Thin Is In

"Waste is another concern," adds Wade Fouts, vice president of sales at Wilson Manufacturing. "Being able to set up and run a thinner stock with accurate cuts and minimal waste of time and materials is important for a converter."

Another factor that can make diecutting challenging is drying lamps, which can soften substrates and adhesives, resulting in matrix separation issues. Familiarity with substrate characteristics is critical here, as is operator skill in optimizing the press for a particular application.