Terms, Terms, Terms
Laser die-cutting, digital die cutting, digital laser cutting: what is the right term?
Lasers have been used for industrial applications for many years for what is called converting, which is the term used to describe converting raw materials into usable pieces. In the print, packaging and display markets, converting typically has been accomplished through the use of steel-rule dies, a process that is referred to as die-cutting. Now, as lasers are being utilized for this purpose, it has led to some confusion regarding terms.
Using lasers to convert materials eliminates the need for a die, hence we have favored the term "die-free laser converting." However, the term die-cutting has a long history in the industry and many people in the industry refer to the use of lasers for converting as "laser die cutting." Of course, laser die-cutting is a misnomer as no dies are used, but the term does refer to the same process.
In addition to laser die cutting, the terms "digital converting" or "digital die cutting" have also been used to refer to material converting using lasers. This is because the laser works from a computer file. So, much like printing has gone from the press to what has been termed digital out-put, the same has happened when it comes to laser converting. Therefore, we have the terms "digital converting" and "digital die cutting."
While it may not matter if it is called laser die cutting or digital die cutting, these terms do not give the process justice. One major advantage of laser converting is that it eliminates the need to make dies and set-up presses. As a result, just like digital printing, it can be highly cost effective (especially for shorter runs) and the fact that it works from a computer file makes the whole thing fast and efficient. Also, since it is digitally controlled, it is 100 times more accurate—making it possible to produce pieces that could never be dreamed of using steel rule dies.
So, while die-free digital laser converting is probably the most accurate term for this technology, industry terminology may favor laser die cutting or digital die cutting, but it all refers to the same thing—a new technology that offers efficiency and intricacy to the print, packaging and display industry that is beyond anything that is possible with traditional steel-rule die technology.
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How LASEREDGE Improved graphic impact while lowering overall project cost: A case study.
A major advantage to die-free digital laser converting (also known as digital laser diecutting) is the ability to save money, and reduce head-aches, by virtually eliminating the stripping process. Traditional steel rule die cutting requires a "stripping" process to separate the pieces from the waste. This process is particularly difficult when the pieces are highly intricate. Setting up a press for stripping pieces with a male and female stripping board can make the process faster, but the tooling often costs hundreds of dollars. (Ironically, after all the set up time and costs of tooling, many companies must still hire extra people to finish the stripping process). In addition, many companies don't account for the "make ready time" needed to set up the stripping presses, which can cause significant down time—a costly issue for most shops. This situation and a cost saving solution can be illustrated by the following case, which according to our client decreased their converting cost on this project by a whopping 33%.
Our client, a perfume manufacturer with an intricate packaging design approached us to find out if they could produce the desired package and still meet budget requirements. Due to the unique nature of the design, it was very difficult to estimate the total cost per piece; there were too many unknown factors. Would a traditional steel rule die be intricate enough? How long would it take to do the press make ready? How long would it take the operator to set their strip out pins? How fast could they run the product thru the press even if they had the press set up correctly? After running the sheet thru the press, would they still have to hire people to hand strip the pieces? The unknown nature of the project not only resulted in the perfume company receiving costly bids from job-shops, it made it extremely difficult for them to determine the overall cost and production schedule.
While it was obvious that converting the entire project using die-free digital converting would not be cost effective, it was possible to cut costs and improve production times by implementing a two-step converting process using a combination of converting technologies. Firstly, the intricate aspect of the design would be converted using die-free converting technology. Then, the remaining converting requirements would then be handled using traditional steel rule die. Even though there is a cost to running a sheet through two processes, the savings in the stripping process (labor and dies) more than made up for the cost of making two passes. In addition, not only did the company save money, they also had a better finished product.
Another aspect of "laser die cutting" is that there is no need for "nicks" in the pieces (nicks are little spaces that are not cut in order to keep the sheet together and to provide a place where the press can "grip" the sheet). Without nicks, the lines are completely smooth—making for an improved graphic impact.
In summary, the high-speed galvo laser system, which runs at approximately 200 inches per second and either disintegrates waste material or removes it by a vacuum, provided an efficient method for converting the intricate aspect of the design. Plus, the method produced a higher quality product in the end, which enhanced the graphic impact the client wanted and resulted in a 33% savings.
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