A difficult manufacturing problem solved by die cutting expertise and endeavor

Creative die cutting solution for cutting LEXAN material.
Over the last few years we have worked very closely with an OEM who manufactures a metallic product for the entertainment industry. They needed a ring made from a type of plastic that was hard wearing but most importantly had a critical and very small width dimension, 0.100”.
The small size of the part and the thickness of the material (0.010”) plus the exacting width dimension made this a very challenging project. But we enjoy a challenge and we were determined to find a solution.
We recommended Lexan Polycarbonate material as it is strong, impact resistant and durable which is ideal for the repeated usage and it can also be die cut quite easily.
Good so far, but the 0.100” width dimension is difficult to achieve. We tried the conventional ways of die cutting circles but our sample parts did not produce the 0.100” critical width dimension.
We finally had the idea of using 2 different rule profiles. So we made a new die which both cut right through the Lexan and also cut in 2 different positions at the same time and producing the required width dimension. Success.
This very creative die cutting was the perfect solution to a challenging problem.
Our engineering expertise with over 20 years die cutting experience plus our perseverance was the secret combination that manufactured a ring which met the critical width dimension.
We continue to push the limits of steel rule die cutting enabling us to deliver an excellent quality product with ever challenging requirements to our customers.
If you have a challenging seal or gasket manufacturing issue let us help you, call or email.
 
3 years ago our customer initially manufactured 1 product size but it’s now available in 3 different sizes (1.5”, 2.25” and 2.75” diameters). We have been able to apply our creative solution to all 3 models and now produce 3 different size rings, see photo.​
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