Die cutting is a manufacturing process used to generate large numbers of the same shape from a material such as wood, plastic, metal, or fabric. The die cut shapes are sometimes called “blanks,” because they are usually finished and decorated before being sold. The process is widely used on an assortment of materials all over the world, and many manufactured products contain several die cut components, often assembled together in a series of steps to create a finished product.
Creating dies is meticulous work. The die must be designed so that it efficiently cuts the desired material with minimal waste. Most factories which use die cutting as part of their manufacturing process have techniques for recycling material left over from die cutting, but they want to avoid excess if possible. Often, multiple dies are fitted together on one mount, nestled with each other for maximum efficiency. Material left over from the process may be melted down and reused, or reworked into other components.
Common examples of die cut items include keys, paper products, and flat plastic pieces which can be snapped together. Die cutting is limited, because it can only really be used to produce flat objects. For more dimensional shapes, other manufacturing techniques such as molds need to employed. Dies can also range widely in size from cookie cutters to massive machines designed to cut out ship components. With large dies, it is important to observe safety precautions while die cutting, as an industrial die designed to slice through metal can also remove a limb without difficulty.