Die Cutting

Custom plastic die cutting forces a flat plastic sheet (or the flat edge of a 3-dimensional part) against a cutting edge formed into a die. The result is a plastic piece shaped like the die.

Benefits

Die cutting is normally faster and more cost-effective than other cutting or trimming processes such as routing. The trade-off is in the dimensional tolerances and edge finish of the part. A nominal tolerance for die cutting is +/- .020 inch, and it does not always produce a smooth, finished edge like routing. Routing tolerances can be significantly tighter, routinely achieving +/- .005 inch.

Typically, material being die cut is 1/8-inch thick or less.

Midland has used custom plastic die cutting for such applications as:

• Gaskets
• Spacers
• Flat Shapes
• Trimming

Materials

Midland can produce custom die-cut parts from a wide variety of thermoplastic materials, although more brittle plastics such as acrylic may not yield a satisfactory result. We most frequently die cut these materials:

ABS

• Polyethylene
• Acrylic/PVC Alloys (Kydex®)
• PETG
• Polycarbonate
• PVC
• Polypropylene
• Styrene
• Urethanes
• Teflon®