A Few Cutting Questions

Sometimes what starts out as a simple plan to add capacity has far reaching repercussions. One of these times is when replacing or adding a die cutter to your operation.

If you’re in the purchasing mode, then you have already identified the need for more—or more reliable—capacity. However, once you have done this, it’s worth taking a moment to consider a couple of things before you hurry off to buy the same machine as before, or the same as your competitor down the road.

The first thing to think about is whether your current printing and die-cutting format is actually the right one. Just because you’ve always been a 40-inch house doesn’t mean you have to stay that way. For example, as stores and fast food retailers move toward litho-laminated packaging, would you be more efficient by die cutting a larger size? Are there new markets to be tapped by changing format? Would changing your die-cutting format mean changing formats downstream or upstream, especially in print?

Aside from size, the other key strategic choice to make is configuration, by which I mean whether you need your die cutter to foil or blank, in addition to die cutting and stripping.

Your potential supplier should be happy to offer trials—using your jobs—to prove the machine can achieve the performance they promise.

Hot foil stamping generally requires a separate machine, but there are foil-stamping presses on the market which can be transformed into die cutters and vice-versa. However, bear in mind that to get the most out of such equipment you need to be able to switch quickly and easily between functions. Some machines can be converted in minutes, while others can take up to a day!

As for blanking, many businesses in the carton market are already on their second- or third-generation blanking machine. If you’re not one of them, the decision whether blanking is right for you will depend on your markets, run lengths, and job complexity. The cost benefits in being able to reduce labor and the operational benefits of a more consistent operation of downstream processes make blanking attractive. Also, new tooling systems have made blanking tools less expensive. So, the order size necessary to justify blanking has dropped dramatically.

It’s also worth noting that there are machines on the market that can run blanked work as well as jobs needing full sheet delivery. These allow you to grow into your blanking market while still keeping a full schedule on your new machine.

Consistency Above All

Many die cutters run at fantastic speeds without board, or with very sympathetic jobs. However, the speed, consistency, and product quality they achieve on your work all depend on how well the feeder introduces the sheet and how smoothly it’s transported through the machine. So the question to ask is: What features does your potential purchase have, if any, that will ensure smooth, accurate, sheet control? Also, how accurately will the machine control sheet acceleration and deceleration?

Your potential supplier should be happy to offer trials—using your jobs—to prove the machine can achieve the performance they promise. Insist that they do! Don’t get coerced into buying a “pig in a poke.” Also be aware that many new, latest generations of machines have dynamic register systems that can reduce production stoppages by as much as 75 percent. So dynamic systems are virtually essential for quality and efficiency minded shops.

Most manufacturers offer makeready systems that reduce set-up times. However, if you look closely, you’ll find wide variations in their effectiveness. When you run trials, make sure you get the supplier to set, and then reset, your jobs several times. Pay close attention to the set-up time and the number of pieces consumed during set-ups. Then you can see exactly how accurate their makeready system is.

Long-term Asset or Burner?