Mag-Knight provides custom steel rule die cutting for OEMs from its shop in Snohomish, Washington, in business since 1993. We cut gaskets, foam, rubber, felt, adhesives, plastics and thin metals on flatbed hydraulic presses, holding key features to ±0.005″, with no setup fees, $100-per-hour press time and a 5-piece minimum. Repeat orders ship in 7 days; new tooling takes about 2 weeks.
| Die cutting spec | Mag-Knight |
|---|---|
| Process | Steel rule die on flatbed hydraulic presses |
| Tolerance | ±0.005″ key / ±0.015″ general / ±0.032″ unspecified |
| Press area | 30″ × 60″ per hit, up to 7 cavities per die |
| Setup fee | None |
| Minimum order | 5 pieces |
| Press time | $100 per hour |
| Typical die cost | About $200 for a letter-size die with a few simple features |
| Lead time | 7 days repeat / about 2 weeks with new tooling |
| Inspection | SPC sampling; OGP SmartScope to 0.0001″; measurements with every batch (C of C) |
| Design review | Free review by a mechanical engineer before the die is built |
Design limits such as hole-to-edge distance and bend radius are listed in our die-cut design rules. Upload a DXF or PDF to Instant Pricing for an estimate in seconds.
Using steel rule dies, we can die cut foam, sheet plastic, corrugated plastic, chipboard, fabric, rubber, felt, cork, thin metals, wood, acrylic, composites, fiberglass, magnets, sponge, custom die cuts or any other flat material normally found in the industry. For a complete listing, see our materials section.
Die cutting machinery: We use only flat bed die cutters at Mag-Knight. A Flat bed die cutter has two parallel platens which exert pressure on a steel rule die. This creates a part with very close tolerance ±.005″ key / ±.015″ general / ±.032″ unspecified. Here is a picture of a flat bed die cutter…
Clean production environment: All of the products we cut require us to have a very clean environment. Since many are consumer products, we must be very careful to ensure that the they maintain their perfect appearance. This same careful attention to detail will apply to your job, large or small.
Video Demonstration: See steel rule die cutting in action, including design-rule examples, on our videos page.
Custom Die Cutting Steel Rule Dies
The steel rule die is the heart of die cutting. Bent metal blades are positioned in a wooden board to form a “cookie cutter”. This allows perfect duplication of your parts to ±.005″ on key features, ±.015″ general and ±.032″ unspecified. Complex shapes, stars, circles, and many different patterns are possible with a steel rule die. This tooling cost will be delineated separately in your quote from Mag-Knight. For a quote on your job see our Quotation Form page
Accuracy / Quality Assurance
We use the very latest Statistical Process Control methods to verify part accuracy throughout the manufacturing run. Shown here is our OGP Smart scope with can optically measure parts to within .0001″ if required. We can provide measurements with every batch as part of our C of C documentation.