And We Need It By Yesterday
Rotary die makers are finding that package printers and converters want their dies bigger, better, and faster.
IT'S NO SURPRISE in today's world when a customer asks for a new die, he wants it practically yesterday. Short of putting a drive-through window in their manufacturing plants, rotary die vendors are feverishly working toward finding new technologies and processes to help speed up turnaround time, from conception to delivery at the customer's front door.
It takes two to tango
The implementation of faster turnaround time doesn't lie just in the hands of the rotary die vendor alone—the customer also plays an intricate role in the production cycle. Jean Wichmann, sales representative for Action Rotary Die, said her company found that sitting down with the customer to talk out the details is an important step in the die-making process.
"Our customers are asking for shorter lead times for even the most complex applications. Communication between the printer and die vendor is essential. Missing information can bring a rush order to a halt," Wichmann said.
Although she stresses the importance of a strong vendor/customer relationship, she also said her company operates at the highest performance level possible to ensure quick turnaround times.
"We make sure our manufacturing processes are working at the most efficient levels, with well-maintained machinery, trained and dedicated personnel using the latest programming software available, and by using electronic file transfers," Wichmann said.
Kocher + Beck USA is another company trying to speed up turnaround times, and they are doing that by adding more equipment and staff to their plant. "We recently installed two more machining centers, and went to three shifts to handle our customers' requirements for next-day or two-day deliveries," said Rick Clark, regional sales manager for Kocher + Beck USA.
Gary Smith, vice president of sales for RotoMetrics, said his company also added extra staff and equipment to decrease their turnaround time, but they didn't stop there. "Technology is more important than ever and has led us to implementing a new integrated global order management system which helps streamline operations every step of the way, from receipt of order through delivery," Smith said.
Karl Schober, president of Schober USA, said because his company targets the high-volume, high-end folding carton market, web widths are usually 25˝ or higher, which takes at least six-weeks or more to manufacture compared to just days for a narrow-web die.
"Our dies are usually segmented and are made out of high-performance materials from HSS to tungsten carbide. Segments are chosen to keep the cost of the raw material down. The turnaround/ delivery time is a subject [of concern] for our customers, but nothing compared to the narrow-web folding carton market," Schober said.
New trends to die for
To stay in the rotary die game, vendors need to be aware of upcoming trends in the marketplace. Bunting Magnetics Co. is doing just that by realizing printers are looking for what Tom Gray, project manager, Printing Products Group, refers to as "the total solution." He said customers are looking for salespeople with expertise in the printing, packaging, and converting fields. He has also seen a trend to do printing, diecutting, hot stamping, and embossing in one efficient press pass.
"We found that printers want 'the total solution' from one supplier. They want a printing guru who can provide the total solution and equipment package to fit their needs, offer advice on applications and press enhancements, and help them improve their processes. You can't just be a magnetic cylinder or plate supplier today," Gray said. "Like other suppliers, we've heard the message and we've geared up to provide expert consultation and comprehensive solutions."
Bunting Magnetics has recently added new X-treme™ Series Die-Cutting Cylinders to its line of magnetic printing cylinders, bases, and related printing products, all of which allow for onpress die mounting and enable printers to replace expensive hard-tooled cylinders. X-treme Cylinders are designed for precision diecutting and embossing applications and achieve clean cuts even on synthetics, on "no-label-look" labels, and on 1-mil stock with 1-mil liner. These cylinders can also turn out embossing when used with 2D and 3D embossing dies.
Schober said when he and his company noticed a demand for lower quantities and shorter production runs, they took a different approach to designing rotary dies.
Primarily targeting the folding carton market, Schober's team knew that the rotary crush-cut die system provided its best performance only under closely controlled production situations. They knew they had to develop a better product that was still cost effective.
To reach that goal, his team started a project that led to patents for a sheet diecutting system for folding cartons. "We teamed up with a flexible die plate manufacturer and as a result further tightened the tolerances of the die plates and other parameters important for perfect creases and clean cuts," Schober said. "This allowed us to integrate them into a 'Y' configuration that holds the die plate as well as the creasing plate in the same station, while each is still individually adjustable."
He added that this new system mirrors the modern sheet handling design that was shown on machines at drupa.
Schober also said the new "Speedline" system will be available within the next 12 months as an off-line or in-line system with sheet fed presses, and stripping will be an added feature of the system. "As with rotary web converting presses, the finished product will be delivered, waste removed," he said.
Clark said Kocher + Beck may purchase even more machining centers and expand their manufacturing plant size. "I see a lot of label converters now looking at, and buying, digital printing equipment along with diecutting finishing equipment which has the ability to re-register the print to the diecut, and comes with a magnetic cylinder that is ready to use with flexible dies. These types of machines are just right for short-to-medium runs for the label converters. So with these types of machines coming into the market, the need for flexible dies/magnetic cylinders continues to grow very rapidly," Clark said.
RotoMetrics' Smith said his company is noticing a trend in new materials that keeps his evaluation department very busy. "The industry continually moves toward thinner face stocks. This requires new levels of problem solving and precision, primarily because 'thinner' does not mean 'easier to cut.' Depending upon the die application, RotoMetrics has developed proprietary products to handle these materials," Smith said.
What's out there?
There is a myriad of products available from several companies that can allow those in the rotary die industry an easier time of it.
Several rotary diecutting modules, which can be designed and manufactured to fit in-line with many current converting operations, are available from Tools & Production Inc. T&P will work with customers' technical staffs to create a custom design to fit any press. Several diecut modules have been designed and manufactured for adding on to existing lines and to incorporate onto unwind/rewind systems. There are several styles available, ranging from a standard module which includes all necessary components for rotary diecutting, to modules that include only one or a few steps of the process, such as hydraulic load cells, pneumatic on/off impression risers, and heavy-duty bridge assemblies.
To reduce the potential for costly downtime, Rotoflex has designed a pressure balancer that will also apply pressure over the recommended amount for each diecut. Having the ability to lengthen the life of the die, it also allows users to record pressure when the die is new, along with on-going operating pressures to show when too much pressure is being applied. There are several modules of the pressure balancers and gauges available from Rotoflex and each can be retrofitted to existing presses or die stations.
Data Technology Inc. offers the rotary diecutting system, called the Laser Blade, which is designed for its ease of operation. The rotary diecutting system can set up and cut a 900˝ board within 30 minutes. The rotary laser system can make four- and six-point cuts, which can save energy and time. Another benefit of the laser system is the focused one-point beam that actually makes two cuts, one on either side of the area to be removed. The system is driven by a PC Pentium-class processor and can have rotary sizes up to 50˝, 60˝, and 86.5˝ by 120˝.
by Megan Wolf
Assistant Editor
