Advantages and development status of laser die-cutting technology

Digital post-press has been in commercial use for several years, from research and development to commercial use. After the drupa 2016 exhibition, it has attracted great attention from the industry. Domestic printing companies are the first among Hong Kong-funded and foreign-funded printing companies to introduce digital post-press processing equipment. They are a little hesitant about trying the latest scientific and technological achievements. On the one hand, in the early stage of introducing equipment, companies need to analyze and learn about the use, efficiency, work flow, product design and other aspects of the equipment, and are a little hesitant about their product positioning. Therefore, whether to introduce digital post-press equipment, companies should comprehensively analyze their business philosophy, team, strategy, product application field, quality, etc. according to actual conditions. The author talks about his personal views on the advantages and disadvantages of laser die-cutting technology and its current application status.

Advantages of laser die cutting

The development of molds from manual to automated equipment has greatly improved both in efficiency and cost, and the development of die cutting technology has entered a mature stage. The laser die cutting creasing machine and some domestically produced semi-automatic laser cutting equipment have once again changed our concept, and it has many advantages.

1. Stimulate innovation

The digital cutting machine revolution has unleashed the inspiration of designers. Combined with the application of cutting process technology, the three-dimensional display can be completed directly on the computer with software, which can be viewed before production, avoiding design defects and errors in the production process, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, since there is no restriction on the die cutter, the creative space of the designer has been greatly expanded.

It can be imagined that: first, computer design until the finished product is landed, and the process can be repeatedly produced and modified as needed, but no special tools and technicians are required; second, after the successful work is produced, it can be produced again; third, the designer's creativity can be exerted in an unlimited space. The design in Figure 1 would not have been used for this kind of packaging before. Another creative design as shown in Figure 2, combined with the artistic style of paper and three-dimensional cutting, has great significance for display, functional application, product protection, etc.

2. Make up for the shortcomings of the traditional model

In order to ensure the quality of die-cutting, the traditional die-cutting equipment will have virtual cutting in the production process, and it needs to be constantly fine-tuned. If it is cutting self-adhesive stickers (without cutting the base paper), it is more difficult to handle. It takes a long time to proofread the printing plate, the efficiency of finished products is low, and the operator's proficiency is also required. Generally, 25% of the production time is good. The long-term output is only 35% of the machine start-up rate, and the rest of the time is spent on adjusting parameters. Especially when making corrugated boxes, the punching die will damage the edge of the corrugated paper and affect the quality of the box. If a steel mold is used, although the quality will be slightly better, the customization time is long, the manufacturing cost is expensive, and the proofing must be passed to make the die. If it is a minor change, it will cost a higher price. Ordinary die cutters, although cheap, have to be reused three or four times, and the die-cutting quality cannot be guaranteed. In addition, the amount of printing should be increased, otherwise it will be troublesome to reprint due to insufficient quantity.

Laser die cutting and connecting line indentation, from an application perspective, can completely solve the problems in the above-mentioned traditional die-cutting production, and the amount of paper added will also be less. Whether using traditional offset printing or digital printing, laser die cutting technology can be used to achieve post-printing processing and cutting. Especially for some complex paper structures and patterns, digital technology is used for processing, without considering tool life, process limitations and mold costs. The design can be modified at will until it is satisfactory. Small batches and high value-added orders can be produced, the workflow is simple, and the product quality is improved. For example, when making corrugated boxes, laser die-cutting technology is used, the cut is relatively smooth, and the quality of the box is guaranteed.

From a structural point of view, laser die-cutting equipment has many similarities with traditional die-cutting equipment, including automatic feeder, automatic paper collection, etc., but there is no die-cutting knife, only 3D digital indentation and laser cutting components. Compared with traditional die-cutting, laser die-cutting can also reduce mold backlog, while reducing the use of wood boards and glue, and reducing carbon emissions. For small batches, B1 large-format blanking, and expedited orders, laser die-cutting equipment has absolute advantages. For example, the novel design of "easy tearing" can design a very personalized zipper opening according to different customer needs, and no special tools are required, as long as the PDF blade is designed. In particular, the use of smooth pulls makes the box shape less likely to be damaged.

Technical issues in laser die-cutting

There are certain technical problems in the laser die-cutting process. For example, different substrates will have different degrees of smoke and dust, and some dark films, especially dark-bottomed substrates, will produce mist pollution. If the substrate contains a large amount of brightener, the substrate will have traces similar to burning, so there will be traces of yellow edges after laser die-cutting.

Now, there are new patent solutions for this situation on the market. New software can be used to control the laser energy value and cutting technology. These can solve most of the problems, but some substrates still produce similar situations to varying degrees. Therefore, users should choose the materials in advance and understand the limitations of the equipment in order to complete the production smoothly.

Application Status of Laser Die-cutting Technology

When it comes to the most noteworthy laser die-cutting equipment on the market, the first thing that comes to mind is Laiser Laser. Its equipment does not require traditional molds, and can achieve indentation before cutting, and the process is fully automated. It has two models: Euclid III and Beam under B1 size (1060mm脳760mm) printing sheets, with speeds of 2250 sheets/hour and 5000 sheets/hour respectively. In addition, domestic manufacturers have also launched a series of laser die-cutting equipment, which adopts a single laser static cutting method, without indentation and large specifications.

Compared with traditional die-cutting equipment, laser die-cutting machines are indeed more expensive, which reduces the return on investment and prolongs the payback period. If a printing factory wants to purchase this kind of equipment, it must have products with high added value or high quality requirements to support the development of the enterprise, or the enterprise's own development strategy planning needs to manufacture differentiated products and get out of the vicious circle of price competition. Therefore, the business model of enterprises that purchase laser die-cutting equipment is very important. In the past two years, most companies that purchase laser die-cutting equipment are mainly engaged in two aspects of business. On the one hand, they carry out product development, and on the other hand, they make some alternative products that are directly transferred from traditional die-cutting to laser die-cutting processing. In particular, some more complex cutting processes will be handed over to laser die-cutting for completion. At present, laser die-cutting is mainly used in the fields of cards, labels, children's three-dimensional books, book covers, cultural and creative products, some small packages, food packaging boxes, etc.

At present, many printing companies have realized that they need to transform from processing service providers to solution providers, so that customer planning is richer and they can provide a full range of process technology, proofing, approval and production. At the same time, there are more and more short orders in the market, and the trend of personalization, customization and Internet+ is becoming increasingly obvious. The application of digital technology in the printing field is imperative.

Therefore, the author is very optimistic about the development prospects of laser die-cutting technology, which is a sharp tool for intelligent innovation. As Mr. Landa said: In the future, applications that can be digitized will definitely be digitized. In the past 30 years, we have seen changes, and digital technology has taken off for 30 years. The popularization of pre-press CTP plate making, the vigorous development of digital printing equipment, and the rise of surface hot stamping treatment including surface hot stamping and UV treatment in digital post-pressing have made the entire industry full of challenges and opportunities. How to find innovative development in new technologies, develop new strategic opportunities, and enter the blue ocean market from the red ocean market is a problem that everyone needs to think carefully about.