New crosshead die cutting machine brings precision and speed to serial production

Crosshead die cutting machine

TT Gaskets’ latest step in production automation is our new Schoen+Sandt hydraulic crosshead die cutting machine that brings even higher precision and speed to serial gasket production. The new machine is a continuation of our new cobot and lathe cell investment implemented earlier this year.

– The demand for die cut products has increased in recent years especially within the portable electric tool industry. Our new die cutting machine is well-suited for cutting soft and metal-reinforced gasket materials such as graphite, polyurethane, and different fiber materials, Production Manager Teemu Piipponen says.

– Some years ago, it seemed that die cutting was about to be phased out from our production method portfolio, but the rising demand plus our new export operations in North America made us reconsider and move ahead with this investment, Purchasing and Sourcing Manager Teemu Sillanpää continues.

Up to 20 times more efficient cutting

The material feed into the machine is done automatically with the help of a cobot. A conveyor belt automatically moves sheet or roll material forward to the cutting area, where a 360-degree rotating cutting head programmatically cuts the gaskets. The new machine is capable of a cutting force of 500 kilonewtons and can cut material sheets up to 1500 millimeters wide.

After the cutting process, the products are transferred on the conveyor belt to the unloading area, where they are either manually or mechanically picked for further processing. The unloading procedures are also to be automated in the near future.

The crosshead die cutting machine features a production efficiency up to 20 times higher compared to previous machinery. With the addition of the new machine and the marking line that was already implemented in the spring, TT Gaskets now has a uniquely comprehensive solution for production automation.

– This half-million-euro investment replaces our previous 40-year-old automatic die cutting machine. The new cutting machine features an extremely high cutting accuracy of 0,2 millimeters, Teemu Sillanpää sums up.