At Industrial Custom Products, we offer state-of-the-art technologies and processes to move your project forward fast. There are many ways to bring a part to production, but most of them require cutting out the part during production.
If you have a flexible part that needs to be prototyped quickly and efficiently, dieless knife cutting could be the answer.
But what is dieless knife cutting? And how is it different from precision die-cutting?
What is Dieless Knife Cutting?
Dieless knife cutting (also called flash cutting) uses a combination of machinery and computers to cut plastic into various shapes and sizes, while removing the need for hard tooling.
With a flash cutting machine, you can more easily update the shapes and sizes being cut on the fly. This makes flash cutting highly attractive for rapid prototyping, short productions and to reduce material waste.
⇨ Related Content: What’s the Best Method for Die Cutting Plastic?
How Dieless Knife Cutting Works
Dieless knife cutting uses an oscillating knife controlled by a computer to cut flexible materials into shapes. Whereas die cutting relies on special-made dies to cut a particular part, dieless knife cutting uses CNC technology to cut parts consistently, quickly and efficiently without the need for a special die. This greatly assists in reducing speed to market needs.
Materials Used in Dieless Knife Cutting Include:
- Rubber
- Films
- Felt
- Silicones
- Tapes
- Hi-temp materials
- Insulation
- EMI-RFI
- Adhesives
⇨ Related Content: Material Selection Guide
Want to see how it works? Watch some of ICP’s flash cutting in action in this video:
ICP’s flash cutting tables also include projectors to visualize the layout and cut process on the table. Software on these machines optimizes nesting (or placement of cuts on the sheet of material) to get the best material yield possible while also reducing unnecessary waste and cost. ICP currently has 3 flash cutting tables, which allows for increased capacity and capabilities.
Advantages of Dieless Knife Cutting
Dieless knife cutting sets itself apart from other multi-material production methods thanks to its incredible precision and speed as well as being able to handle parts as large as 60’’ by 160’’.
This means that its capabilities are expansive and flexible and large-scale parts and projects can be completed in an efficient and timely manner. Plus, parts are produced consistently, and thanks to the Industrial Custom Products expert manufacturing team, replicated quickly without error.
⇨ Related Content: 3 Benefits of Dieless Knife Cutting for Plastic & Flexible Materials
Dieless knife cutting offers shorter production times, smoother transitions from the early drawing stages to the final product, and lower overall costs for your project.
Interested in dieless knife cutting? We can help you determine if it’s the right solution for your part.
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Industrial Custom Products is a one-stop-shop for custom manufacturing and plastic fabrication, including: prototyping and product development, die cutting and dieless knife cutting, thermoforming and vacuum forming, large part thermoforming, CNC plastic routing, fabrication and assembly and drape forming.
