Die Cutting Equipment & Processes

Much of our capability to produce quality medium- and high-volume die cut parts and our slitting and rewinding services are driven by the proprietary equipment we have developed over the years for the manufacture of our display products.  We can do the things we do largely because we have equipment no one else has!

Here's why it's a good idea to consult with Salem Plastic Products when you have die cutting needs.  Typical die-cutting operations require large steel rule dies with multiple parts on the same die surface.  This is pressed, with substantial force, onto the material from which the parts will be made.  But there are several drawbacks to this procedure.  First, the dies themselves are very expensive.  Second, the pressure required to cut the material causes the die to dull more quickly--requiring its replacement or resharpening.  Third, the material waste tends to be greater.  Finally, this methodology tends to be more labor-intensive and require more time to produce a volume of parts.

Our "in-line" approach allows the use of a single steel rule die which can be made very economically--usually hundreds of dollars less than its larger cousins.  We slit the material to be die cut to a width barely larger than the parts to be produced.  This eliminates substantial waste. And dies used in this way seem to last forever.  Many of the high-volume applications we run for our display tabs and other display items still utilize the same die originally created for the purpose.  In other words, the same die which has been used to make hundreds of thousands of parts still works great.  Because our process is largely automated, we can substantially reduce the labor required to set up and run your parts.

Are there limitations to what we can cut?  In a word, yes.  Our process is best suited for parts with dimensions measuring less than 8" X 8".  But this is not a "set-in-stone" rule.  Much depends on the width and length of the part (considered in tandem) along with the material being die cut.  For instance, a part 2" wide and 14" long might be possible in certain materials.  We invite you to discuss your specific needs with our engineers.