The die-cutting machine is the most important equipment for card making. Its performance directly affects the accuracy, texture and production speed of the products. Die-cutting machines are the manufacturers of PVC membership cards, high-end smart cards, game cards and other products that people use every day. Our company has been committed to the research and development and production of die-cutting equipment for many years. This is an important part of global intelligent manufacturing. Due to its advanced technology, its die-cutting machine products have been exported all over the world. These devices are not only unique in their feel but also very durable and multi-functional. It can be used for punching and cutting books and filter paper and has the functions of hot stamping technology, automatic sorting and classification. The 7.5 kW servo system controls the automatic operation, and the cutting and punching are free of burrs. At the same time, it provides integrated and personalised overall solutions, as well as customised finished product collection methods, such as by order and by category.
Scientific selection and configuration of die-cutting knives are necessary conditions for card-making enterprises to operate die-cutting machines efficiently. The main part of the die-cutting machine that directly affects the material is the mould. Its adaptability, selection and maintenance quality will have a great impact on the quality and production speed of the final product. This article will provide suggestions for people in the industry from three aspects: the matching of die-cutting knives and commonly used cardboard materials, the advantages and disadvantages of laser die-cutting knives and corrosion die-cutting knives, and the maintenance of die-cutting knives.
Die selection for common card materials (such as PVC and PETG)
PVC, PETG, ABS and other materials are often used to make cards. Different materials have very different physical properties, such as hardness, toughness, and melting point. This means that the die-cutting machine needs to have the right material, blade design and precision die-cutting die for the job. If the die is not sized correctly for the material, it can not only cause burrs and uneven cuts in the product but also cause the die to wear out faster and cost more to manufacture.
PVC is the most commonly used basic material for making cards. Because of its good flexibility, corrosion resistance, easy processing and other characteristics, it is often used in ordinary membership cards, recharge cards and other products. Due to the characteristics of PVC, the blade of the die-cutting knife should be sharp and wear-resistant. The PVC material has moderate toughness, so the blade angle should be kept between 30° and 45°. This not only makes the cutting smoother but also prevents the edge from collapsing due to the blade being too sharp. At the same time, since the die-cutting machine needs to be able to run continuously, the die-cutting die material is best made of high-speed steel (HSS). This material has a hardness of HRC60 or higher and can handle long-term high-frequency cutting operations. This complements the durability of our company's die-cutting machines, which means we don't have to replace the die-cutting moulds frequently. In addition, PVC is prone to waste during die cutting. Our die-cutting machine has an automatic waste discharge function, which makes the production efficiency higher. The die-cutting knife plate is designed with a reasonable size, and the waste material is easy to separate from the finished product.
PETG is a transparent and environmentally friendly material with high strength, good transparency, and resistance to high and low temperatures. In recent years, it has been widely used in high-end smart cards, gift cards and other products. PETG material is harder and more resilient than PVC material, which means that the mould and the blade must be more precise and solid. The blade angle of PETG material should be increased to 50°–60°. This makes the cutting edge more resistant to pressure and will not bend during the cutting process. The mould material should be alloy tool steel. After special heat treatment, the hardness is higher and the impact resistance is better. This makes it suitable for cutting very strong PETG materials. At the same time, since the PETG material has very high requirements for cutting accuracy, the processing accuracy of the mould needs to be maintained within ±0.01 mm. This is a perfect match for the punching precision characteristics of our die-cutting machine, which can be punched with high precision without leaving burrs. It should be noted that PETG material is sensitive to pressure during die cutting. To ensure that the die and the material fit perfectly, the servo system of the die-cutting machine needs to carefully control the pressure parameters.
ABS material has high strength, good rigidity and impact resistance, so it is often used in card products that require a certain structural strength, such as game cards, access cards, etc. Because ABS material has certain characteristics, the blade of the die-cutting tool should be sharp and wear-resistant. The best blade angle is 45° to 50°. Tungsten steel die-cutting knives are a good choice of material because of their high hardness and good wear resistance, which can meet the high-strength cutting needs of ABS materials. In addition, ABS material is easy to heat up during die cutting, so the heat dissipation design of the die-cutting knife is very important. Heat dissipation holes can be opened on the die-cutting die to prevent the material from melting due to excessive temperature or the die-cutting die from being damaged due to excessive temperature. Our die-cutting machine has a good heat dissipation system with special die-cutting tools and can maintain the stability of production for a long time.
Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of laser mould and corrosion mould
Laser dies and corrosion dies are two kinds of dies commonly used in card die cutting. In terms of processing precision, service life and applicable conditions, the two kinds of die-cutting knives have their own advantages and disadvantages. Companies need to make wise decisions based on the type of die-cutting machine they own, the materials used to make the product, and the production needs.
The biggest advantage of laser cutting technology used in the production of laser die cutting is its high precision. The precision of laser cutting can reach ±0.01 mm, which means it can accurately reproduce the complex patterns and fine structures of the card. This makes it ideal for making smart cards, game cards, and other products with holes and fine lines of a certain shape. At the same time, the smooth edge of the laser die-cutting knife helps the material to remain flat during the cutting process without stretching and deformation. Combined with the high punching precision and burr-free characteristics of our die-cutting machine, the product quality is further improved. Laser die cutting has a short processing cycle, can quickly meet the needs of small batches and personalised cards, and shorten the production preparation time.
However, there are some problems with laser cutting dies. First, the production cost of laser cutting dies is high, especially for large or complex dies. The cost advantage is not obvious. Secondly, the blade of the laser cutting die is thin, and the blade wears out quickly after a long time cutting materials with high hardness or toughness (such as thick-walled ABS). This means that the cutting die needs to be replaced frequently, which increases the production cost. Moreover, the blade angle of the laser cutting die is not easy to change, and the adaptability adjustment to different materials is not flexible enough.
The main advantages of making corrosion moulds by the chemical corrosion method are low price and a tough cutting edge. The chemical etching process is simple, and the production volume is large and fast. When making a large number of standard cards, such as ordinary PVC membership cards, the cost of the mould can be reduced. You can also change the thickness of the blade of the corrosion knife mould as needed. It is very tough and can cut materials of different hardness. Its wear resistance is better than that of laser dies, especially when cutting thick materials. In addition, the angle of the cutting edge of the corrosion die is easy to change. By changing the etching process parameters, it can be more suitable for different card materials.
The biggest problem with etching dies is their low precision, which is about ±0.03 mm. It is difficult to meet the precision requirements of the fine structure of high-end card products. The processing time of etching dies is long, which cannot well meet the urgent order customisation needs of customers. Moreover, the cutting edge of the etching die is not as smooth as that of the laser die. After cutting, the product edge is prone to small burrs, which need to be polished by the die-cutting machine, increasing the production time.
For overseas customers, if they have high requirements for precision and quality (such as high-end smart card manufacturers), it is best to use laser die-cutting, because this can give full play to the punching accuracy and automatic servo system of the machine. For customers who produce standardised cards in batches (such as chain store membership cards), corrosion die cutting can be used to find a balance between cost and efficiency. Our integrated customised overall solution can also accurately debug the parameters of the die-cutting machine, such as pressure, speed, and feeding method, according to the die-cutting type and material characteristics selected by the customer. This helps the die-cutting knife and equipment to achieve the best match.
Tips to keep your moulds in good condition longer
The die cutter is a high-frequency loss part of the die-cutting machine, and its service life directly affects the production cost and efficiency. Scientific maintenance of the die cutter can make it have a longer service life and more stable cutting precision. The following are professional maintenance tips for die-cutting knives from four aspects: daily cleaning, blade maintenance, storage management, and usage specifications. This is in addition to the operating characteristics of our die-cutting machine.
Cleaning the die-cutting knife every day is the most important part of keeping it in good condition. During the operation of the die-cutting machine, the dust and debris of the paper jam are easily stuck on the blade and gap of the die-cutting knife. If the die-cutting machine is not cleaned for a long time, the wear of the blade will be accelerated and the cutting accuracy will be reduced. After each process is completed, it is best to use a compressed air gun to blow away the debris on the surface of the mould. For the dirt left in the blade gap, you can use a soft brush to gently brush. Hard brushes can scratch the blades. The die-cutting die should also be thoroughly cleaned once a week. Remove the die-cutting knife from the die-cutting machine, soak it in neutral detergent (such as alcohol) for 10 to 15 minutes, wipe it clean with a soft cloth, dry it and put it back into the machine. During the cleaning process, the die-cutting knife should not contact corrosive cleaning agents to avoid damage to the die-cutting material.
Keeping the blade sharp is the most important part of extending the life of the die-cutting blade. The sharpness of the blade directly affects the die-cutting effect. The blade should be repaired and sharpened in time after it is passivated or chipped. For the blade that is only slightly blunted, it can be manually ground with an oilstone. When grinding, the angle between the oilstone and the blade should be consistent (the same as the original blade angle of the die-cutting knife), the force should be uniform, and excessive grinding should be avoided to cause the blade to deform. If the gap in the blade of the die-cutting die is small, it can be fixed and polished with a professional blade repair tool. If the gap is large, the tool should be replaced immediately to avoid affecting the product quality. In addition, when using the die-cutting knife, special blade lubricating oil can be applied regularly to reduce the friction between the blade and the material and prolong the service life.
When not in use, scientific storage management can protect the die-cutting die from damage. To prevent the die-cutting die from rusting due to the humid environment or the material from ageing due to direct sunlight, it should be placed on a special rack that is dry, ventilated and protected from light. When storing the die-cutting dies, the blades should be facing up to avoid direct contact between the blades and the storage rack. You can put a special knife cover on the knife edge to prevent the knife edge from being scratched or bumped. At the same time, die-cutting plates of different types and sizes should be placed separately and labelled for future search and management. For die-cutting dies that are not used for a period of time, they should be cleaned and rust-proofed first. Then apply rustproof oil and store it.
Standardised operation is the most important point to extend the service life of the die-cutting knife. To ensure that the die-cutting blade is installed correctly and firmly, it must be operated in strict accordance with the installation manual of the die-cutting machine. This can avoid the wear or deformation of the blade caused by uneven force. At the same time, the speed, pressure and other settings of the die-cutting machine should be adjusted appropriately according to the card type and product requirements. This can avoid the blade cracking due to excessive pressure or the blade wearing due to excessive speed. The die-cutting knife installation part of the die-cutting machine should also be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure the stable operation of the equipment and the normal use of the die-cutting knife. The die-cutting machine produced by our company has an intelligent parameter adjustment system, and different parameters can be accurately set through the touch screen. It also has a fault early warning function so that the operator can understand the use of the machine in time and avoid damage to the machine.
Conclusion
For card-making enterprises to improve their core competitiveness, die-cutting machines must work quickly and accurately. For this reason, the die-cutting knife must be selected, adjusted and maintained scientifically. When making cards, enterprises need to select the appropriate laser die-cutting knife or corrosion die-cutting knife according to the materials to be processed. It is also necessary to adopt standard maintenance methods to make the die-cutting tools have a longer service life.
As a company that designs and manufactures die-cutting machines in Shenzhen, we have always taken mature technology as our main advantage to manufacture high-quality machines with unique texture, durability and wide application. Our die cutting machines can meet the needs of different customers in the global overseas market. It adopts a 7.5 kW servo drive, which can automatically produce cards, smart cards, game cards, punch books, filter paper, etc. At the same time, it provides accurate punching and integrated customisation solutions. In the future, we will continue to work hard and make continuous breakthroughs in the research and development of die-cutting technology. We will provide the industry with more efficient and intelligent processing equipment and professional solutions. We will also help global card manufacturers to produce products faster and better.