched, machined or engraved into the surface.

 

STEEL-TO-STEEL

Die cutting method where a steel cutting die is cut against a steel cutting base. Also a method where by two rotary dies are cut against each other.

 

STRIPPING DIE

A two piece die normally used on an automatic platen press to mechanically remove scrap from a die cut sheet.

 

STROKE

The upward or downward action of stroke of a cutting press.

 

TONNAGE

Each die cutting press has a specific capacity or tonnage or pressure available on the down stroke of the head of the press. One ton equals 2000 pounds of downward pressure.

 

UNWIND STANDS

Roller stands that unwind a coil of material just before a die cutting station.