The definition of mold and die in machinery
What Is Die In Manufacturing? Die Forming And Die Cutting
A die is a specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material mostly using a press. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create. Products made with dies range from simple paper clips to complex pieces used in advanced technology. The hollow or solid metal form used in cutting or stamping coins or shapes, drawing bars or wires, embossing, extruding, or threading insides or outsides. The hollow die used in casting or forming is also called mold (mould).
Die Forming
Forming dies were typically made by tool and die makers and put into production after mounting into a press. The die was a mental block that was used for forming materials like sheet metal and plastic. For the vacuum forming of plastic sheet only a single form was used, typically to form transparent plastic containers (called blister packs) for merchandise. Vacuum forming was considered a simple molding thermoforming process but uses the same principles as die forming. For the forming of sheet metal, such as automobile body parts, two parts may be used: one, called the punch, performed the stretching, bending, and/or blanking operation, while another part that was called the die block securely clamps the workpiece and provided similar stretching, bending, and/or blanking operation. The workpiece may pass through several stages using different tools or operations to obtain the final form. In the case of an automotive component, there was usually be a shearing operation after the main forming was done and then additional crimping or rolling operations to ensure that all sharp edges were hidden and to add rigidity to the panel.
Die Cutting
Die-cutting is a fabrication process that uses specialized machines and tools to convert stock material by cutting, forming, and shearing. In printing, die cuts are used to create custom shapes and designs for labels.
It starts with a part called, unsurprisingly, a die. A manufactured die is a specialized piece of metal tooling used to cut a specific shape out of material. Think of it as a cookie-cutter, but instead of a sheet of cookies, it is a sheet of label material. So the die cuts out the label, and excess material (called ‘matrix’) is removed. The ‘die line’ is the outline of where the die will cut, it is usually shown as a thick colored line in proofs.
It starts with a part called, unsurprisingly, a die. A manufactured die is a specialized piece of metal tooling used to cut a specific shape out of material. Think of it as a cookie-cutter, but instead of a sheet of cookies, it is a sheet of label material. So the die cuts out the label, and excess material (called ‘matrix’) is removed. The ‘die line’ is the outline of where the die will cut, it is usually shown as a thick colored line in proofs.
Die-cutting comes in many shapes and forms, some of which are better suited for labels than others. There are three major processes that you should know, so you can figure out what die-cut process to use for your custom labels. The three processes that we’ll explore below are flatbed, rotary, and semi-rotary.
steel-rule Die
Steel-rule die, also known as cookie-cutter dies, are used for cutting sheet metal and softer materials, such as plastics, wood, cork, felt fabrics, and paperboard. The cutting surface of the die is the edge of hardened steel strips, known as steel rule. These steel rules are usually located using a saw or laser-cut grooves in plywood. The mating die can be a flat piece of hardwood or steel, a male shape that matches the workpiece profile, or it can have a matching groove that allows the rule to nest into. Rubber strips are wedged in with the steel rule to act as the stripper plate; the rubber compresses on the down-stroke and on the up-stroke it pushes the workpiece out of the die. The main advantage of steel-rule dies is the low cost to make them, as compared to solid dies; however, they are not as robust as solid dies, so they are usually only used for short production runs.
Rotary Die
In the broadest sense, a rotary die is a cylindrical shaped die that may be used in any manufacturing field. However, it most commonly refers to cylindrical-shaped dies used to process soft materials, such as paper or cardboard. Two rules are used, cutting, and creasing rules. This is for corrugated boards whose thickness is more than 2 mm. Rotary dies are faster than flat dies.
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