Sanpo-yoshi Communication

Printing Column] Laser-cut processing that requires no cutting dies and is OK for complex applications.

At Marushin, part of the seal die-cutting process is done with a die-cutting machine called a laser cutting machine. This machine is actually amazing, and when it comes to stickers, half-cutting is crucial. When I first saw the laser cutter, I thought it was an amazing machine because the label was cut in an instant and the backing paper was not cut at all.

Something like a Gundam laser saber or a Star Wars lifesaver could be made in time.
The mechanism is the same as a laser scalpel used in surgery: light energy is concentrated into a point. It is said to be the image of cutting.

The old laser cutter used to scorch the cut surface, but today's laser cutters do not. I am amazed at the progress of technology.
However, be careful when cutting all the way down to the base paper in a full cutting process, as the belt behind it may be burnt, and this burnt material may transfer to the reverse side.

Laser cutting is suitable for products that require a blade pattern but can be completed only once. For example, seasonal event stickers or anniversary stickers. If you want to make stickers as a novelty, the cost tends to be "die cost > label cost" for less than 5,000 labels, but with laser cutting, you can cut labels without the need for a die, resulting in a significant cost reduction, although the unit price of labels increases.

There are also quality advantages. Have you ever seen novelty stickers with labels that often do not cut well? This is caused by unevenness in the thickness of the paper.
Normally, this phenomenon is easily detected because the label is attached to the label during the shavings process (the process of removing the label's circumference to make it easier to use), but this phenomenon is difficult to detect and occurs irregularly with novelty stickers because the design is also placed around the label and the label is not shavings-ready.
The laser cutting process is effective against this unevenness in cutting. The laser cuts a groove between the label and the surrounding area, which prevents uneven cutting and makes it easier to peel off the label. The more complex the mold, the more powerful laser cutting is.

This is one of the machines that I am very excited and looking forward to.

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