Tooling guide
Mastering die cutting tools for converting lines
A practical guide to choosing solid dies, flexible dies, anvils, gears, coatings, steel programs, and slug-removal options for repeatable converting work.
Start with the material stack
- Document substrate, liner, adhesive, caliper, target speed, and press model before selecting tooling.
- Use solid dies for long runs, abrasive materials, tight tolerances, or repeated resharpen cycles.
- Use flexible dies for short to mid-length runs, fast changeovers, and magnetic-cylinder workflows.
Match support tooling to the process
- Pair dies with anvils, gears, and cylinders that keep TIR, pressure, and registration stable.
- Select air eject, pulse air, stripping pins, vacuum, or transfer systems based on slug behavior.
- Use coatings such as TS, DLC, or titanium when adhesive, ink, or wear conditions justify them.
Plan lifecycle support
- Track inspection data, run counts, pressure settings, and resharpen intervals.
- Schedule resharpening before operators compensate with excess pressure.
- Use repair or rebuild planning when journals, edges, or lifecycle cost begin to drift.
Need help applying this?
Midway engineering can review your dieline, material stack, press data, and prior inspection history.
Talk with engineering