Every roll of tape needs to be cut in some way. A knife, dispenser, razor blade or scissors may be used to cut either short or long strips for everyday use, or another process may needed to cut intricate designs for special projects in your manufacturing applications. If you are looking for the latter, then you will need die cut tape that can reduce waste while saving time and money.
Die cuts enable pre-cut pieces of tape to be made that need no trimming to fit parts so that products can be protected from scratches during shipping, used as gaskets or bonding in windows, and on doors, point of purchase displays and even keyboards. Die cut tape is also used in the electronics, automotive, medical, finishing, military and aerospace industries.
Die Cutting Methods
Die cutting is done by one of two methods, depending on the quantity of tape that needs to be cut. Steel Rule Die cutting is better suited for smaller quantities and thicker materials, as the one-time setup charge is lower and the lead times are shorter.
Steel rules dies are similar in form and function to a cookie cutter. The blades are formed in the shape to be cut and then held in place with steel braces or a plywood board. Male/female die sets are often used for cutting dense and hard to cut materials. Even so, one million or more impressions can be achieved with this die set.
Rotary die cutting is recommended for larger quantities as the one-time charge is higher, but the savings is in the price per piece. It uses a cylindrical die on a rotary press. As rolls of material are fed through the press, the die rotates and cuts out shapes and makes creases or perforations. The dies are either solid engraved or are adjustable. Engraved dies are made of solid steel bar and have a higher tolerance while there are removable blades in adjustable dies. These can be easily replaced with new blades that are needed either to cut a different material or due to wear.
Die Cut Shapes
There are various shapes in which die cut tape can be found. These include disks, dots, perforated labels, reverse squares, tabs, disk labels, foam cutouts and even special shapes for that custom application.
Engineered Materials, Inc. is a supplier of die cut tapes and other tape products that can be designed and fabricated for industrial applications. Their products can be ordered in bulk or custom-slit to meet individual requirements and applications. To learn more, visit engineeredmaterialsinc.com.
