When it comes to cutting plastics, there are many different ways to process your part. Precision die-cutting involves steel rule dies, dieless knife cutting involves a vacuum table with an oscillating knife, and CNCing involves a 3-Axis CNC with a vacuum table and route.
With a variety of options available, it’s important to know what factors will help you decide the best method for your plastic part. Keep these factors in mind when choosing the most cost-effective way to process your flat plastic part.
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Design
Your design will influence every aspect of the production process. Even if you have an existing design, we will provide recommendations for manufacturability to help you meet your end goal at a competitive price to ensure that it’s optimal for your end result.
When it comes to plastic processing of 2 dimensional parts, the design will dictate much of what’s needed later in the process. Is your part complex? Are there sharp turns that will need to be accounted for? How large is the part? What is the material? How thick is the material? These are all factors that will impact how ICP processes your part.
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Material Selection
Next to the overall design, the material selection has the one of the largest impacts on the process selection. Softer plastics like HDPE are easier to die cut, while more ridgid plastics including acrylic may need to be processed on a 3-Axis CNC.
The best way to choose the right material is to work with a material selection expert who will consider design, application and lifespan to help you identify the perfect material.
Die-Cutting Method
ICP can die cut a wide variety of non-metallic or flexible materials. We also have the ability to die cut plastic up to 3/16″ thick. With our experience, we help select the right tool for the job.
We offer inexpensive tooling options like steel rule dies while also having the ability to run forged and match-metal tooling for tougher materials and tighter tolerances. Additionally, we recommend dieless knife cutting for non-metallic flexible material, like softer plastics. The right method depends on your specific part and its application, so it’s best to talk to an expert to find the perfect solution.
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Precise Parts with ICP
ICP has been manufacturing custom gaskets, seals, and adhesives to our customer specifications since 1955.With over 60 years of experience working with OEMs large and small, we have the materials and processing knowledge to help solve some of the toughest challenges our customers can throw at us. In a nutshell, if you want high-quality die-cut parts for a competitive price, reach out to ICP.
ICP is ISO 9001:2015 registered and has the ability to perform PPAP, CPK, and First Article inspections. This means your order is produced accurately and on time, so you can spend time focusing on the rest of your project.
Industrial Custom Products offers a variety of tools and methods for producing the parts that you envision for the projects that you care about. Contact us and speak with an engineer about your project at (612) 781-2255, or request a quote online. You will receive a prompt response.
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.
