To understand the equipment that is used in many fabrication processes, you first need to understand exactly what rotary die cutting is before deciding whether or not it is something that could offer a benefit to your business.
Die cutting is an extremely versatile fabrication processes that is used to cut, shape and form sheet and rolled metal in addition to a variety of other materials. With the right settings your rotary die cutting equipment can be used for a wide array of tasks, maintaining a level of accuracy that most comparable tools are simply unable to offer.
This level of precision is extremely desirable for companies who fabricate a lot of one type of product and need to look for ways to increase the speed of production while also ensuring that all of the products created are uniform and of the quality that customers will expect. Bear in mind that there are a number of other die cutting tools available, so it is important to understand which ones suits particular types of projects. Rotary die cutting is ideal for high volume production projects due to its speed, accuracy and reduction in waste production.
How Does it Work?
Rotary die cutting equipment, such as that offered at Baril Corp generally feature a heavy, cylindrical anvil that comes complete with a customized die. It is important to have the die of your equipment built to your needs; else you will not receive the results that you are looking for from the equipment.
This die roles over a flat, depressed surface that will contain what are known as the female die features, which are used to shape the material as needed. You can then feed the machine whatever material you are using, such as sheet metal, plastic or paper. This can be done in individual pieces, which is ideal for checking the settings of the die, or from a spindle, which is the method that will likely be used when production starts in earnest.
This material is then passed through the rolling die, where it is cut into the desired shape, as programmed into the machinery. The finished shape will then be deposited down the line, while waste material is sent to something known as a catcher, where you can remove it for recycling or disposal.
Bear in mind that the control of the anvil can often be extremely precise, which allows the manufacturer to set the type and depth of cuts that will be created. This allows for very accurate cutting that will be kept at a consistent level, regardless of how much material you feed through the machine.
This means that rotary die cutting equipment performs best when the material you need to cut doesn’t have to touch the fabrication line. Its accuracy and speed allows for high volume production runs with very little in the way of waste to concern yourself with. This, in turn, allows you to save more money on the materials that you need to purchase, in addition to saving time that can be used on other projects.
Its Applications
As was previously mentioned, there are a number of die cutting tools that are available to manufacturers. Rotary die cutting is best used by those who are looking to conduct high volume production runs using metal, papers or plastics.
Due to the construction of the steel dies, you should only feed soft or semi-rigid materials into the equipment. If you try to use rotary die cutting for anything more solid than sheet metal, you may find that the die begins to wear out quickly, with damage possible in some cases as well.
As long as the machine is used correctly, you should find that your die will last for a long time before it needs to be replaced. However, it is always worth testing the die on a semi-regular basis to ensure that the products being produced still reach the levels of precision in the cut that you are looking for.
As a general guide, rotary die cutting equipment is best used with the aforementioned materials if the following applies to you:
- You have a high volume project that requires an accurate and consistent cut.
- Precision cutting is a factor in low volume projects.
- You wish to product less waste when creating your product.
- You are looking to improve your turnaround speed.
- CNC applications.
- Projects that require multiple processes.
This last point is important to remember, as rotary die cutting equipment can often be combined with a range of other processes. For example, if your product requires coating, lathing or a similar type of process, you should still be able to use rotary die cutting.
Other Things To Consider
Rotary die cutting equipment is best used for high volume fabrication projects, but it is important that you ensure that all of your other processes are in order before putting it to use. This is because the equipment moves at such speed that it is capable of putting out more product and waste than you are capable of handling.
As such, you need to ensure that you have processes in place to deal with everything that the machine is capable of outputting. You also need to be aware of inputting if you want to continue working at a high speed, so ensure whatever material handling equipment you have is properly synced up to your rotary die cutting equipment, else you may find that stalling becomes an issue.
It is also worth noting that rotary die cutting tends to be used for fairly small items, as the die cutting cylinders are limited in their size.
As such, with all of this in mind it is always worth consulting a professional tools and machinery company before making a final choice on the type of die cutting equipment you require. However, if you do require machinery for high volume fabrication projects, rotary die cutting equipment offers a level of accuracy, cost-effectiveness and speed that no other comparable machinery on the market is capable of matching.
