Die cutting and water jet cutting can both cut rubber products like seals, gaskets, and insulation. What’s the best cutting method for your application then? This article compares die cutting vs. water jet cutting and considers the advantages and disadvantages of each process. Elasto Proxy provides water jet cutting services, but we want to help you make the right choice for your project.
This table provides an overview of some key differences between die cutting and water jet cutting for industrial rubber products.
Factor | Die Cutting | Water Jet Cutting |
Types of Cuts | Simple shapes, limited to the shape of the die | Complex and intricate shapes, cuts are not limited by tooling |
Production Speeds | Faster | Slower |
Part Volumes | Higher volumes | Low-to-medium volumes, including prototypes |
Edge Quality | Die cutting may deform edges | Water jet cutting does not apply pressure that can deform part edges |
Heat Generation | No heat generated, but some friction | Cold cutting process, no heat damage |
Tool Wear | Tool wears out over time | No tool wear because the cutting process is tool-free |
Material Thickness | Limited to materials with thin-to-medium thickness
| Pure water jet cutting is used with thin-to-medium thickness materials, and abrasive water jet cutting can cut thick rubber materials |
The following sections compare these two cutting processes in greater detail.
What is Die Cutting?
Die cutting uses a metal tool called a die to cut-out shapes, typically from rubber sheets. Like a cookie cutter, the die stamps or presses through the material. Typically, die cutting is used in industries that require high volumes of identical parts like rubber washers or flat gaskets. Although there’s a cost for the die, per-part tooling costs decline as production volumes increase.
Flatbed die cutters can produce small, thin parts in volumes of 100K to 500K per year. They’re also capable of producing kiss cut parts with adhesive on one side. With kiss cutting, the die cuts through the rubber material and just into, but not through, the adhesive liner. For higher volumes of parts, rotary die cutters are used. With both types of machines, steel tools support greater precision.
Advantages of Die Cutting for Rubber
There are four main advantages to using die cutting with rubber products.
- High-Volume Efficiency: Die cutting is highly efficient for mass production. Once the die is made, it can be used repeatedly to produce large quantities of identical rubber parts.
- Consistent and Uniform Cuts: With die cutting, each cut is the same as the last. In high-volume industries such as automotive and electronics, uniformity and precision are critical.
- Speed: Die cutting is a relatively fast process, especially for simple shapes. Once the die is loaded into the machine, it’s possible to produce hundreds or thousands of parts quickly.
- Material Compatibility: Die cutting can be used with a wide range of rubber materials, including EPDM, neoprene, and silicone.
Disadvantages of Die Cutting for Rubber
Despite its advantages, die cutting for rubber has some disadvantages.
- Initial Tooling Costs: Die cutting has up-front tooling costs that can be relatively expensive, especially when steel rule dies are used. Plus, die cutting isn’t cost-effective for low-volume production.
- Limited Flexibility: A die can only the cut shape for which it was made. If your part design changes, you’ll need to pay for and wait for a new tool. This adds costs and extends project timelines.
- Tool Wear and Edge Quality: Over time, dies wear out. Even if tools don’t need to be replaced, they require sharpening. High-quality, well-maintained dies are less likely to deform part edges, but cutting speeds or techniques can also cause deformities.
- Limited Complexity: Die cutting is best-suited for simple, 2D shapes. It’s not a good choice for complex, intricate designs or for parts with sharp angles or detailed features.
Water Jet Cutting
Water jet cutting uses a high-pressure stream of water to cut through rubber sheets or extrusions. For softer and thinner rubber, pure water jet cutting is used. For harder and thicker rubber, the pressurized stream of water is mixed with an abrasive. Water jet cutters include flatbed or gantry-style equipment, but multi-axis robots are also used.
During water jet cutting, the cutting stream is directed at the rubber material at high speeds. The cuts are clean and precise, and the types of shapes that water jet cutting can produce aren’t limited by tooling. Unlike die cutting, water jet cutting can produce finer, cleaner features. Examples include notches, holes, angles, and chamfers.
Advantages of Water Jet Cutting for Rubber
There are four advantages to using water jet cutting with rubber products
- Complex Shapes and Fine Details: Water jet cutting can create complex, intricate shapes with a high degree of precision. Because the water jet can follow any pre-programmed path, a water jet machine can make the kind of detailed cuts that a die cutter just can’t match.
- No Tool Wear: Water jet cutting is a tool-less process.
- Better Edge Quality: Unlike die cutting, which can cause part edges to deform, water jet cutting does not put pressure on the workpiece.
- Thick Material Compatibility: When an abrasive is used, water jet cutting can slice through thick rubber materials. Depending on the composition of the rubber and the settings of the water jet, it’s possible to cut rubber that’s up to several inches thick with precision.
Disadvantages of Water Jet Cutting for Rubber
Despite its advantages, water jet cutting for rubber has some disadvantages.
- Speed: Water jet machines are slower than die cutters. Abrasive water jet cutters can cut thicker rubber, but at slower speeds than pure water jet cutting for thinner rubber.
- Volume: Because water jet cutting is slower, it’s generally used for prototyping and low-to-medium volume production. Die cutting can also be used for these applications, but it’s not cost-effective because of the initial upfront investment in a die.
Which Cutting Method is Better for Rubber Parts?
When choosing a cutting method for rubber products, it’s important to consider the volume of parts, the thickness of the material, and the part’s complexity. Keep these general guidelines in mind.
- Die cutting is a better choice for cutting simple rubber parts in higher volumes.
- Water jet cutting is a better choice for cutting prototypes, low-to-medium volumes, and parts with intricate designs.
Elasto Proxy can help you select the best cutting method for your project and operates gantry-style water jet equipment at our manufacturing facilities near Montreal, Canada and in Simpsonville, South Carolina (USA). At our Montreal-area facility, we also have a multi-axis robot that can be used for abrasive water jet cutting.
