Here is a die we built earlier this week:

Notice the different colors of rubber. It is important to use different durameters of rubber in a die. The red is a medium hard rubber that has been waterjet cut. It is appropriate for thinner stock up to 15 pts on high speed presses such as Bobst, Ijima, Brausse & DGM. The green rubber is called green gorilla and is a much harder rubber used in tighter areas to give more punch to eject material.

We also have began to use an innovative new rubber called Dura Strip. It is great for tight areas such as hanger pack knives or slots. When rubber is compressed, the material has to go somewhere. It usually expands outward. This causes a lot of stress on the steel knives. This stress can bust mitres or joints, blowout slots or just distort steel rule knives. Dura Strip does not expand when compressed so it makes it perfect for tight areas.

The right rubber can make your job easier on press. Rubber can keep your paper from hanging up and help to eliminate nasty nicks in your finished product. It can make kiss cutting easier with less cut through. It can also help your press to run at higher speeds. I have seen press speeds drop from 8,000 sheets per hour to 4,000 with the removal of only a few blocks of rubber.

Let us show you our expertise in dies and rubber can help your die cutting process.