What Is Rotary Die Cutting?

To know whether or not investing in rotary dies and a die cutting machine at your place of business is beneficial, it is important to have a thorough understanding of what it is. While we may not cover every single aspect of the rotary die cutting process, our overview here should provide an adequate basis for further exploration.

Before we get it to rotary dies, specifically, it is important to establish what a “die” is.

Die Defined

The general definition of a die that you’ll get on the Internet is “a device for cutting or molding metal into a particular shape.” Metal is not the only material that may be cut by dies, however. Additional materials may include foil, fabric, rubber, paper, plastics, adhesive tapes/labels, foam, cardboard, and other materials. A die is a sharp, specifically designed blade attached to a strong backing that is pressed onto the material of your choice to cut it into designs intended for product packaging, labels, tickets, or a wide range of other items. Just think of a cookie cutter, but not as delicious, or edible. Die cutting is a manufacturing process used to produce large amounts of the same shape and sometimes multiple shapes, which will eventually be assembled together for the finished product.

The “Rotary” in Rotary Die

Now that we know what a die is, we can move on to rotary dies. The word “rotary” means revolving around a center. Just as the name suggests, a rotary die is a die in a cylinder shape. Instead of being pressed onto a material in a vertical motion, it rolls onto the material, which is fed through the machine. A rotary die cutting machine involves a heavy cylindrical anvil with a custom die that rolls onto a flat surface that contains the complementary die features. Your material of choice is fed through the machine, passes through the rolling die, which cuts it to the desired shape, and voila! Finished shape is deposited in one spot while the waste material is deposited in another.

Rotary die cutting is great for high volume projects thanks to quick turnover times and little waste production. It may be used to create a wide range of products like business envelopes, perforated tickets, cardboard boxes, and even labels. If your business requires product packaging or other high volume materials, rotary die cutting may be the most efficient method of manufacturing.