Machine cutting

Machine cutting with a CAD plotter

The STRIP PLATE® coating plate can be cut with a cutting plotter using the tangential knife. The cutting program is normally created based on the penetration pattern of the cutting die to be utilized further downline in the packaging process. The height adjustment of the knife is paramount, the carrier plate must not be scored deeper than the specified relief depth. Before cutting, the specified coating pattern should be drawn on the STRIP PLATE® for control purposes, this also makes it easier to find the interfaces again.

Basically, it is sufficient to cut the light blue soft film to 100% of the relief depth so that the film can be easily peeled off. To avoid scratching the carrier plate, a sliding ring should be used as a spacer. These slip rings are in the delivery packages of all plotter manufacturers, but they are not always installed. In order not to damage the coating plates, the spacer is absolutely necessary.

The plotter table, which is often not completely flat, can result in uneven depth cuts that can also scratch the carrier layer. Please ensure that the plotter table is level and seated correctly on the floor. As an additional measure, make sure that the plate lies flat on the plotter table and that any air pockets are removed.

It is important to ensure that the knife used to cut the STRIP PLATE® is as sharp as possible as blunt or dull knives lead to pick outs and unclean cut edges.

Instructions for peeling off the Aluminium bases for 5 L and 13 KR:

Our various STRIP PLATE® coating layers adhere very strongly to certain carriers to ensure minimum performance issues during the actual production runs, in so much that peeling them off may appear exceedingly difficult under extreme circumstances. By warming up the coating plate ever so slightly, the adhesive becomes soft again and consequently, removing it is no longer a problem. We recommend that the STRIP PLATE® coating plate can be heated by either laying it on a heated surface (hot plate) or utilizing a handheld heat gun. STRIP PLATE® coating plates should only be heated to a maximum of + 45 ° C / 113 ° F.  Plates could be placed on a clean warm flat surface prior to stripping to exacerbate the stripping process when needed. Colder plates will of course be more difficult when removing the unwanted material when needed.

Notes on peeling off from the Polyester base for the POLY:

Although the adhesion is sufficiently strong, the film can be peeled off by hand without warming up. The prior heating instructions are not required.

Actual Coating length:

The coating length depends on the thickness of the STRIP PLATE® coating plate and the cylinder diameter of the Coating Unit. This variable size is between 0.2% for the thinnest plates and can be up to 1.0% for the thickest coating plates. An exact print length correction can be achieved with a circular copier or a correction of the plotter program on the CAD. As a rule, print lengths cannot be corrected in the printing press, because a higher surface speed resulting from an increase in the overall thickness leads to abrasion of the ink on the plate in the wet lacquer application, which would result in the plate accepting ink. In addition, the coating plates will not stretch when installed.

Distortion factor

STRIP PLATE® 5 L
< 720 x 1020 mm ~0,3%
<1250 x 1630 mm~0,2 - 0,25%

STRIP PLATE® 13 KR und POLY
< 720 x 1020 mm ~0,9%
<1250 x 1630 mm ~0,7%

The information above is based on experience, the exact reduction should be tested.