Die-cutting for color boxes unexpectedly encounters so many issues? How to solve them?

In the era of digital printing, die-cutting for color boxes plays an increasingly important role as a crucial component of product packaging in marketing. Therefore, improving the quality of die-cutting for color boxes is a significant concern for printing factories.

Die-cutting creases causing “burst lines” and “dark lines”

Issue: “Burst lines” occur when the pressure of die-cutting creases exceeds the fiber’s limit, leading to fiber breakage. “Dark lines” refer to unwanted crease lines on color boxes, often caused by inappropriate die-cutting plates and creasing steel wire selection, improper die-cutting pressure adjustment, poor paper quality, inconsistent paper fiber direction with die-cutting plate knife direction, and low paper moisture content reducing flexibility.

Solution: Choose suitable die-cutting plates; adjust die-cutting pressure appropriately; increase the relative humidity in the workshop environment; let the printed products sit in the workshop for some time before die-cutting; minimize the tension on the paper.

Low die-cutting precision

Issue: Apart from issues with the die-cutting equipment itself, low die-cutting precision may result from factors such as manually crafted die-cutting plates having significant errors, die-cutting creases being in a different operational environment than the printing process, causing paper deformation and inaccurate crease positioning. After processes like glossing or laminating, paper deformation becomes more severe, significantly affecting die-cutting precision.

Solution: Choose advanced die-cutting plate production processes to improve precision; ensure die-cutting creases and the printing process operate in the same environment or maintain consistent environmental conditions (i.e., temperature, humidity); pre-process paper after glossing and laminating to minimize the impact of paper deformation on die-cutting precision.

Die-cutting produces fuzz and dust

Issue: During die-cutting and pressing, the tension created by the adhesive strip and creasing steel wire can cause paper to break before being completely cut, resulting in fuzz. The quality of the paper also contributes, with virgin paper producing fewer fuzz and dust compared to recycled paper with shorter fibers.

Solution: Choose different types of die-cutting blades based on the paper type. Straight-line blades are better for avoiding fuzz; for coated card paper, use straight-line high blades, ensuring the blades are ground instead of using the one-step molding process, as excessive pressure can significantly impact die-cutting in digital printing. For regular card paper, use low blades and select the blade pattern based on the fiber quality to extend die-cutting blade lifespan.

Die-cutting “sticking plates”

Issue: “Sticking plates” refer to paper adhering to the die-cutting plate. Causes include insufficient density or hardness of the sponge adhesive strip around the die-cutting blade, lack of resilience, dull blade edges, and excessively thick paper leading to blade sticking.

Solution: Choose different hardness sponge strips or replace the die-cutting blade based on its distribution.

Die-cutting “loose plates”

Issue: Due to prolonged use of the die-cutting machine, wear and tear on parts, and loose chain links, the chain may not straighten when pulling the teeth outward, causing the sponge strip to lift off and resulting in loose plates during die-cutting in digital printing.

Solution: Address equipment malfunctions; remove tiny and hard-to-detect foreign objects in the paper path; add additional bonding points at the paper box joints and dustproof flaps; choose moderately hard sponge strips; low paper moisture content and brittle paper can also lead to loose plates, requiring humidification treatment on finished products or allowing them to sit overnight before die-cutting.

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