Page 13 - THE INDEPENDENT

of having the same level of intricacy. These manufacturing limitations will help you to understand why the steel rule dies available to consumers for the domestic market are not as complex or detailed as their thin metal die counterparts.
BENEFITS:
Die cutting can combine multiple operations into one stamping action that is determined by the depth and shape of each steel rule. The die cutting manufacturing process allows for thin sheet material to be cut through, kiss cut (where the top layer of a label is cut by the steel rule but the cut does not penetrate the label’s backing material), perforated and scored. The same is true for dies within the craft process, many die designs offer score lines to allow consistent folds to be done with ease. Thin metal die construction allows for more complexity and details on these dies can be embossed into sheet materials. This feature is singular to thin metal dies and these details are what make them a unique asset to the craft market.
LIMITATIONS:
Steel rule blades can be bent down to a minimum radius of 5mm, anything smaller can cause issues with the ejection of materials. The same is true for the width between blades. As most craft projects are designed to fill small card blanks, the smaller steel rule dies don’t have the space to easily work around these restrictions easily without compromising the design itself.
MASS PRODUCTION:
The manufacturing process for die cutting is rapid, the system is automated and can feed up to 4,000 feeds an hour, if each feed can produce 4 or more parts then a minimum of 16,000 parts can be produced in just one hour. The steel rule dies (depending on the material) have the capability of cutting multiple sheets at one time, the same is true for domestic steel rule dies. Thin metal dies, designed for domestic use only, do not have this mass production functionality. One sheet can be
cut at any given time and there are still restrictions with the strength of the materials used.
WASTE & THE ENVIRONMENT:
The die cutting process can produce offcuts, however these are minimised by nesting multiple shapes together on the same sheet. Due to the nature of some materials, some companies have
managed to recycle their scrap material back into their products and packaging. When managed correctly, the impact on the environment is limited, and this keeps costs down too. Within the craft industry there is always waste, but waste is never waste with creative minded consumers. For thin metal dies, crafters can positon their dies onto a magnetic shim, to stop movement and limit the amount of material wasted.
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