Die Cut Shapes
Die cut shapes are formed through the use of die cutting machines. Die cutting machines consist of thin, steel blades, called dies, that cut out shapes in various types of materials. There are different types of die cutting that can be performed to provide various die cut shapes. Some of these include rotary, steel rule, ultrasonic, and laser die cutting.
During rotary die cutting, angled blades on a cylindrical die and an anvil crush cut the material. With this type of die cutting, the material is usually cut in continuous roll form. During steel rule die cutting, in comparison, the material is crush cut between two parallel plates. In ultrasonic die cutting, the vibrations of a metal horn generate heat and pressure; these vibrations are then used to die cut and seal two-dimensional shapes. During laser cutting, computers control 3-axis laser cutting machines.