A label die cutting operation runs cut-and-stack labels through steel dies to cut them into shape. The clamping feet that hold those dies in position take a beating — they wear down, get chewed up, and sometimes break. When that happens, the only option from the OEM is a wait of several weeks. The line can’t wait that long.
PROBLEM
The clamping feet on these die cutting machines are available from the original manufacturer — but ordering from the OEM means waiting. For a production facility, a few weeks without the right tooling isn’t an option. The parts aren’t complicated, but without them the die can’t be secured and the machine can’t run.
OEM lead times kill production
When a clamping foot wears out or breaks, the clock starts. OEM parts take weeks to arrive. In the meantime, the machine sits or the team works around it. For a part this critical to daily operation, that wait is unacceptable.
Worn parts, no local source
The clamping feet work hard. A crow foot on the end grabs beneath the die, a set of four (sometimes more) holds everything in position while labels are cut. Regular use wears them down, and there’s no local source to pull from when they go.
SOLUTION
Custom Concepts brought the worn parts back to the shop, reverse engineered them in SolidWorks, and machined new ones from steel. From there, the parts go out for heat treating — a process that changes the molecular structure of the steel to increase tensile strength — then black oxide coating to protect against corrosion. Once they’re back, the critical groove dimensions get checked against spec. If needed, the parts are surface ground to exact clearance. Hard steel can’t be cut with carbide at that stage, so a grinding wheel is used instead. The result is a finished part that fits, slides, and holds — ready to go back in the machine the same week, not weeks from now. Usually at a better price than the OEM too.
