Monday, January 9, 2012

Best Ways To Cut Leather

Leather is a tough and durable substance, and it can be very difficult to cut. The various ways to cut leather include a straight edge, a utility knife, a leather shears, a rotary knife, a mallet cutting die, a clicker die, or a laser cutting system.

A pattern is the first step in precisely cutting leather. To make a customized pattern, draw a design on paper with a pencil or use a computer drawing program. Lay the paper pattern on the leather piece. Start out cutting with either a straight edge utility knife or a rotary cutter. A rotary cutter is effortless to use and if used the right way, it results in a clean edge. Safety warning: This tool has an exceedingly sharp blade and should be used with care. Keep the rotary cutter, and all sharp cutting tools away from small children. Cut your leather using the rotary cutter, using a self-healing cutting mat beneath the leather. These mats keep your table or counter surface from being damaged by the cutter.

A Leather shears is a industrial scissors that usually has serrated blades, and it is able to cut soft or even heavy strap leather. A good quality leather shears will cut through most leathers with simplicity.

The razor utility, swivel knife or hobby knife pertains generally to cutting tools and more specifically to cutting tools that are engaged in leather craft. Conventional hand cutting tools that are generally utilized by hobbyists and others occupied in the art of decorative leather tooling typically consist knife-like blades fixedly and permanently mounted within a holder that is accommodated for manual operation by the user.

Strap cutter is an changeable wooden cutting tool that cuts parallel strips of leather from part of a hide. It works equally well with heavy strap leather or soft garment leather. It is able to cut 16 oz. leather into 4" straps or soft suede into " strips.

A clicker press is a machine that cuts shapes out of rolls of soft material, such as rubber, cardboard, or leather, using a sharp metal piece called a die. A metal tool and die shop will take a pattern, and bend, weld and form pre-sharpened steel into a die. A cutting die is commonly a steel cutting tool to be used with a clicker press. Cutting dies are appropriate for cutting paper, leather, rubber, plastic and more including envelope cutting dies, label cutting dies, clicker dies, window dies, punch dies, gasket cutting dies, washer dies, trimming dies, high dies, threaded punch dies, rotary panel cutters, corner blades, strap dies and more.

Leather is increasingly cut by laser. Laser leather cutting is a highly skilled job. The operator will program the design to be cut by the laser cutting machine. Cutting leather in this method may be a time consuming exercise. The leather cut by laser is extremely accurate, and true to your pattern.

There are many different methods for cutting leather, which is a tough, durable, and difficult to cut material. For the small manufacturer a clicker or mallet cutting die would increase production. The larger manufacturer usually uses clicker dies or a laser cutting system for its leather cutting. For the home craftsman, the best ways to cut leather would include the leather shears, the utility knife and straight edge.


Die Cutting And Its Different Operations

A die is used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape an existing material. Each die matches a particular product it is deemed to create. It may start from small endeavors to those complex
pieces for technological industries. In this regard the process known as die cutting had been coined.

Die cutting is done by the so-called tool and die makers. The dies are commonly mounted into a press to form other materials like metal sheets and plastic. The components of a die include the die block, blank and pierce punches, punch and stripper plates, pilot, dowel pin, back gage and the finger stop.

Die cutting operations

The terms associated with die cutting operations were made according to the type of die used. Here are explanations on each type:

Bending. As the term denotes, this operation involves bending dies at a pre-determined angle. One common technique produces the so-called L bracket after a piece of metal is bent at a 90-degree angle. It is used in order to form things such as a corner of a box.

Blanking. This makes use of a blanking die to produce flat pieces of material. With a single operation the desired shape is cut from the die. It results to accuracy, uniform appearance and flatness of the output.

Broaching. This is a die cutting operation where a material is removed through the use of a multiple cutting teeth. Instead of using a shaving method, broaching dies are employed to remove material thickness.

Bulging. Bulging dies are used to expand the closed ends of a tube. It has two types namely: the bulging fluid die making use of water or oil in the expansion process; and the bulging rubber die utilizing rubber pads under pressure to move the wall of a particular material.

There are other die cutting operations like coining, curling, drawing, extruding, forming, horning, piercing, shaving, swaging and trimming. The most common applications for these several die operations are metal spoons, forks and knives, aluminum cans and clothing zipper and buttons. Car products such as car fenders, bumpers, doors, hoods, rods, frames and pistons are also results of the process.


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.



How To Use Taps And Dies

Taps and dies are two tools that are used to create screw threads, more commonly referred to as just a thread. It is a common misconception to think that these two cutting tools are alike, seeing as they are two different tools with two different purposes, although a die set is hardly ever seen with a tap as well.

The basic point of taps and dies is to create the threads on nuts and bolts. Here are their specific actions:

A tap looks a lot like a drill, and this is because its purpose is to make the female thread, otherwise referred to as a nut. Using a tap can be quite difficult because it needs to be used with care, as if one of the threads of the taps comes off in the middle of its drilling, it is next to impossible to remove.

The upside though is that a tap will almost always come with a T handle that will allow for easier use. All you need to make sure is that you have the tap size and you should have no problem whatsoever.

A die, on the other hand, looks a lot like a nut, and it is used to create threads on otherwise smooth metallic rods. The size of the die that you must use must be a size smaller than that of the rod, because if it fits too perfectly, the threads will be of no use, if they get made at all.

It is recommended that you use a drop or two of a lubricant when using these taps and dies, simply because you do not want the friction to be too much that will cause it to break.

Of course, the type of lubricant that you use will depend on the material that your taps and dies are made of. Carbon steel is paired with a synthetic cutting oil, alloy steel is paired with petroleum based cutting oil, aluminum and brass can be paired with kerosene or mineral spirits, and bronze can be paired with kerosene or mineral spirits paired with a little bit of petroleum based cutting oil.


Crafting Special Shapes With Cnc Machining

CNC machining is critical for creating various shaped dies. The techniques and tools used in manufacturing snacks of attention-grabbing configuration require CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining. This method uses computer-aided designs and programs to develop a computer file which can easily work to extract the commands required to operate a particular machine for manufacturing dies of various configuration. CNC machining also enables manufactures to produce customized die products according to specific requirements.

CNC machining centers can be found in a variety of sizes from as small as a drill press up to very large boring machine styles, though generally they are designed to perform milling, drilling, boring, and tapping functions to form raw materials such as steel or aluminum into finished parts. They should not to be confused with other types of CNC equipment such as grinders or lathes and are available in horizontal and vertical spindle styles. Complex computer consoles are programmed so that these machines will run from start to finish without any operator intervention.

Very complex mold contours and cavities, thread milling, back boring, and a whole host of other operations can be performed by CNC machining if one uses some programming creativity. Most CNC machining centers are also equipped with flood, mist, or through the spindle coolant features that allow the cutting tool to receive much needed coolant for maintaining the proper temperature for the cutting tool while in the cut. The use of CNC machining as compared to manual machining ensures greatly improved accuracy, productivity, efficiency and safety (due to reduced human interaction with the machinery) as operators are placed less at risk.

In fact CNC machining can be also used to make flexible tap connectors. Whether in the washroom, kitchen or in the garden the need for flexible tap connectors is ubiquitous in the home. Most taps come with flexible tap connectors so they can be fitted to existing pipework. Usually one tends to think that only a Jacuzzi would need a flexible tap connector. However, they are needed for even offbeat applications like setting up an outdoor camp shower.


Industrial Machinery Use And Its Application Enhances Productivity

Productivity is drastically improved and enhanced with the use of industrial machinery. Cost-cutting as well time is saved with the use of Industrial machinery.

Few of the industrial machinery are mentioned below-

Surface grinder:
Surface grinding is used to produce a smooth finish on flat surfaces. It is a widely used abrasive machining process in which a spinning wheel covered in rough particles (grinding wheel) cuts chips of metallic or non metallic substance from a workpiece, making a face of it flat or smooth.

Types of surface grinders

Horizontal-spindle (peripheral) surface grinders The periphery (flat edge) of the wheel is in contact with the workpiece, producing the flat surface. Peripheral grinding is used in high-precision work on simple flat surfaces; tapers or angled surfaces; slots; flat surfaces next to shoulders; recessed surfaces; and profiles. Vertical-spindle (wheel-face) grinders The face of a wheel (cup, cylinder, disc, or segmental wheel) is used on the flat surface. Wheel-face grinding is often used for fast material removal, but some machines can accomplish high-precision work. The workpiece is held on a reciprocating table, which can be varied according to the task, or a rotary-table machine, with continuous or indexed rotation. Indexing allows loading or unloading one station while grinding operations are being performed on another.

Disc grinders and double-disc grinders Disc grinding is similar to surface grinding, but with a larger contact area between disc and workpiece. Disc grinders are available in both vertical and horizontal spindle types. Double disc grinders work both sides of a workpiece simultaneously. Disc grinders are capable of achieving especially fine tolerances.

Drilling machine:

A drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a rotating cutting tool, usually a drill bit, used for drilling holes in various materials. The cutting tool is gripped by a chuck at one end of the drill and rotated while pressed against the target material. The tip of the cutting tool does the work of cutting into the target material. This may be slicing off thin shavings (twist drills or auger bits), grinding off small particles (oil drilling), crushing and removing pieces of the workpiece (SDS masonry drill), countersinking, counter boring, or other operations.

Co2 wielding machine:

Co2 Welding Process uses Argon Gas or Co2 Gas for shielding the weld pool to avoid oxide formation during welding. In this Wires of 0. 8, 1.2 or 1.6 mm is continuously / intermittently fed through wire feeder Mechanism Torch to weld different types of jobs with the help of D. C. Power source. It is a sort of Semi-Automatic Welding Process.

C02 Welding Machines are widely used in small as well as large Industries doing Fabrication Work, right Irom General Repair Work, Grill Making to Heavy Machine Building, Body Building, Vessel Building and Heavy Structural Work, using Copper Coated Wires.

Grinding machine:

A grinding machine is a machine tool used for grinding, which is a type of machining using an abrasive wheel as the cutting tool. Each grain of abrasive on the wheel's surface cuts a small chip from the workpiece via shear deformation.
Spot welding machine:

Spot welding is a process in which contacting metal surfaces are joined by the heat obtained from resistance to electric current flow. Work-pieces are held together under pressure exerted by electrodes. Typically the sheets are in the 0.5-3.0 mm thickness range. The process uses two shaped copper alloy electrodes to concentrate welding current into a small "spot" and to simultaneously clamp the sheets together. Forcing a large current through the spot will melt the metal and form the weld. The attractive feature of spot welding is a lot of energy can be delivered to the spot in a very short time (ten to one hundred milliseconds. That permits the welding to occur without excessive heating to the rest of the sheet.

Dies tools and tackles:

Dies tools and tackles in an alignment are used in many applications. The alignment jigs are rugged and simple to use without need of special skills. Proper alignment of drive with machines is of great value: Enhances life of machines and equipments and bearing life. It Reduces vibrations and noise also eliminates expensive and premature breakdowns and production loss.


Select Your Metal Stamping Dies And Tooling Areas Supplier Carefully

Through reliable on the internet metal stamping areas suppliers, drilling and sealing of metal dies, instruments, elements, die plates, die injection molding, stamping, and so on. may be ordered on the internet. Some metal stamping parts suppliers concentrate on production and provide contracts as a instrument of precision mechanical components.



Metal stamping devices are generally used in stamping dies. The machines might have more than a single door. These doors are an integral component of metal stamping devices. The essential operations contain drawing dies, bending and shear. EDM and WEDM is worthy of a point out here. EDM is an important approach that radically modified the way dies, molds and machine parts are created. EDM stands for electrical discharge devices. This is a procedure in which the content is cut and also the substance becoming lower not to touch. They've got area in between them. You will see a gap between them.



End mills will also be an indispensable cutting tool. Conclude mills services have assumed tremendous relevance. Stop mills are regularly used in milling programs like profile grinding, encounter milling, plunging and tracer milling. This cutting device is different from your drill bit in use, geometry and produce. End mills are critical reducing instruments that are used in mini mills. They may be obtainable in several designs and amounts of quality. They can be bought in sets or individually. You'll be able to look at a large range of finish mills on the internet. It is possible to also avail of hefty special discounts on-line. PDF catalogues might be downloaded online. It is possible to also ask for for a price tag listing for the perusal.



All your stamping and moulding wants could be cared for. Thanks to enterprises who specialize in procurement and order production of mechanical components for your mould and tool manufacturing from Asian market place, order processing has by no means been so effortless. Consumers can avail of significant price tag advantages on-line. These metal stamping elements suppliers are trustworthy and reputed. They understand the significance of delivery dates plus they abide by them. You are able to get in touch with these enterprises for all of your buy processing demands. Be it buy monitoring, manufacturing, quality assurance, packaging, transport or delivery, they're going to meet all of your requirements.



You can hire these corporations to be your supplying companion. They manufacture instrument and mildew constructing components through the worthwhile Asian markets. Whether or not you will be trying to find tooling elements, molds and dies, CNC lathes or anything at all else, you are able to bank on these enterprises to serve the goal. A CNC lathe can be a machine employed for shaping metal, wooden or other materials. It signifies Computed Numerically Managed lathe. It is an electronically operated device. Every single motion is controlled electronically. This reduces the scope for problems in computation. Gone would be the days when equipment ended up operated manually. Folks prefer to use CNC lathes since points are managed and managed electronically. These turning machines can be used to provide objects for various programs.



Metal stamping is finished swiftly and it is quite cost efficient. It is utilized for the production of mass quantities of products. An example will be pots and pans utilized in the cooking area. The metals utilized have to have the capacity to be molded effortlessly with no injury. Most typically aluminum, zinc, metal, nickel, bronze and copper will be the metals used in metal stamping.



Metal stamping makes use of what are known as punches and dies. Punches are the portion of the device that imprint the style or shape in to the metal. The die is actually a plate which has the shape with the completed product and is what the punch pushes the metal onto. Often a piece goes via various punches and dies to get a complicated closing shape.



Metal stamping is utilized in a lot of diverse industries to manufacture products. It is used in shaping parts for cars. As pointed out, it's used for family goods, like pots and pans. It is utilized in military productions and lots of far more distinct industries also.



Metal stamping is something that has numerous uses. It can be utilized for several various industries. It can be a cost efficient approach that allows goods to get produced swiftly without having a great deal of excess cost. Metal stamping can be a useful approach that has revolutionized the way in which many industries produce their items.


How Water Jet Cutting Brings Industrial Designs To Life

Art, architecture and engineering all play a role in the work that is being turned out by professional steel fabricators. Using technologies that can carve a sheet of metal as if it were butter water jet cutting services provide the precision tooling to create a number of customized steel products. Whether being incorporated into the design of a building's lobby or used to accurately slice through 6 inches of cold steel, the water jet is able to be applied to a number of different surfaces to craft stone or metal into intricate patterns and shapes. Used in custom metal fabrication to bring art and engineering together in perfect balance the technology to cut through metal with water is not a new concept.

Although most people think of water as being malleable it can be directed and focused like a laser to make precision cuts to a wide variety of natural and ceramic finishes. With razor sharp accuracy the jetted water defines even the smallest details and can be used throughout the manufacturing process to bring unique concepts into existence. But art and design are not the only products that are finished by the manufacturer of custom steel structures.

Offering industrial fabrication of engineering schematics the company that provides custom work to vendors and architects also provides full scale custom metal fabrication for machining tools and dies to manufacturing facilities. Having the experience and innovation to build a number of specialty equipment, housings and casings that are requested by their clients the company is able to provide turnkey solutions for industrial clients as well as producing the decorative artwork and fixtures that can been seen in homes and office buildings. With an impressive background in delivering engineering concepts and completed projects for the automotive, aerospace and oil and gas industries, the team of creative minds that have pioneered the water jet cutting services is able to deliver on a number of fronts.

Cutting aluminum, steel, stone, rubber, composites and titanium the craftsmanship that is controlled by the computer aided scans of sketches and industrial designs is able to deliver on every project, every time. Fabricating the work that is needed in the specialized areas of each client's field the strength and durability of the finished products are completed with pinpoint accuracy. What that means for clients is that whatever is needed for the composite design of a prototype to the engineering of a full line of metal components and casing there is a solution that can deliver the specifics of the project with the precision that is entrusted to a company that specializes in jet water cutting.


What Is Rotary Die Cutting?

Rotary die cutting is a basic procedure employed for cutting a particular pattern on any flat stock substance. This process amalgamates cutting and rolling die operations is a perfect way. As far as the end results are concerned, it can be said that rotary die cutting is ideal when the volume of produce is bulk and one wants to go in for a die cutting method that proves effectual. In this process, the engraved die is made to roll over any stock matter and as it passes it cuts the material giving out pieces that are in the required pattern. There are two different approaches of this rotary die cutting process, one is kiss cutting and the other is metal to metal cutting.

If one talks of the industrial cutting procedure, then one thing that is quite worth mentioning is that it is very simple and assures desired end results. In it, the rolling die which is the form of a cylinder is positioned in a stationary position at the rear side of machine used to perform die cutting usually known referred to as the rotary press. Then the stock matter is made to enter into the carved die either using a conveyor belt or any other system which primarily allows it to move along with the material at the same pace. When the stock material is going to reach the desired point, the imprinted die would automatically press down and the end result would be the cut material.

The force of the rolling die plays a vital role in this rotary die cutting process. The rolling die pressure when united with the edges of the imprinted stock material makes it easy for the machine used to perform the rotary die cutting to operate. If the pressure remains same, it would not be a tough thing to obtain same kind of metal to metal cuts. When the cutting is done, comes the turn of the reassembly. The aptly severed tock material substance is made to form the ready to assemble pieces. One would find usage of this type of die cutting in many areas, such as mass production of the flat pieces of the substance and even in the cardboard packaging. When one talks of the cardboard packaging, one important utility that is not to be missed is the packaging tape.

Precisely speaking, there are only a few instances when one might need to cut a particular part of the stocking material, but this is also an integral part of the rotary die cutting procedure. This rotary die cutting process is most commonly going to be used in areas such as postage stamps , mailing labels, and of course the adhesive backing. Some of the common substances that are usually cut following this rotary die cutting process are rubber, metal, paper, vinyl and many other materials that are to be required in a particular shape and size at the end.

The end products of this rotary die cutting process that we all use in our daily lives are cartons, envelopes, labels and documents.




Business Cards: The Good Benefits Of Die Cut Printing

When meeting a potential customer for the first time, its crucial that you give them a good first impression and a lasting one. The next time they hear about your business, what will come to mind will be your first meeting. If you were able to leave a good impression, it would be so much easier for them to decide positively about your business. But if the impression was appalling, you cant expect people to patronize you at all.

A good marketing material to help you leave a good first impression is the business cards. For decades, people have been using these cards to introduce their business and make a first impression. Its important that your cards look unique so you can make your business stand out from the competition.

Die cut printing will help you do this. It will make your cards visually appealing and leave a lingering image to the receivers. They will remember you and your business long after you went your separate ways. If you want to make a bold statement and add flair to your business, this printing technique will help you achieve that. The attention and unique appeal you have long aimed for will be easily achieved, so why no invest in die cut business cards today.

If you are not convinced yet that die cut printing is the ideal printing technique for you, here are some of the good benefits of this technique:

* Unique appeal your cards will surely look unique and stand out against your competitions. When put next to other cards, yours will stick out and draw peoples eyes. This will make it easy for people to notice you and remember your card.

* Quick printing the machine used in die cutting can create the unique shape in one punch. This will help create hundreds of cards at high speed. If you are on a deadline, this will be an ideal printing option for you.

* Consistency you can create a uniform look to your cards and even to other marketing materials. This will lead to high level of consistency even when printing mass numbers of cards.

* Less cost although die cutting will cost you extra, it will cost less that other printing techniques. Only one machine will be used reducing the cost of production. Even if the design is intricate, the machine can handle that and, thus, reduce labor costs.

The key to effective die cutting is to find the right printer. With the thousands of print shops available today all providing varied die cut printing services, it is important that you find the perfect printer that will give you the best value for your money. It would help to do a thorough research so you can find the perfect print shop for the job. Each print shop offers different printing options. Get to know each print shop you are considering so you will find the best one fit to your printing need.

Once you have your die cut cards in your hands, all you have to do is find the right people to hand it would. After that, you can let your cards to the marketing job. If crafted beautifully, you can guarantee that your cards will be your best representative that will help introduce you and your business to everyone.

Lathe Types Of Lathe, Applications Of Lathe Machines

Electro mechanical machineries are high in demand as the world progress with new technologies. Growing demand for technology development in the machine tools sector have developed competitive machineries like lathe machines, drill machines, sheet metal machines, shearing machines, press brake, tool room machines, constructions machines, wood working machines and power tools etc.


Lathe Machine

Lathe machines are the machines to create objects that have symmetry about an axis of rotation and used for precise machining to the comparative hard materials. Thus this tool rotates the work piece on its axis to perform variety of operations like cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling for metal working, wood turning and metal spinning etc., with wide range of other applications in the field of power plants, steel rolling mills, tool rooms, paper textile and oil industries.


Types & Applications of Lathe Machines

The Lathe machines are available in varieties for different functions and features with compact and lighter models. The durability of these machines is very high as they are made for robust tough environment from high quality spare parts. Different types of lathe machines are used for different applications in different industries. Light duty lathe machines are very compact, robust, and designed for long duration workability on this machine. Medium duty lathe machine is a higher version with enhanced lathe functioning in the industries like ship building, mining and for textile industries build with modern technology. Heavy duty lathe machines are built from world class heavy duty parts for long lasting work capability with high functionality, flexibility and durability features. Extra heavy duty lathe machines incorporate latest technology and features for high tolerances applications in steel, power plants and mining industries. Roll turning lathe machine made from quality materials for tensile strength and resistivity to adverse conditions and high productivity results across Iron & Steel, metal industries to re-grind roll mills. Roll turning lathe machine is also useful in plastic and metal die-making in various industries like sugar, paper, cement and heavy engineering industries. All Geared lathe machine made from supreme quality parts with durable structure used for sanding, drilling, cutting for wood turning, metal spinning, glass working in various industries. Light weight all geared lathe machines are also available in the market with enhanced features. These all machineries are made in few of the developing countries and exported to the countries where they are in demand. Many a times industries also import these lathe machines with extend features and accessories for better productivity, easy operation and maintenance at cheap rate. Imported lathe machines are categories based on the applications and features as universal all geared lathe machine and high speed all geared lathe machine. Imported CNC Lathe machines with various features for different segments are categories as Flat bed CNC lathe and Slant bed CNC lathe.


The Advantages Of Selecting Quality Die Cutting Services Explained

Ever so often in industrial parlance, you might hear the term die cutting services. For the uninitiated this term is used for a variety of industrial cutting processes. More specifically, this type of service entails cutting out large quantities of a particular shape from a single material. These materials could range from plastics to metals to wood, glass and even cloth. This service comes in especially handy for large scale manufacturing operations. This service is increasingly being used not only by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) but also by smaller local industries. Other industries like home dcor and automobile also depend on these services.

The die cutting services explained
To begin with, this process involves creation of dies or mould like substances. Very sharp blades are then used to cut the material into different shapes as per the requirement. Usually the material that needs to be cut is flattened out onto a large surface and a machine with sharp blades is then pressed onto the material. This is how the cutting service is executed. The sharpness of the blades is determined by the material to be cut. For instance cutting rubber will be a rather easy task as compared to cutting a metal sheet. In the laymans terms, this process can be equated to a cookie cutting process. Once each of these separate pieces is cut out, they can be used in making a variety of objects.

The shapes and sizes of cutting can be altered by making new dies. In industries this service is used for producing threaded rods. For more complex shapes, one or more dies are combined and the cutting process takes place simultaneously. This process is also especially used in the luxury leather products segment where each leather component needs to be perfect.
Plastics are extensively cut using die cutting processes. However, die cutting is most effective when it comes to cutting out flat shapes. For the two or three dimensional products such as nylon threaded rods other molding and shaping technologies need to be used.

What are the commonly used materials for die cutting?
Right from bulk products to smaller lots, die cutting has demonstrated excellent results. It can be used to cut out components from materials such as glass laminates, paper, specialty papers, fabrics, leather, Teflon, nylon, polycarbonate, PVC among other materials. Using this process, components such as gaskets, washers, insulators, spacers, discs, bushings and circles can be produced. For other components such as threaded rod, other types of processes show better results. So is the case with nylon based products such as nylon plastic rods.
Leading die cutting services providers can be found on the internet by running a search on the internet. All of these components can be produced as per the required specifications.


Laser Cutting And Its Commercial Uses

Laser Cutting is a technology typically used in many industries all over the world for various applications. This technology uses the laser, a device that emits electromagnetic radiation to cut, modify the materials and it is once of the finest technology that helps industries to yield more accurate products. It is the one and only technology that helps to cut materials like metals, plastics, papers, wood, clothes etc.

Laser cutting is mainly used in Industries but now-a-days it is widely used in many places like schools, small businesses, medium scale industries, hobbyists and more.

This technology works mainly with the help of computer; the computer directs the output of high power laser at the material to cut. With its increased flexibility, high level of accuracy and its high power makes the material to either melt, burn, vaporizes away leaving an edge with a luxury surface finish.

There are two types of lasers normally used for cutting one is the Carbon-dioxide CO2 laser and another one is Neodymium (Nd) and Neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd: YAG) both come under Nd but with different specifications. The Carbon-dioxide CO2 laser is suited to boring, cutting and engravingwhile the Neodymium (Nd) laser is used for high power boring, engraving where CO2 laser is not able to do. But both lasers work well in welding.

The commercial uses of laser cutting differ from fields to fields but to be frank it occupies most of the places and it is widely used. Laser cutting are quick, accurate and silent and its sever materials at speed between 400 to 500 inches per minute. They simply reduce costs and it helps fasten manufacturing up to the core. Below the areas which is widely used:

In Textiles

Here laser cutters helps to sheets of fabric for clothing. There are textile laser cutting machines available that suits for clothing, textiles and leather, etc. It is especially designed for the cutting of non-metal materials. Lower-power lasers, fewer than 100 watts, can cut these softer materials.

In Metals

The lasers are helpful to cut sheets of metals with good surface finish. It also helps modify the materials, fixing and other process. Here the energy is used over 1000 watts.


In Plastics, Rubber and Wood

Being softer than metals the rubber and plastic are easier to cut where lasers use lesser energy, but the issues like odors, gas emission exist still today.

Lasers can engrave and cut wood in intricate, decorative shapes and patterns. Depending on the wood type, pieces up to 1 1/2 inch thick may be machined this way.

Why Use Die Cutting?

Contract die cutting or OEM die cutting is an important part of the manufacturing process that uses this method to sheer low-strength materials into the desired shape. It is used when the manufacturing process calls for large numbers of materials that are in the same form. The process can be used for a number of materials that are used in processes where the die cut piece undergoes further processing before reaches its final form. Using this method can often produce the needed pieces much more quickly and more precisely then someone can do it themselves.

This process uses specially shaped blades that are bent in accordance with the product that is being manufactured. The blade is mounted to a strong backing, producing a die of the desired shape. The process is rather simple, the material being cut is laid on a flat surface with the support of backing. The die is pressed into the material to cut it. The process depends on what is being cut. In some cases, the die may cut only one piece at a time. At other times, the material may be stacked in more than one piece can be processed. It is much the same process as using a cookie cutter. Knowledge of how to shape the blades and mount them is something that a contract die cutter can often do more cost effectively than someone who is less experienced. If the die is not perfect, then it can result in wasted scrap, which of course, can cost considerable time and money. It is more cost-effective than if one tries to do the job themselves.

In many manufacturing processes, this technique is particularly tedious work. It can also be expensive, particularly if you have to buy the machinery. Die cutting is a specialized field and finding people who do this type of work can be expensive and hard to find. Many times contract die cutting is less expensive than doing it in-house. Companies that specialize in contract die cutting can often do the job much more quickly and easily then the manufacturer could themselves.

If the job involves the processing of parts to OEM standards, then this is an entirely different issue altogether. OEM die cutting standards are performed to very strict tolerances. If parts do not pass OEM die cutting tolerances, then they cannot move on to be used in the final process. OEM die cutting requires both the proper equipment, and experience. Rejected parts are like wasted money. Some manufacturing companies perform OEM die cutting on a number of materials including filter material, felt, thin plastics, HDPE, mylar, vinyl, polymers, foam, sponge, rubber, leather, other non metals, paper, textiles, and cork.

Some companies have machines that can handle up to 2000 pounds of raw material. If the material has been purchased and the job is not done right, it is just money down the drain. Manufacturers are better off hiring an expert who can do the job right the first time, than wasting time and effort only to find that they do not have the expertise that it takes to perform die cutting operations to the precise standards required.

Leather Cutting Dies

A clicker press is a machine that cuts shapes out of rolls of soft material, such as rubber, cardboard, or leather, using a sharp metal piece called a die. A metal tool and die shop will take a pattern, and bend, weld and form pre-sharpened steel into a die. A cutting die is usually a steel cutting tool to be used with a clicker press.

Cutting Dies are appropriate for cutting paper, leather, rubber, plastic and numerous others including envelope cutting dies, label cutting dies, clicker dies, window dies, punch dies, gasket cutting dies, washer dies, trimming dies, high dies, threaded punch dies, rotary panel cutters, corner blades, strap dies and more.

Beverly Clicker Dies, Single Edge Dies, Double Edge Dies, Gang Dies, Precision Milled Dies, and Serrated Edge Dies are the six basic types of cutting dies. These dies are crafted from steel and will usually last for tens of thousands of cuts.

The Beverly Clicker Die is used primarily in the Shoe and Leather Garment Industries. It is simply a clicker die constructed around a center plate, which acts as a brace like reinforcement, creating a very strong and durable die.

Double edge dies are used in applications with an identical right and left piece. To greatly reduce die cost the double edge die may be used . Such applications would be the shoe and glove trades. A good example would be a moccasin die with a distinct left and right size. By constructing a two sided die the price is less than making two distinct dies for right and left size.

Gang dies are standard clicker dies in multiple configurations for high volume or multiple part situations. A good example of a gang die would be a key fob in which you have orders for 10,000 pieces. Rather than just die cut one at a time it would be productive to cut a 2 up or 3 up gang die to do the cutting job efficiently

Precision Milled Dies are an highly accurate die milled from high grade tool steel. The solid steel milled die is better used in very close tolerance high production situations. Precision dies are often used where super tight corners and fine tolerances are required. This type of die may be unaffordable as it requires a fair amount of time and skilled labor and expensive machinery.

New technology in cutting dies features a serrated edge that allows for the die to permeate multiple layers of materials much easier than conventional edge cutting dies. These particular edge dies also help eliminate fusing with many materials. A fine use of this type of dye would be cutting of multiple layers of vinyl.

If you are cutting leather, and have a product that has a run of at least 500 pieces, then a cutting press (clicker) and steel cutting dies are a strong consideration. You might look at buying a cutting press for your manufacturing, or there are companies that will subcontract cutting for your business.