Monday, January 9, 2012

The Place Of The Die Cutter In The Production Process

The entire process of manufacturing and marketing a product is so long that it would be virtually impossible for a single company to handle it alone. In fact, the company that tries to handle the entire process independently fails to take advantage of experts in more specialized fields who help reduce production expenses. Looking for experts in specialized fields is the basis of sub-contracting. The die-cutting method is especially specialized and for a company with many products that need to be cut to specific shapes, the only economically logical thing to do is to obtain the services of a contract die cutting company. The dies cut by the contractor still remain the property of the OEM (original equipment manufacturer). OEM die cutting therefore helps the manufacturer concentrate on core activities and therefore saves both time and, in the long run, money.

To appreciate the importance of contracting die cutting services, just imagine a manufacturing concern that handles a variety of materials such as plastics, chipboards, fiberglass, rubber, wood and metal. To manufacture its products, the company needs to cut the various materials into very specific shapes. What this ultimately means is that the company will have to invest in very expensive machinery and train an army of workers. While this might seem logical, it has the disadvantage of tying down capital and human resources that could be used to expand the business. Moreover, handling this work in-house distracts the organization from its core business.

Die-cutting is also best left to professionals because a die does not last forever. Some dies last longer than others depending on the material you are working on. What this ultimately means is that you will need to create new dies with time and this means additional costs. As a process, die cutting is highly specialized. The manufacturing process uses many types of materials which have to be cut to very specific shapes. To attain the precision and uniformity required in the finished product, the die has to be extremely accurate.

A good indicator of the competence of a die cutting company is the variety of materials it can process as well as the testimonials it has received from past clients. A competent cutter should be able to work on a comprehensive list of materials such as metals, sponge, velvet, wood, paper, PVC, HDPE, magnets and cloth among others. Moreover, your die cutter should be able to provide advice on the type of die cutting that is ideal for your product. While most thick material can be cut using steel rule dies, thinner materials and those requiring very intricate patterning are best cut by laser.

When all facts are considered, the die cutter plays a very critical role in the production process. In fact, this role is so critical that it can actually make or break a product. When selecting a company to contract this service to should therefore be done with extreme care as the die cutter occupies a central role in the production process.



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