Posts Tagged: OEM Die cutting

If you’ve never heard of the term Contract Die Cutting, there are actually a number of other people who are also oblivious to this. This is probably due to the fact OEM Die Cutting is not a common term in today’s world, for those who require more information about this technique, there is a lot of information which can be found on the internet. It is important to know what this is in order for you to be able to identify what the process is.

By definition, die cutting is being utilized as a manufacturing process so that large numbers of a similar shape can be produced. The majority of the materials being utilized for die cutting consists of plastic, fabric, metal or wood, apart from these, other materials can still be made use of. As for the leather and metalworking industries, the die cutting process is also called clicking. To add, it goes through a machine which is being referred to as a clicking machine. When a dinking machine is used, it is known as the dinking process. The dinking process makes use of common materials such as cardboard boxes, envelopes, labels and gaskets.

The practice of die cutting is being used so as to cut large amounts of a similar shape. The shapes that have already been cut are being referred to as blanks. This is due to the fact that they are normally decorated and finished prior to being sold. The whole process of die cutting is largely being utilized in an assortment of materials all over the world. A lot of these manufactured products have several die cut parts. More often than not, these have been assembled together in a compilation of steps in order to come up with a finished product.

The Die Cutting Method

Throughout the whole process of die cutting, the blades that are being used are sharp and have been especially shaped. These blades have been bent into a desired shape that has been mounted to its strong backing. As an outcome, a die is produced. To start the process, the intended material to be used is being set on an even surface that has a strong support. When this has been achieved, the die is being pressed onto it so that it will be cut. The amount of cuts pressed onto it will rely on what is being made. If the material only requires a piece then a single die gets cut into it but at the same time, multiple layers can also be calculated to cut the material so that it will produce a stack of blanks.

In a way, die cutting can be compared to a cookie cutter. This is because they are both responsible for what the shape of the blanks will result to. In addition, all of these blanks will be of a similar size and shape with each another. For this, each of the blanks that have went through the process of die cutting is identical with one another. Rather than using this process, it can still be cut by hand. But this is not recommended as it is timely and can produce a number of irregular shapes and sizes.

It is amazing how many companies manufacture goods which then need some kind of stamping into shape. But they often sub contract this work out to other companies because they do not have the machinery. contract die cutting is quite common along with OEM Die Cutting too and these third party companies are glad to have the extra work.

The process itself cuts the same shape out of the base material over and over again so that each individual piece looks like a copy of the rest. These ‘blanks’ as they are called will probably have some detail added them further along in the process but this can be done by the mother company which takes the pressure off the originating company. The medium used for these blanks can be just about anything from wood through plastic and on to metal depending on what is required at the end of the day. A superb example of this kind of work is the upper part of shoes which are normally stamped out of leather or plastic before being sewn onto the lower half of the shoe. By doing the process this way, the product is cheaper to produce and this obviously makes a good plan to lower the end price.

Blades used in the cutting process are extremely sharp indeed and look as sharp as a razor blade. These are easily bent into the form that is required and it is then strengthened for prolonged use by being put onto a pressing block. It is then durable enough to stamp out the shapes for several thousand times or more depending on what is needed. If one thinks of cookie cutters cutting out biscuits, one gets the general idea of how this style of equipment works. However, with these blades, many layers of material can be cut through at the same time to save on material wastage.

This really is a clever process since many cutters can be mounted on the backing block adjacent to one another. This means that when the material is being cut out, the process only has to be done once, and this obviously saves on time and money too. This is particularly useful for high quality materials or fine leather which can be rather expensive to produce. But these cutters can be used to stamp out metal materials too which is useful for key blanks and such. The bigger the cutter, the more complex the shape or size can be. For example, ships have to have spare parts stamped out so this is not a job for tiny cutters which are used in bakery! Indeed, because of the sharpness of the cutters, much care has to be taken around them since people have been known to lose their lives so the company has to ensure that no one is in the vicinity when the operation is being done. Even limbs have been cut off so all safety measures have to be taken every time the machine is in use.

Finally, these cutters also have another trick up their proverbial sleeve since they are used to fold clean lines in card and metal too. By not pressing too hard, the material has a perfect fold line which is then creased down that line by another machine.

Many companies will have things that they need cut into shape and this is where third party companies have set their selves up to do the work. Indeed, contract die cutting is something that is best done by the professional. This, along with OEM Die Cutting is a very lucrative business.

What this process does is to cut out the same shapes over and over again from whatever substance the company is involved in. This could be wood, metal or any kind of plastic that is suitable for the work in question. These cut parts are called blanks since they are literally just that and will not have anything added to them at the cutting place but may do later on. The company can add some other decoration or embellishment at a later stage but this will probably be done by themselves or even yet another contractor.

One prime example of this is the leather or plastic cut outs shoes or sandals. The shape is cut out with a machine which can cut literally hundreds or thousands in one run and then they are sent on so that the finishing work can be carried out. The blades used to cut out these blanks are very sharp and is usually bent into whatever shape the company requires. It is then mounted onto a strong backing block which is capable of cutting out the shapes much like a cookie cutter and dough and this is the easiest way to describe it. The difference here though is that they can either be used to cut out one shape at a time, or they could be used to cut out stacks of shapes when thin layers are stacked on one another. It is not always necessary to have one cutter to each individual mount. Many manufacturers will certainly want to cut down on waste materials so they end up with more than one at a time being used. They fix them to the mount closely so that very little material is wasted and this inevitably will cut down on the manufacturing cost.

Of course, industrial style cutters are not necessarily used for cutting clothing or flexible material. They can cut out key blanks or other such metal objects and there are some huge cutters which stamp out pieces that are used in the shipping business. These cutters are lethal, naturally, and this is why it is normally left to professional companies to carry on this type of work. Some people have had limbs amputated when care was not taken in these places that use such cutters.

One drawback with these cutters is that they can really only cut out flat shapes since the blades literally slice the material in one fell swoop. However, when it is materials like leather or cloth, of course the material can be molded into the correct shape with some top stitching or such once this initial work is done.

When it comes to paper, these cutters can also cut out many layers once they are stacked properly. They are often used to put a fold in the paper too by pressing down on the shape but without slicing it right through the piece. This is how birthday cards and the like are handled before printing.

No matter what part of the country you may live, most people have lost their power to their homes at least once in their lifetime. Depending on the amount of storms as well as if your electrical lines are above or below ground all make a difference in the regularity of this problem as well. When your power does go out, you often realize how much you leaned on it to not only get things done such as preparing food or doing laundry but how much of your entertainment was relied on it as well. With technology now, so many people rely on televisions, stereos and computers to spend their free time. When you lose your power, all of those things are gone. This will talk about some ideas on what to do to entertain yourself in a power outage such as reading a new book, playing board games, work on your scrap books using all of the fun scrap booking accessories made from contract die cutting and OEM Die cutting and also perhaps organizing your home.

A lot of people do not think they have extra time to read a book in their busy lives but losing your power may just allow you that time to do just that. Even if it is dark, you can curl up and read by candlelight or by using a flashlight. If you have children, take the time to read to them or have them read to you whatever books they want. This is good for them as well as wonderful opportunity for you to bond with them.

Another fun thing to do if you have a family and you lose your electricity, is to get out all of your board games that you never seem to play. If you don’t have many, ask one of your neighbors that is also without power to bring over their games and join you in the fun. It is a fun way to spend time with others and is an activity that can be done during the day or in the evening with the help of candles or a camping lantern to light up the game area. Children enjoy interacting with their parents in a playful way and playing board games is the best way to do that.

Another great idea is to catch up on a project that you have not completed from lack of free time. Without the computers and the TV taking up that time, get caught up on updating your photo albums and your scrap booking projects. Depending how long you are out of power, you may be able to get completely updated with your albums. Once again, if you have kids, include them in on this fun project around the dining room table.

Lastly, take this extra time to organize areas of your home that have become cluttered and disorganized. This may be your kitchen pantry or even your closets. Use a flashlight or a headlamp to light up the dark areas to take on this task.