The speed, precision and quality often noted with printing presses are every bit as valuable in the world of diecutting. Meeting the needs of customers extends well beyond the press. Diecutting specialists are required to deliver products that enable converters to turn around jobs faster than ever before – all with the highest quality. Suppliers have gone to great lengths to ensure the latest technology meets those exacting requirements, and no expense is spared in the process.

“When it comes to rotary dies, longer lead times are not accepted in our industry,” states Keith Chrisco, VP of sales, Wilson Manufacturing. “We are constantly investing in new machine technology to keep up with the lead time demands of our customers. In fact, some of the machines we’re running today were built in-house. The technology to produce the quality of tooling that we wanted did not exist. So, we created it. Without it, we would not be able to keep up with our customers’ demands for quality and service.”

Maxcess has leveraged the power of numerous brands under the same roof to help perfect its technology. This breadth of knowledge helps to data identify, catalog and improve converting output while minimizing waste and scrap to improve sustainable initiatives.  

“Our ability to leverage our unique end-to-end converting expertise allows us to better understand how tension and guiding impact diecutting, slitting, scoring and finishing,” comments Keith Laakko, global vice president, marketing and business development, Maxcess. “We help our customers understand how these processes can work better together to increase the speed of the press to optimize yield and complete jobs faster than ever before. We are heavily investing in our manufacturing facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia to get products to our customers faster, and we are automating manufacturing processes to ship solutions to customers faster to increase customer productivity and minimize or eliminate potential downtime.”

To meet its customers’ demands, Wink has also invested significantly in new production facilities and capabilities. The company has targeted fully automated production of dies, including new etching and engraving techniques, as well as a continued emphasis on flexible dies. Automation will also be a core focus in this segment.

“Thanks to our very sophisticated and lean processes, we are able to ship most incoming die orders on the same day,” comments Andre Gysbers, marketing director, Wink. “And while our customers’ focus on automation has so far been primarily on the printing process, increasingly automation processes are also being driven forward in the finishing and converting process. For example, this comes with regard to web control, adjustment of the die strike, or tool changeovers. In addition, automation is mostly also related to the digitization of printing processes with a tendency for smaller print runs with customized designs.”

Automation has been particularly prevalent with the manufacturing of flexible dies. “The largest impact has been the advancement of the equipment used to produce flexible dies in conjunction with the software that drives the equipment,” remarks David McLaughlin, Southeast regional sales manager, Kocher+Beck USA. “This is an area that is under constant research between each of our locations worldwide.  

“Over the last few years, we have seen more quick-change diecutting stations entering the market,” adds McLaughlin. “Such stations allow converters to prepare their next diecutting job in advance, and then quickly and efficiently switch rotary diecutting jobs with the least amount of downtime. Additionally, with the addition of our HMI controlled adjustable anvil system, operators now have an intuitive user interface that allows them to adjust the depth of cut by touchscreen and rotary dial while observing the cutting results and saving job settings for future use.”

“Automation investment has improved the consistency and quality of our product, increased efficiencies, and improved production delivery time,” remarks Laakko. “We are bringing integrated Industry 4.0 solutions to customers that automate press processes and functions to improve safety, eliminate operator error, identify inconsistencies, and proactively correct potential issues before they become major problems.”

The trend toward digital printing also has an impact on die manufacturers, especially since every different job needs its own unique cutting tool.

“Maxcess is continually rationalizing, customizing, and optimizing our die offering to meet the market needs,” says Laakko. “We know that one die cannot do it all, especially given the changing material landscape. We offer a portfolio of customized solutions no matter the material or liner being used by our customers.”

“Most digital labels come with rather simple shapes, which requires us to produce and ship the required dies very fast and cost-effectively, thus driving automation also on our side,” adds Gysbers. “As label manufacturing becomes more and more digitized and automated, dies and tooling need to be adapted to these new technologies. We are constantly developing our tooling and processes to ensure compliance and connectivity.”

Adjusting expectations

Adjustable anvil technology has been a prominent advancement in the diecutting realm. Newer technology delivers quality, versatility, and extends the life of the die. Adjustable anvils have also been critical when dealing with the shift to thinner materials.

“Traditionally, an operator had a limited amount of adjustment on the diecutting result by using pressure alone, but an adjustable anvil system allows them to easily and accurately compensate for uneven diecutting, deep or light diecut, and variances in liner thickness,” states Kocher+Beck’s McLaughlin.

The process has evolved considerably in recent years, though. “The new thinner materials require a die made with a higher level of precision, whether it be flexible or engraved,” explains Wilson’s Chrisco. “Tolerances for blade height, blade angles, and sharpening must be tighter for the die to run effectively for the customer. The thinner the liners get, the less room for error we have in getting the dies to cut cleanly. The benefits of our adjustable anvils allow the converter more flexibility in maximizing their tooling investment.”

“Ultra-thin, downgauged filmic liners are very demanding in terms of diecutting,” adds Wink’s Gysbers. “To achieve perfect diecutting results, all components need to be in a perfect and absolutely clean condition: the diecutting unit and its cylinders, and of course the cutting tool, as well. The variety of materials and ever thinner liners place special demands on all diecutting components. Adjustable anvil cylinders have become an indispensable part of modern label production, as they allow for variable adjustment of the gap dimension and thus the cutting depth.”

Adjustable anvil technology has advanced at a rapid pace, and for good reason. The demand for adjustable anvils drastically increased the past couple years as converters struggled with material shortages. According to Chrisco, those that purchased these systems during this time reaped their benefits immediately.

“Adjustable anvil rolls can help maximize a converter’s tooling investment,” notes Chrisco. “If a die starts to go dull in the middle of a run, a quick adjustment can help them finish the run instead of ordering a new flex die or sending the engraved die out for a rush retool. It also allows them to use their existing die inventory on materials of different liner thicknesses. An adjustable anvil system will pay for itself over time.”

Automation and simplicity are at the heart of Maxcess’ product innovations. RotoAdjust offers the ability to easily store and recall past jobs and automatically sets the baseline position. Further enhancements include one-touch die reordering, die tracking and die maintenance history. 

“With RotoAdjust, we easily upgrade from AccuAdjust digital control to automated motors for even easier independent or simultaneous bearer adjustments,” notes Laakko. “The digital touchscreen easily automates the adjustment process and creates the first intelligent die station.” 

Flexing their muscle

Flexible dies have become the wave of the future in the label printing space. While their prevalence has soared over the years, the usage is expected to increase with no end in sight.

As the name would suggest, flexible dies provide the utmost in flexibility and versatility to converters. “With the increase in flexible die technology over the years, their only limitations are in cutting extremely abrasive materials, some metal-to-metal applications, and thick materials,” says Wilson’s Chrisco. “Improvements to coatings and blade angles have improved their performance and extended their die lives.”

“Flexible dies are currently being used in more market sectors than ever before, as we are now able to produce larger flexible dies and offer the ability for top and bottom diecutting sets, which allow for diecutting and creasing in one process,” says Kocher+Beck’s McLaughlin. “Other features include the introduction of coatings to increase die life for abrasive materials and non-stick coatings to resist adhesives.

“Our flexible dies provide an ideal solution when converting thinner materials, particularly with the increase seen today in thinner PET liners,” adds McLaughlin. “This is due to our ability to manufacture such dies to extremely tight tolerances, both from blade geometry, as well as the overall blade height.”

Maxcess has invested significant R&D to dispel several myths related to flexible dies while also looking for ways to increase performance for its customers. The company is constantly testing new formulations and coatings to increase life, address ink issues, adhesive bleed and other challenges in diecutting. 

“A popular myth is that laser hardening greatly increases flexible die life,” explains Laakko. “While it can help improve life, chrome is really the only solution that increases die life dramatically, and Maxcess offers one of the only vertically integrated chroming processes to provide the best quality and consistency to the market.

“The explosion of e-commerce during Covid required an increase in the production of chrome coated flexible dies,” he adds. “These dies require chrome coatings to increase durability and longevity.”

Product checklist

Suppliers have introduced a plethora of new products to meet demand in this marketplace. Kocher+Beck has introduced the GapMaster EM. The GapMaster EM (Electronic Move) adjustable anvil system comes with several advancements over the manual control hand dial, which include: touchscreen HMI controls, adjustments down to .25 microns at a time, the ability to adjust both sides independently of one another, a quick open option to avoid cutting through splices or bad material coming through the press, save jobs or material settings within the HMI, plus many other options.

“The system is available as an entirely new system, or it can be easily retrofitted onto any of the thousands of GapMaster systems already in the market,” says McLaughlin. “Kocher+Beck is the only company that offers this retrofit option.”

In 2023 alone, Maxcess has launched several new products, including RotoMetrics’ RotoAdjust adjustable anvil, FIFE-500 MAX guiding system, enhancements to its Maxcess Print Vision Inspection Systems, Tidland’s RD AutoScore, RotoMetrics’ VariScore FL and RotoMetrics’ MaxLyte magnetic cylinder.

To meet demand for adjustable anvils, Maxcess offers a wide range of products. From RotoMetrics’ Ajustable Clearance Anvil (ACA) to AccuAdjust with digital dial controls for greater accuracy to its RotoAdjust intelligent die station, Maxcess has a full line of RotoMetrics smart adjustable anvils offering versatility for variability. 

“Coming this fall, we will complete our portfolio with our fully automated, proactive intelligent Industry 4.0 intelligent die station solution that automatically adjusts for liner variability, eliminates human error and extends die life,” states Laakko. “We look forward to launching that product in 2023.”

Wilson’s portfolio has been buoyed by new launches in adjustable anvils and pin-eject dies. In addition to the aforementioned advantages of adjustable anvils, Wilson’s pin-eject dies give the converter another option in “scrap removal.” In the past, this process was limited to air-eject, spring plunger and vacuum dies. 

Plus, all of Wilson’s new dies are machine finished.  The thin substrates and liners that are commonly converted today are not suitable for hand-sharpened tooling, notes Chrisco. 

Wink has debuted several new product lines, along with an investment in the company’s production capabilities. According to Gysbers, Wink’s SuperCut die versions set new standards in terms of cutting accuracy and tool longevity, particularly when processing filmic materials and very thin liners.

“Thanks to novel etching and engraving techniques, we are able to produce even very special cutting line geometries with the greatest efficiency,” he says. “Moreover, we have successfully established our new ‘Premium’ non-stick coating for flexible dies. The coating ensures absolutely clean blades and thus perfect diecutting results even with particularly strong adhesives.

Meanwhile, the SmartGap Touch allows for ultra-precise adjustment of the die strike and helps maximize production efficiency. “Touch was the first digitally controlled adjustable anvil, setting new industry benchmarks,” adds Gysbers. “The system convinces with a particularly stable construction, which ensures unique running smoothness. We have further developed our tool with leading OEMs and key accounts worldwide to enhance functionality, including many additional smart features, connectivity and automated diecutting control.”


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Maxcess investing in automated web handling solutions for customers

In conversations with customers, several themes have become consistent over the past year. Consistent not only from a local perspective, but from a global perspective. We continue to hear about the lack of skilled labor and the shift from traditional trade skills to digital and automated machinery. Our customers continue to see variations in material supplies. Not only from material substitution and thinner liners, but variations in the material itself as supply shortages require finding additional sources. Finally, we hear about inflation, sustainable initiatives, and the cost of doing business requiring a need to reduce waste to balance planet, people, and profits.

Maxcess is investing in R&D to find solutions. Focusing new product development efforts on automating web processes so you can do more while minimizing human error, eliminating scrap, and reducing waste so people and presses work better, faster, and smarter. We’re embracing Industry 4.0 solutions that increase profits, keep people safe and create sustainable solutions.

Recently, two new products gained considerable traction in the market. They address customer challenges and deliver optimizing performance. Our AccuAdjust adjustable anvil, launched in spring of 2022, was an instant customer favorite. The AccuAdjust solves liner variability issues, converting PET, Glassine, Kraft with ease with precision digital controls for perfectly cut labels. The unit comes automation ready to upgrade to the RotoAdjust Operator Interface for even greater control, elimination of human errors, improved die life and integrated online reordering.  

The final piece of the portfolio launches fall 2023 with RotoScan, which proactively identifies and adjusts cutting depth to minimize waste. Tidland’s RD AutoScore is another Maxcess automated solution helping customers conquer challenges. The unit offers automatic and repeatable blade positioning and cut depth tuning to reduce setup time while keeping operators safe. The RD AutoScore also offers a ROI in less than one year compared to manual score systems. Find out more at maxcess.com.