ADHESIVE, PRESSURE SENSITIVE
A type of adhesive which in dry form is aggressively tacky at room temperature. It has the capability of promoting a bond to dissimilar surfaces on contact, with pressure.
ADHESIVE, REMOVABLE
An adhesive characterized by relatively high cohesive strength and low ultimate adhesion. It can be removed easily from most surfaces. Some adhesive transfer could take place depending on the affinity of the adhesive to the surface.
ADHESIVE STRIKE-THROUGH
When adhesive penetrates through the face material of a pressure sensitive lamination.
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR FILE
Durable Dependable Tools uses Adobe Illustrator 8 files in the die making process.
BALANCING KNIVES
Also called leveling knives as used in steel rule dies to balance the load on a platen press.
BEVELS
In reference to cutting die blades, the bevel or bevels of the cutting edge determine how a blade penetrates the material being die cut. The bevel on a die blade is identified by the number of degrees on the bevel or as an inside bevel or outside bevel. Some steel rule blades have a double bevel for certain cutting applications.
BREAKER RULES
Breaker rules break off the outside web of a blank of material to relieve the pressure of the die cut material around a die during the die cutting operation. Same as choppers or chopper rules.
BRIDGING
The placement of notches in steel rule blade so that the blade can fit into its relative place in a die board which leaves an equal bridge of die board along the knifed path.
COMMON RULE (BUTT CUT) LABELS
Labels which are separated by a single knife cut to the release liner.
CAVITY
- One section of a multiple cavity die, where more than one die or sections are mounted onto a back plate as in clicker dies or on a die board as in steel rule dies.
- In laser technology, a cavity is the laser resonator, or tube in which the lasing process occurs.
- Usually refers to the engraving on a rotary die cutter that die cuts a single shape.
CENTER BEVEL RULE
A steel rule blade where the cutting edge is centered in the middle of the thickness of the die blade.
CHOPPER KNIVES
Steel rule in a die to cut up scrap in smaller pieces.
- A die that incorporates both the features of steel rule die with male and female blanking elements. Many times the perimeter of a die may be a steel rule blade and the cutouts can be male and female cutouts. The perimeter may not require close tolerance, but the cutouts may require close tolerance. In some cases, a male/female die is required to cut out intricate designs.
- A die layout consisting of more than one box design – multiple cartons of different types in a single layout.
CONTRACT DIE CUTTING
Durable Dependable Tools provides contract die cutting to their customers whereby they perform their services on a contract basis for each job.
CUTTING HEAD
In die cutting, the cutting head normally refers to the head of the cutting press into which a cutting die is mounted.
CUTTING PRESSURE
This refers to the amount of pressure that a cutting press exerts in the downward stroke of the cutting press. The pressure is normally identified in tons of cutting pressure. Generally it takes about 500 pounds per lineal inch of blade to accomplish a clean die cut, but that figure varies according to the material being cut and other conditions.
CUTTING SURFACE
The surface against which the cutting die strikes after the die has penetrated the material being die cut. The cutting surface in the case of “into” cutting allows the die to slightly penetrate the cutting surface to create a clean cut and in the case of “onto” cutting the die strikes against or onto a hardened surface.
DIE BOARD
Used as the carrier for steel rule in cutting dies.
DIE ASSEMBLY
Refers to a complete cutting tool assembly including the rubber, rule and punches.
DIE BASE MATERIAL
Used to hold steel rules in position, usually is Russian Birch plywood.
DIE CUT TO LINER
The die cutting of a pressure sensitive sheet to the depth of the face layer only, without cutting the backing or support sheet.
DIE CUTTING
The method of using sharp edged cutting dies to cut out shapes from a wide array of soft to semi-rigid materials including sheet metal, plastics, paper, paperboard, rubber, fiber, corrugated fiberboard, cloth, foam and more. The action of making piece-parts from bulk materials using cutting dies and presses.
DIE EDGE BEVELS
The bevel on a die blade depends on the intended use of the die blade. The bevel is generally pre-shaped in the blade. A blade can have a short or long bevel, a center bevel, multiple bevels depending on what the blade is to be used for. Most steel rule die blades have a counter bevel on the cutting edge required in manufacturing the blade, but, clicker and high die blades generally do not have a counter bevel. The reason probably is that a clicker and high die blade is heat treated harder and lasts longer in cutting when used in “into” cutting.
DIE LINE
The line or marking on a tracing which indicates the size of the part and any cutouts and which side of the board the rule is located. Also marks the register corner for die assembly.
DIE SIDE
The view looking down on the sharp edges of the knife, also called the “inside view” in paperboard cartons.
DIE STOP
A die stop is a round device that is located in each corner of the back of the press to ensure that the press carriage hits true each time.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY
Ability to maintain size; resistance of paper, film or other material to dimensional change with change in moisture content or relative humidity.
FACE CUT LABEL
Same as Kiss Cut.
FEED THRU PUNCHES
Cutting punches used in cutting dies which have clearance built into them so that the material being die cut in the punch flows up through the punch and ejects out the back of the punch.
FEMALE STRIPPING SYSTEM
A stripping unit consisting of a male stripping die and female stripping die components that is placed into an auto platen die cutting press after the die cutting station to strip out scrap sections of a die cut blank.
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.
KISS CUTTING
The die cutting of the face material of a laminated substrate without cutting the support material.
KNOCK-OUT
A knock out is any device that knocks out the scrap from a cut out in a die.
LABEL, PUNCH OUT
Labels that have been die cut through the face and the backing sheet or liner.
LABEL, SPLIT TOP (BUTT LABEL) (KNIFE-CUT LABEL)
Labels so located on the sheet that one edge abuts the comparable edge of another so that one edge of the die separates the labels in cutting.
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.
MATRIX (WASTE SELECTION)
Die cutting matrix is 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.
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 PLATE
Cutting surface under which makeready is positioned.
PRESS SET-UP
Often called makeready.
TWO STAGE (PROGRESSIVE) DIES
Cutting dies that have more than one cutting station to perform complex or complicated die cutting and stripping operations.
PUNCH
There are a wide variety of die punch cutting punches used in the die cutting process. Different types of die 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 Straight 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.
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 sample maker 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.
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 an 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.
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.
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.
ENGRAVING
To inscribe a design or write on a surface by carving at different depths.