Shenhua Printing: Material Selection of Ejection Rubber and Adaptation Logic with Die Cutting Materials
The core function of ejection rubber is to assist the smooth progress of the die cutting process, and the selection of its material directly determines the die cutting accuracy, efficiency and product qualification rate. Many enterprises only focus on the hardness and thickness of the ejection rubber when selecting, but ignore its adaptability to the die cutting materials, which ultimately leads to problems such as incomplete cutting, sticking to the die and product damage. With 25 years of experience in the printing consumables industry, Shenhua Printing has sorted out the adaptation logic between ejection rubber and common die cutting materials based on a large number of production practices, helping practitioners select accurately and avoid misunderstandings.
Different thickness, hardness and toughness of die cutting materials have different performance requirements for ejection rubber. For thin materials, such as self-adhesive labels, thin paper and films, which are fragile and easy to tear, low-hardness (25-40 Shore A), high-rebound and ultra-thin ejection rubber should be selected. This type of ejection rubber can provide gentle and uniform support, avoid material tearing due to excessive pressure, and quickly rebound to effectively prevent sticking to the die and ensure smooth waste discharge. Shenhua Printing's practice found that using 30 Shore A high-rebound ejection rubber for thin paper die cutting can reduce the defect rate by more than 80%.
For medium-thick materials, such as ordinary cardboard and carton board, which have moderate texture and good toughness, medium-hardness (45-60 Shore A) ejection rubber is suitable. This type of ejection rubber balances support and rebound performance, which can not only ensure that the material does not shift during die cutting, but also smoothly eject the finished product, adapting to most conventional die cutting scenarios. It should be noted that if the surface of the cardboard is covered with film or special coating, ejection rubber with smooth and anti-stick surface should be selected to avoid coating peeling or ejection rubber adhering to the material.
For thick and hard materials, such as corrugated cardboard, thick cardboard and plastic sheets, which are hard and have large die cutting resistance, high-hardness (65-85 Shore A) and high compression resistance ejection rubber is required. This type of ejection rubber can withstand high-intensity stamping, provide sufficient reverse support to ensure that the material is cut through at one time, and has good wear resistance to extend the service life. Shenhua Printing reminds that when die cutting thick materials, the thickness of the ejection rubber should be slightly lower than the height of the die blade to avoid damage to the die and equipment due to excessive pressure.
In addition, special ejection rubber should be selected for die cutting of special materials. For example, when die cutting special paper containing solvents and electronic labels, solvent-resistant and anti-static ejection rubber should be selected to prevent the ejection rubber from swelling and aging, and avoid static electricity damaging electronic components; when die cutting materials in high-temperature environments, high-temperature resistant ejection rubber should be selected to ensure that it can maintain elasticity and stability at high temperatures. The core principle of selection is "material matching and performance adaptation". Only by selecting the corresponding ejection rubber according to the characteristics of the die cutting material can its best auxiliary effect be exerted.