CONTINUAL BELT INCREMENTAL DIECUTTING
A method of diecutting where a urethane belt is used to transport the material to be diecut from a layup table directly under the cutting head of a press. The die cuts through the material to be die cut directly or (slightly) into the urethane belt.
C-FLUTE
One of the wave shapes (A, B, C, E or F flutes) Pressed into a corrugated board. A C-flute has 39 flutes +/- in a 3-foot section of corrugated board or 130-flute +/- within a 10 meters length of corrugated board. The approximate height of the flute is .142″” (.361 cm) not including the thickness of the facings. The take-up factor is 1.43. See FLUTE or CORRUGATION.
CAD
(1) an acronym for “Computer Aided Design”. A graphic program that relies on vector graphics to produce images on a video screen. A CAD program is used to design and create exact drawings of products like gaskets, folding cartons or a whole range of products. (2) Computer Aided Design; the process of using a computer to generate a design or shape, i.e. a die layout. The computer information can be used with a plotter, laser, sample maker, or counter cutter.
CAD program
A software program that produces an image as a series of lines or vectors as opposed to a paint program that reproduces an image or Drawing as a series of dots.
CAD/CAM
(1) Computer aided design/Computer aided manufacturing. A term used for manufacturing equipment that by the use of computers and software programs can create programs to design layout for dies and carry out the machining tasks to create the specific designs as originally programmed. (2) The combining of CAD and CAM.
CALIPER
The thickness of paper, usually expressed in thousandths of an inch (mils). This is the measure of thickness of board. It is commonly referred to as “points”. Board is generally available single ply in calipers from sixteen points (.016) through seventy point (.070) inches. Single plies may be combined through laminating to obtain “pasted board” of higher calipers.
CAM
Computer assisted Manufacturing. The use of computer-driven equipment, such as a plotter, laser or sample maker, to produce finished Mylar’s, dieboards, samples or counters.
CAVITY
(1) One section of a multiple cavity die, where more than one die or sections are mounted onto a backplate as in clicker dies or on a dieboard as in steel rule dies. (2) In laser technology,a cavity is the laser resonator, or tube in which the lasing process occurs. (3) Usually refers to the engraving on a rotary die cutter that die cuts a single shape.
CD-ROM
An acronym for “Compact Disc-Read Only Memory” A special form of large capacity ROM; and auxiliary storage device used primarily for storing reference material for quick retrieval.
CENTER BEVEL RULE
A steel rule blade where the cutting edge is centered in the middle of the thickness of the die blade.
CHASE
A rectangular metal frame in which type and plates are locked up for letterpress printing. A metal frame which holds dies together under pressure.
CHEM-MILLING
A process where die blades are created on a plate of magnesium allowing chemicals to etch away excess materials on the plate leaving a raised section which is the cutting blade.
CHIPBOARD
Paperboard used in making rigid boxes. Made in varying densities according to desired smoothness from reclaimed paper fiber to give high stiffness and internal strength for scoring.
CHISEL PUNCHES
A die blade that creates a slice or tear cut in a die cut piece. It can be anywhere in a die configuration where a separation is needed or could be outside the die to help break away the web of material to relieve cutting pressure to aid in improved diecutting techniques.
CLICKER DIE
“A forged or preground die used primarily on a clicker press. A clicker die is normally made in heights up to 1-1/4″ high with a blade thickness of 1/8″ or 3/16″. The blades are free standing with no center wood for support but may be reinforced with braces and have a backplate welded on to the dies so the die can be rubber loaded for ejection of diecut parts.”
CLICKER DIE PRESS
“A single arm press usually with a cutting bed@ up to 20″” x 40″” in size on which clicker dies@ bolted steel rule dies or ordinary steel rule dies are used. The name “”Clicker”” was derived from the clicking sound made by the mechanical action when the flywheel was released to initiate the downward cutting action on early non-hydraulic pressed like the USM ideal Clicker dating back to 1906.”
CLICKER PRESS
Generic term now referring to all swing am diecutting presses used in much of the soft goods converting areas.
CLOSE TOLERANCE
Close tolerance dies are generally dies with a closer tolerance than those made to a commercial tolerance. A close tolerance for other types of dies depends upon what the industry calls a close tolerance.
CLOSED CELL SPONGE RUBBER
A sponge rubber with individual closed cells which contain a gas. These cells can be depressed or deformed, but they will immediately bounce back to their original shape.
CNC
Computer numerically controlled. Many machine tools are CNC controlled by computer programs or program tapes to provide great accuracy and repeatability of machining functions.
COMBINATION RULE
Steel rule that has alternating cuts and creases.
COMBO DIE
(1) A die which incorporates both the features steel rule die with male and female blanking elements. Many times the perimeter of a die may be a steel rule blade and the cutouts can be male and female cutouts. The perimeter may not require close tolerance, but the cutouts may require close tolerance. In some cases, a male/female die is required to cut out intricate designs. (2) A die layout consisting of more than one box design – multiple cartons of different types in a single layout.
COMPATIBILITY
With reference to PC computer hardware, compatibility refers to one computer being compatible to run all software designed for an operating system like MS-DOS.
COMPOSITE
The combination of two dissimilar materials to create a new stronger or more functional material for some application.
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN (CAD)
A process involving direct real-time communication between a designer and a computer, generally by the use of a video display terminal and a light pen.
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN/COMPUTER-AIDED
Efforts to automate design and manufacturing operations.
CONTINOUS WAVE (CW)
A laser beam that is produced continuously rather than a series of pulses.
CONTINUOS LABEL
Fan-folded labels manufactured from a continuous web of label stock which is not cut into units prior to execution. Continuous labels are mostly used for data processing applications.
CONTOUR DIE
(1) A die used to trim electronic circuit boards to finished shape. (2) A 3D die or multi-contour die where the cutting blades conform to different heights of a thermoformed part that has to be trimmed.
CONVERTER
A company that fabricates one form of material into a more advanced form,e.i. a clothing manufacturer converts fabric in to clothing or an envelope manufacturer converting paper into envelopes.
CONVEX CREASE WHEEEL
Creasing wheel with convex cross-section designed for creasing sample material from the print side, usually used with a Matrix.
CORNER RADIUS
Describes the arc or curvature of the die blades where they meet so that they can impart arounded corner to a die cut label. (SEE PACE JOINERS).
CORRUGATED BOARD OR CORRUGATED FIBERBOARD
The structure formed by gluing one or more sheets of fluted corrugating medium to one or more flat facings of linerboard. There are four common types: SINGLE FACE: Combination of one flute-corrugating medium glued to one flat facing of linerboard. SINGLE WALL: Two flat facings of linerboard, one glued to each side of a corrugated sheet. Also known as Double Face. DOUBLE WALL: Three flat faces of linerboard with two interleaved and glued corrugated mediums. TRIPLE WALL: Four flat facings of linerboard with three interleaved and glued corrugated mediums.
CORRUGATOR
The machine that unwinds two or more continuous sheets of containerboards from rolls, presses flutes into the sheet(s) of corrugating medium, applies adhesive to the tips of the flutes and affixes the sheet(s) of linerboard to form corrugated board. The continuous sheet of board is then slit into desired widths, cut off to desired lengths, and scored in one direction.
COUNTER
(1) the press board or other kind of cardboard that is glued onto the cutting surface into which scores are cut. (2) Also, a pre-made steel plate with all score channels etched or milled into it or a plastic piece with the individual carton scores milled in it. (3) Refers to the male portion of the tool. In the TEK-FLEX system this can be one of three types depending on the material and the customers needs.
COUNTER CUTTER
A machine that produces phenolic or plastic counterplates. The counter cutter mills or cuts the depressions into the counter material to make the groove into which a creasing rule forms a crease in paper or paperboard stock.
COUNTERPLATE
A counterplate made of various base materials provides a base where creasing rules in a steel rule die match against machined grooves in the counterplate to create a desired crease in a diecut piece.
CREASING MATRIX
A selection of different plastic forms that math up with a creasing blade in a steel rule die to make a crease in the diecut part. Creasing Matrix materials adhere against the cutting surface and are excellent for short or medium runs of paper or paper board products. For long runs, a counterplate is more desirable.
CREASING RULE
(1) The rules that crease the sheet. They may be of varying widths to best suit the thickness of the stock being creased. (2) Only to crease or score.
CREWE PUNCHES
Is what the Europeans call feed through cutting punches used in clicker dies.
CRUSH CUT
A cut made by a rotary blade in contact with an anvil or base roll.

CUP PUNCHES
“A cutting punch which has the end of the punch only slightly cupped out and is not a feed thru type punch. The purposes of this type of punch is to cut out a single ply of thin material and leave the slug in the diecut web. GENERAL RULE: The cup punch can only cut when the diameter of the punch does not exceed the thickness of the stock.”
CURVED DIE BOARDS
Used for rotary dies, usually hardwood plywood.
CURVED ROTARY RULE
Used vertically on a curved die board cutting corrugated. Furnished 45 or 90 relative to shaft center lines.
CUT
(1) in letter press@ a photoengraving of any kind. (2) In diecutting@ the result of the dieblade cutting out a shape or design. The cut is the final cut of the die.
CUT NICKS
A cut nick also referred to as a score nick is a thin ground slice in a cutting blade which causes a hang up of the material being diecut. It is useful when you want to temporarily connect various cavities of a die to be ripped apart at a later time.
CUT RULE
Steel rule blades designed to cut material being produced on flat-bed die cutting equipment.
CUT-OFF
In web printing, the cut or print length corresponding to the circumference of the plate cylinder and/or diecutter; repeat length.
CUTOUT
A cutout is a portion of a die that cuts out an interior section of a die configuration. The cutout can be a permanent or removable cutout. A permanent cutout is constructed to always be in the die whereas a removable cutout is made so that if that particular cutout is not required in all diecut pieces, it can be removed from the die and later put back in the exact location.
CUTSCORE
In diecutting, a sharp-edge knife, usually several thousandths of an inch lower than the cutting rules in a die, made to cut part way into the paper or board for folding purposes. Cutting knives or rule that cut only partially through the stock for purposes of bending. Used when creases are not desired or in conjunctions with reverse cut scores to produce an opener detail.
CUTTING AND OR CREASING PLATE
In cutting where dieblades strike against a cutting base the base plate is called a cutting plate normally made out of flat ground stainless steel.
CUTTING DIE
“Term covering the total family of numerous types of “”sharper edge cutting dies.”

CUTTING JACKET
Another term meaning a cutting surface in diecutting.

CUTTING KNIVES
The sharp blades of a cutting die that cuts through a single or multiple layers of any type of soft to semi rigid material.
CUTTING PADS
A cutting pad is used in cutting and is made out of composition rubber, polypropylene or nylon in thickness up to 2″. The cutting pad is a replaceable item and when the cutting surfaced becomes worn in the diecutting process it must be surfaced to create a new cutting surface. It is recommended that a cutting surface be cemented to a metal or dieboard base to prevent the cutting pad from warping out of a flat condition.”
CUTTING PRESSURE
This refers to the amount of pressure that a cutting press exerts in the downward stroke of the cutting press. The pressure is normally identified in tons of cutting pressure. Generally a common rule of thumb states that it takes about 500 pounds per lineal inch of blade to accomplish a clean die cut, but that figure varies according to the material being cut and other conditions.
CUTTING SCORES
Cutting the scores in the counter into which the creasing rules must register to make the proper creases for folding.
CUTTING SURFACE
“The surface against which the cutting die strikes after the die has penetrated the material being die cut. The cutting surface in the case of “”into”” cutting allows the die to slightly penetrate the cutting surface to create a clean cut and in the case of “”onto”” cutting the die strikes against or onto a hardened surface.”
CYLINDER
In flexography most rollers in the printing press are called rolls with the exception of ones on which the rubber plates are mounted and the one which receives the impression. These are usually referred to as cylinders i.e. plate cylinder and impression cylinder.
CYLINDER FLAT BED DIECUTTER
A diecutting press similar to a Heidelberg cylinder press that has been converted from a printing press to a die cutting press where the paper stock conforms to a cylinder and cuts against a flat steel rule die.
CYLINDER PRESS
A rotary printing press utilizing curved plates.