Cutters are a type of steel rule die which are popular in the plastics and food packaging industry. Cutters are steel rule dies that are not mounted in wood but bent to fit around a fitting block (or gauge block), which is made from aluminum. Bridges are cut into the blades which are used to secure the cutter to the fitting block using a screw and washer.
The benefit of this die cutting system is that it can be designed to “float” and not be as rigid as traditional wood mounted dies. These dies also perform well when heated which helps to create a cleaner cut when die cutting plastics. Cutter dies have become a favorite for the food packaging industry or products that have a high volume run because of how quickly they can be re-ruled.
