The healthcare industry is one industry where it is emphatically not a good idea to cut corners. People in the healthcare industry need the best, cleanest and most precise products, and precision rotary die cutting is one way to ensure that they get that. This kind of die cutting supports precision and speed, allowing you to cut products quickly and get a quality finish.
Rotary die cutters are good for high volume projects where you need to produce smaller sized products. Thy offer low-tolerance, precise cuts and can also be used for products that require assembly, with parts that have small margins for error.
Die Cutting Options
There are many different types of cut that can be counted under the category of die cutting, including:
Steel Rule Die Cutting
Fast, efficient cuts for small quantity projects, including:
Steel Rule
Steel rule die cutting is a good option if you want to cut small quantities, but still need a fast and efficient cut. Steel rule die cutting is highly precise, and is often used for cutting prototypes. It is a versatile and practical service.
Rotary Cutting
This is a fast and efficient way of cutting small pieces, and it is a brilliant option for medical device prototypes. If you want a quick prototype of a component, then you can us this type of cutting for your designs. Whether they’re simple or complex you can get a good cut.
Rotary Male/Female Die Cutting
This is perfect for making precise male/female cuts, and is a good option for custom designs. Whether you’re making a simple product or a multi-layered design, you’ll get a very precise cut with this, and you can get reliable, replicable cuts for high volume product manufacturing.
Flat Bed Cutting
If you need to cut a large product or some very thick materials, then flat bed die cutting is a good option.
Fast Turnaround for High Volume Cuts
Medical products need to be made to highly precise standards, and it helps if they can be made promptly. Rotary die cutting allows for fast turnaround times while still ensuring that the products are made to the highest standards. Because the machines are so precise, you can get high volume cuts that are as clean and clear as possible. From simple prototypes to production runs of 100, or a full production run where you’re mass-manufacturing your product, rotary die cutting is a good way to get your product made. Designs can be drawn up in most CAD software, and some companies will work with drawn designs as well.
Traditionally, die cutting is something that people think of as being done with metals, but it can be done with other products as well. Even tape can b die cut, and it is often done that way. Die cutting of wound care products, tape, and adhesives can allow for precise cuts, and a clean finish so that there are no loose fibers to potentially contaminate a wound. Indeed, when die cutting is done for this kind of product, it ensures that every adhesive or wound care product is the same size and shape, and that the product is hygienic as possible. For products that are going to be put onto an open wound this is an essential feature.
There are many companies that specialize in offering custom die cut components for medical companies, doing tight tolerance die cutting, rotary die cutting, and island placement.
Island placement is the term that is used to describe a design where a small piece is located on a precise location on a larger component. Island placement combines the two webs together, with each web having a different line speed and a different part repeat. This practice minimizes the amount of waste and is a useful idea when you are producing high-value products. It is becoming increasingly common for things like transdermal patches.
Cleanliness is Key
As you would imagine, when working with medical products it is vital that the products are manufactured in a clean environment. While there are many companies that do die cutting, and rotary die cutting is something that offers high precision, not all rotary die cutting companies can work with medical devices and produce medical components. To allow for the manufacture of medical components it is essential that the company has a clean room facility. The clean room services must extend beyond manufacture and include assembly and packing too. Any other work, such as lamination, must be performed in a similarly sterile environment
Companies with clean room services can work on medical device attachments, wound care and ostomy products, drugs, monitoring electrodes, diagnostic components and more. Medical packaging, filtration, cardiovascular, surgical and ophthalmic devices can all be made through clean room high speed rotary die cutting, assuming you have the right CAD drawings and a machine that can handle them.
It may be hard to imagine, for those that come from construction or automotive backgrounds, but the same practices are suitable for medical applications as well. Those large machines can be programmed to make precise movements!
Choosing a Supplier
If you are looking to get die cut components made for medical applications, then it is a good idea to ask the company such as https://rdmedicalproducts.com what facilities they have, and what materials they have experience working with. Some companies may do lamination, packaging cards and electrodes. Some may have expertise in wound dressings, foam or adhesives. It’s easy to assume that cutting is cutting, but different materials have different properties, and some complex work such as island placement or adhesive lamination may need special machines or configuration. In addition, some plants may have the resources to do small runs or prototypes, but not have the capacity to handle much bigger jobs. For your own peace of mind, call each company and ask to talk to an engineer to ensure that they can handle your product and that they have the cutting and converting capabilities to do a good job and to supply precisely cut, clean and safe products.
