Over time, no matter how diligent your press operators are about regular inspection, cleaning and maintenance of your rotary dies, normal wear and tear can cause your die to cut unevenly. This can manifest in a few ways, from too light to too deep liner strike, not cutting all the way through the substrate, or differing levels of pressure on one side of the die compared to the other. Uneven die cutting can quickly result in unusable press runs, costing your team valuable time and money, not to mention upset clients.
A great solution for uneven rotary die cutting is to invest in an adjustable clearance anvil (ACA). An adjustable clearance anvil allows the press operator to change the depth of cut on the fly, without any need to shut down the press. By simply turning a dial, an experienced press operator can quickly and efficiently make the needed adjustment to the rotary die to achieve the proper depth of cut for the job.
An adjustable clearance anvil can easily extend the lifespan of your die because as cutting blades begin to wear down, your press operator can change the depth of cut to get maximum use from the die. But another great thing about using an ACA is that, because of its clearance flexibility, you may even be able to reduce the number of dies your company uses. This is because the same die can now be used to convert multiple substrates of varying thicknesses.
Your die can also begin to cut unevenly due to more abrasive materials that might not have pure consistency throughout the web. In such cases, differing amounts of wear can occur on the die. This is another situation where having the ability to make on-press adjustments with the use of an adjustable clearance anvil can help extend die life.
Sometimes converters increase or decrease pressure to solve uneven die cutting, but pressure causes heat from friction, which can lead to additional problems over time. By making press adjustments via an ACA rather than a change in pressure, you maintain not only the necessary level of control but also eliminate the risk of excessive heat build-up.
RotoMetrics has recently introduced the next level of adjustable clearance anvils, the Versa-Cut™. Versa-Cut™ is a dual-adjust anvil that offers both parallel and single-side adjustability, providing the press operator with more precise liner strike control than ever before. Versa-Cut™ offers enhanced stability and has its own internal lubrication system so there is no concern about contaminating the web. Versa-Cut™ can be implemented without any changes to your existing die inventory and is an ideal solution for both tag & label and web fabrication applications. Versa-Cut™ capably handles thin films and abrasive materials. Versa-Cut™ provides the ultimate versatility to hand variability!
To remain competitive in today’s converting environment it is important to maximize every last bit of value from your equipment. Contact your local RotoMetrics team today to learn how the all-new Versa-Cut™ can help you extend the life of your dies to improve your team’s profitability.