Rotary die cutting is a manufacturing process used to cut and shape materials. Using an industrial rotary die-cutting machine, labels and other products can be quickly and precisely cut to shape. A number of industries, like healthcare, automotive, packaging, labeling, and more use this process to create a number of products.
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But what exactly is rotary die cutting? How is it different from other methods of die-cutting? And when should you use it? Read on to learn everything you need to know about rotary die cutting.
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Direct Thermal vs Thermal Transfer
Rotary die cutting is a label manufacturing method that is versatile, precise, and efficient. A rotary die cutter uses a cylindrical die fitted with sharp blades or creasing lines. The rotary die rotates (hence the name) to cut the labels or other products as the material moves through the machine.
This process is especially useful for custom labels, but can also be used to manufacture a number of products, such as bandages, gaskets, and paper products.
The industrial rotary die-cutting machine is a highly specialized piece of equipment used for rotary die-cutting. These machines are designed for heavy-duty, continuous production. Here are some key features of an industrial rotary die machine:
Rotary die cylinder: This is an essential component of any rotary die cutter. A rotary die is a cylindrical tool that has sharp blades, creasing lines, or other elements for cutting.
Anvil cylinder: Another essential component of a rotary die machine is the anvil cylinder. It provides support and pressure so that cuts are clean and precise. The material moves between the rotary die and the anvil during processing. The clearance between the anvil and the rotary die can be adjusted so the right amount of pressure is applied.
Material handling: Industrial rotary die machines use feeding and tension control systems to make sure the material moves through the machine smoothly. Rolls of material are loaded onto the machine, which then feeds the material through the die-cutting section.
Now that you know a little more about rotary die-cutters, let&#;s walk through the die-cutting process step by step.
The process starts with a roll of material. The material is unwound and fed into the machine.
Before production begins, the die has to be configured to match the label&#;s shape and size. Features like perforations or scores are configured at this point.
As the material moves through the machine, it passes between the rotary die and anvil roll. The rotary die and anvil both rotate in opposite directions. While the material passes through, the blades of the die make contact with the material, cutting or shaping it.
Any excess material or waste generated during the process is usually removed at this stage. Many of these machines have vacuum systems or stripping stations that clear away the extra material without the need to stop the process.
Finally, the finished labels are wound onto another roll or cut into individual sheets, depending on what the client needs.
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One of the major advantages of rotary die cutting is just how flexible and versatile it can be. Rotary die cutters can cut a variety of materials into custom shapes. The rotary die is the tool that enables this versatility. There are two main types of rotary die cutting dies: solid and flexible. Choosing the right type of rotary die for the job is important, as they each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Solid rotary dies: Solid rotary dies are made from a single piece of hardened steel or other durable material. They last for a long time and can be resharpened as needed. Solid rotary dies are expensive, but because they last for so long, they are often worth the investment. However, the process to change out solid rotary dies can be lengthy, causing longer lead times than with flexible dies.
Flexible rotary dies: Flexible rotary dies are made from a thin metal sheet with cutting lines etched into the surface. A magnetic cylinder holds the metal sheet in place so that it can cut or perforate the material. Flexible rotary dies themselves are very affordable and can be produced relatively quickly. However, the magnetic cylinders that hold them in place can be pricey. You&#;ll need a different cylinder for each size and circumference, which can get costly. With the initial cost out of the way, flexible rotary dies are inexpensive to replace when they wear out.
Metal Labels and Nameplates
In addition to rotary die cutting, there are a few other common methods of die cutting: laser die cutting and flatbed cutting. Each method has its own advantages and works better for certain applications. Here&#;s a comparison of these three cutting techniques:
Rotary Die Cutting: Using cylindrical dies with sharp blades, the rotary die rotates to cut the material. This process is ideal for high-speed, continuous production and can be used on a variety of materials. Rotary die cutting offers customization options but is typically better for simpler shapes. Of the three methods, rotary die cutting is the fastest.
Laser Die Cutting: Laser die cutting uses a focused laser beam to cut or engrave materials. It&#;s very precise and capable of intricate designs and shapes. Like rotary die cutting, laser die cutting works with a variety of materials. It&#;s even more customizable than rotary die cutting, as there are no physical dies required to make cuts. However, laser die cutting is much slower than rotary die cutting. Laser die cutting is ideal for prototypes, intricate details, short runs, and materials that are difficult to cut by other methods.
Flatbed Cutting: Flatbed cutting uses a hydraulic press and steel rule dies to cut and shape materials. It works with a variety of materials, especially those that are rigid or thick like foam and corrugated cardboard. Steel rule dies are highly customizable, allowing for a wide variety of shapes and sizes. However, flatbed cutting is slower than rotary die cutting.
The choice between rotary die cutting, laser die cutting, and flatbed cutting depends on your specific needs, including the type of material, the level of customization required, and desired precision. For example, flatbed cutting works better for materials too rigid or thick for a rotary cutter. On the other hand, laser cutters are particularly suited for prototypes and intricate designs.
Rotary die cutting is used to manufacture a variety of products across a number of industries. Some common rotary die cutting uses include:
Packaging: The packaging industry uses rotary die cutting to produce a number of flexible packaging products, such as pouches, sachets, and bags. Additionally, rotary die cutters are used to cut cardboard and corrugated cardboard to create boxes and cartons.
Labeling: Rotary die cutting is used by many label manufacturers to create custom labels in a variety of shapes and sizes. These might include product labels, barcodes, and security labels.
Automotive: In the automotive industry, rotary die-cutting machines are used to cut gaskets and seals from foam, rubber, and other materials.
Stationery: Notepads, sticky notes, file folders, and custom-shaped paper products are all created with rotary die cutting.
Electronics: This process is used to manufacture components such as EMI/RFI shielding materials, insulators, and protective films for electronic devices.
Adhesive tapes: From duct tape to masking tape, rotary die cutting is crucial in the production of adhesive tapes.
Rotary die cutting is highly versatile with a number of capabilities. It can be used on a wide range of materials, like paper, cardboard, plastics, foils, films, and textiles. Here are some of the capabilities of an industrial rotary die-cutting machine:
Metal-to-metal die cutting: Metal-to-metal die cutting is the process of using solid metal rotary dies to cut through multi-layered materials completely.
Perforation: Perforation involves punching evenly spaced holes or cuts in a material to allow for easy tearing or separation. Perforation is used for tear-off coupons, packaging materials, and products with sections that need to be easily detached.
Lamination: Lamination is the process of sandwiching one or more layers of material between two layers of protective material. A heated rotary die heats up the laminate to seal the material being protected. Lamination can increase the durability of a product, as well as enhance its aesthetics.
Self-Laminating Labels
Rotary die cutting comes with a lot of benefits, but it also has some disadvantages. Here are some of the pros and cons of die cutting:
Pros:
High-precision: Rotary die cutting ensures precise and consistent cuts so that labels and products are identical.
High-speed production: It&#;s a fast and continuous process that works well for high-volume label manufacturing.
Versatility: Customization is easy, allowing for a wide range of label shapes, sizes, and designs.
Cost-effective: It minimizes material wastage, making it cost-efficient for large production runs.
Clean cuts: Rotary dies produce clean and sharp edges on labels.
Cons:
Limited complex shapes: Rotary die cutting doesn&#;t work as well when creating extremely complex shapes or designs, especially those with interior cuts. In these cases, laser cutting may be a better choice.
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Tooling costs: It costs a lot of money to create custom rotary dies, especially solid rotary dies. If you&#;ll be using the rotary die for high-volume runs, the cost ends up paying for itself, but it isn&#;t very cost-effective for small runs or products that change a lot.
Material limitations: Because of how a rotary die functions, it doesn&#;t work as well for rigid or thick materials. When you need to cut a thick material, flatbed cutting may be more appropriate.
Setup time: Setting up a rotary die-cutting machine for a new job can be time-consuming, especially when changing dies or adjusting for different materials. However, flexible rotary dies offer much faster setup time than solid rotary dies.
Rotary die cutting is one of the most efficient, cost-effective ways to cut precise designs in a variety of materials. From healthcare to packaging, a number of industries utilize this process to shape their products. Rotary die cutting comes with a number of benefits (like high precision and versatility), but it&#;s limited in certain areas (like the tooling costs and setup time).
At Coast Label, our primary method of cutting labels is our industrial rotary die-cutting machine. We also use a semi-rotary machine as well as a plotter cutter in certain cases. However, the rotary die cutter is our number one method because it allows us to manufacture custom labels quickly and precisely to ensure our customers get the best product.
If you need custom labels, Coast Label has you covered. Whether you&#;re looking for a high-volume run of barcode labels or weatherproof labels that will stand the test of time, Coast Label will help you find the right solutions for the unique needs of your business.
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Industrial Labels
Finding the best die-cutting machine for your crafting needs isn&#;t easy, especially with the increasing number of choices in the market today. Should you get a big one or a small one, a manual or an electronic one? It might be overwhelming and a bit confusing, but we&#;re here to help!
Before you embark on your search for the best die-cutting tools, let&#;s learn a bit more about dies for card making, die-cut machines, Altenew dies, and a brief history of die-cutting!
Mini Blossom Die Cutting Machine
Die-cutting machines are a staple in most paper crafters&#; craft rooms. These handy machines allow crafters to die cut designs with the craft dies in their collections. The different types of die cut machines available in the market allow crafters to use them with different types of dies, crafting techniques with dies, and specific crafting styles.
According to Colvin Friedman, die-cutting started as a way &#;to cut leather for the shoe industry more efficiently.&#; Back then, making shoes was very labor-intensive and time-consuming since the holes in the leather were individually punched by hand. The manual process yielded many inconsistencies between the shoes, hence the introduction of die-cutting. Since then, cobblers were able to &#;create sole patterns that could be reliably replicated through the die-cutting process.&#; With the advent of the mallet handle die-cutting machine came the mass production of soles and standardized sizes for the masses.
It wasn&#;t until the early s when further innovations in dies and die-cutting machines were invented. The s saw the invention of hand-held die-cutting tools and small table machines, which were mainly used for homes and schools. What started as a convenient and straightforward way to help cobblers speed up the shoemaking process has turned into a staple tool in every crafter&#;s home.
CLICK HERE to learn more about die cutting, dies for card making, die-cutting paper, and everything you need to know about dies.
Die Cutting Tools
Manual or Digital
Manual or digital die-cutting machine? That is the question. It seems like an easy question to answer, but it is also very subjective. While a digital die cut machine is the obvious choice for most, some might see the beauty in using manual die-cutting tools.
Here are some pros and cons that will give you a better understanding of manual and digital die cut machines.
Die Cut Machine Type
Pros
Cons
Manual Die Cutting Machine
Digital Die Cutting Machine
There&#;s a reason why die cut machines are a staple in a crafter&#;s room. It can cut, score, emboss, write, scan, and deboss! This all-around machine is simply a must-have. If you&#;re trying to figure out which die-cutting machine to buy, you need to consider a few things first. Ask yourself these questions:
Mini Blossom Die Cutting Plates
Other things to consider
There are a couple of other things to consider when choosing which die-cutting machine to buy. One of them is the machine&#;s functionality. Are you going to use it strictly for die-cutting only? Do you need it for die-cutting and embossing? Or are you in need of a multipurpose die cut machine that can die-cut, emboss, score, and even scan?
Interestingly enough, die-cutting is not limited to paper crafting. In fact, it is used widely in the manufacturing world to cut elements such as sheet metal, rubber, plastic, cloth, and many other substances for mass production. Although most paper crafters would stick to &#;paper&#; as their material (hence the term &#;paper crafting&#;), others try to get creative and use a few unique materials in their crafts. If you are feeling adventurous and want to try other mediums, you need to consider the ability of the die-cutting tools that you&#;re using. Here are a few common materials that can be used with a die-cut machine.
Die Cutting Supplies
We cannot talk about die cut machines without mentioning a few other tools that you&#;ll need. Having a die-cutting machine is just one piece of the puzzle. You will also need the following:
1. Die-cutting paper - Obviously, you already know that die cutting involves cutting a shape or a design out of paper using a die-cutting machine. Think of it as cutting shapes out of paper with your scissors, but the shapes are more complex and intricate with die-cutting. To create beautiful and detailed die-cuts, you will need high-quality paper or cardstock. Die-cutting paper isn&#;t just regular paper. It is highly recommended to get a set of 80lb to 110lb cardstock paper like THIS ONE. This will ensure that whatever dies for card making you use will cut out the shape cleanly and precisely. Altenew dies are designed to work well with most of the die cut machines in the market today.
2. Dies for card making - The quality of the dies you use with your die-cutting machine is just as important as the machine itself. Finding the best dies for card making might be overwhelming, especially with the plethora of dies being sold in the market today. Altenew dies are a favorite among paper crafters because they are wafer-thin, intricately designed, and cuts clean every time.
Wafer-thin dies usually fall under three main categories: stand-alone dies, coordinating dies, and nesting dies.
1. Stand-alone dies are dies that can be used and enjoyed on their own. They come in tons of different shapes and sizes that can be used for a wide variety of paper crafting projects.
As the name suggests, coordinating dies coordinate or match with a specific stamp image or stamp set. This is especially useful for paper crafters who have arthritis or other disabilities. It is often less stressful on the hand to use dies than to cut out images with scissors.
2. Nesting dies also take advantage of an open center. This allows manufacturers to nest multiple sizes of the same shape within each other. This cuts down the die set cost and provides the crafter with many size options for their projects!
3. Die-cutting plates - These plates are made out of acrylic and can be used to quickly and easily die-cut various materials, including cardstock and specialty papers. These die-cutting plates are used to &#;sandwich&#; the dies and paper in between. The plates will then be inserted into the die-cutting machine, which will cut the die&#;s intricate design into the paper.
The "A" plate is used as the cutting plate. The "B" plate should be placed on the top of the die, and the "A" plate should be facing the blade of the die.
4. Metal shim - This is an additional tool for your die-cutting needs. A metal shim is designed to help you cut intricate dies in your die-cutting machine. Simply add this to the cutting sandwich (die-cutting plates) between the top of the die (non-cutting edge) and the top plate to gain a little extra pressure for those finely detailed dies.
5. Washi tape or purple tape - Although die-cutting plates and metal shims will do an excellent job of keeping the die and paper in place, it is still advisable to use tape to keep them from moving. Therm O Web&#;s Purple Tape is a popular choice among paper crafters. However, you can also use any adhesive you have on hand, as long as they&#;re removable and won&#;t leave any residue. Slim washi tapes like THESE ONES are another option that you can try.
Die-cuts are an excellent addition to any paper crafting project, whether it&#;s a handmade card, a scrapbook page, a journal, or a DIY craft. These can add a beautiful dimension and layer, making your projects more realistic-looking and giving it that WOW factor. That&#;s why it&#;s essential to get the best die-cutting machine that suits your paper crafting wants and needs.
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