An Introduction to Die Cutting

Die cutting uses a press and a die to cut and crease materials. Traditionally it referred to cutting and creasing printed packaging. With the growth of electronics, it has expanded to shaping precise profiles and layered structures in soft materials such as self-adhesive products, foams, meshes, conductive and thermal materials and heat-resistant insulation.

Die cutting now extends beyond electronics and printing. Products automatically cut and creased with flatbed or rotary tools fall within the industry, which serves many other fields.

Common die-cut products can be categorized by their use and structure as follows:

1. Adhesive Products

These bond components by cutting double-sided tape to the customer's required shape. A typical structure is face liner, adhesive and release liner. Face liners may include handles and match or exceed the adhesive outline, or a full face liner may sandwich the adhesive with the bottom liner. Paper or PET release liners are selected for appropriate release force. Common applications include display-frame, lens, battery and touch-panel adhesives.

2. Adhesive and Mesh Products

These provide dust and water protection. Mesh is cut to shape and combined with matching double-sided adhesive, typically mesh, adhesive and release liner. Mesh may be waterproof, non-waterproof or metallized depending on requirements. Examples include speaker and phone-earpiece dust meshes.

Another common structure is face liner, adhesive, mesh and release liner, combining the mesh's dust protection with the tape's bonding function.

3. Adhesive and Foam Products

These primarily absorb shock. Foam and adhesive are laminated and cut to shape, typically as foam, adhesive and release liner, sometimes with an additional face liner. They combine cushioning with adhesive bonding and are commonly called self-adhesive foam pads or strips.

Different foam types provide different functions. Applications include electronic and digital product assembly, advertising, electronic road signs and LED-board fastening.

4. Adhesive, Foam and Mesh Products

A typical structure is mesh, adhesive, foam and release liner. These provide water, dust and shock protection or bond electronic components to housings to prevent detachment and movement.

These products also provide decoration and protection against damage. Some require a high-quality appearance; precision electronics may require very fine, densely spaced mesh openings and tighter specifications.

5. Protective Films

Protective films cover lenses, displays, housings and other surfaces. Appearance requirements are strict, with no scratches or contamination allowed. Examples include phone, dashcam display, LCD and phone-housing films. PE, PET and silicone films are selected according to use. Temporary films protect products during transport or processing and are removed at the next stage, primarily preventing dust and scratches. Films sold directly on final products require additional abrasion resistance.

6. Adhesive and Nonwoven Products

These provide dust and water protection. Common tapes include 3M 300LSE, 300MP and 9448A, selected for initial tack, holding strength, processability and stability on plastics, rubber and rough surfaces, including at high temperatures. White and black adhesives are available. Applications include vehicles, digital cameras, LCDs, televisions, PDAs and laptops.

7. Other Products

These include die-cut conductive fabric, foam, sponge, copper and aluminum foil, and insulating materials such as Mylar and high-temperature tape. They provide insulation, shielding and conductivity and are cut to customers' shapes and sizes. Some are adhesive-free; others are laminated with adhesive backings for easier application in electronics and electrical products.

These are common die-cut products and applications. Other specialized materials and uses are not all listed here; die cutting serves a very broad range of industries.