Cutting Plate
Hi guys,
I have recently purchased a Heidelberg Platen (Windmill) 10x15 T model to go along side our 2 hand fed Platens.
It’s been quite a long time since I did my apprentice on one of these beautiful machines hence me forgetting a few major things.
We are only using the machine for Die Cutting and Embossing. The cutting plate was absolutely battered upon purchase so we have been to ProFoil and purchased a new 0.8 plate which arrived on Friday.
For the life on me I cant remember how to fit the new plate, I know it snaps into place but unsure how to do it properly.
Also does it need to be packed out or will it be ok with just the thickness of the cutting plate.?
Thanks in advance.
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If it is either the “snap on” or screw secured variety, the “lugs” go to the bottom and the continuous lip goes to the top. On the snap on variety you use the heel of your palm to seat the plate, working side to side. The screw secured variety should just slip on, then tighten the screw.
You may need packing, the slip sheets from offset plates work great for this. You shouldnt need more than .1 mm (.004) though.
not which plate you have mine snaps into place. Quick pic showing packing vs impression screw. need to balance between the 2. I barely have room for an embossing counter on the plate or the arm drags across it.
WindmillPlatenImp.jpg
Mike - Ericm ( Van Gogh) good information. I think it was Mike who mentioned packing a cutting plate which we now now do in much the same way we pack for printing with a combination of old negative film or packing sheets. I would have never thought to pack out a die plate. I do a lot of small format die cutting in the same spot on the plate. After a while it gets grooved and harder to fine tune. Is there any other material I can cut against instead of the steel plate, I thought about poly glass board but not sure if it will work. Another issue is the steel plate warps over time and tends to ride up away from the platten. It is not a lot but it I still feel it effects how clean my cut is, maybe I am nuts. I thought about using a couple strips of Duploflex away from my cutting area to try to hold it fast but looking for feedback.
ericm- for embossing I have scuffed up a few counters and even stopped encouraging embossing. New gripper bars will fix it probally some day. For now I started adding a few long strips of chip near the counter line a track covered by tape to force the bottom of the bar to rise over my counter. It was a stupid idea and it worked great so for two seconds I am smart
That’s all there is sometimes, is to build ramps to lift the grippers.
I cut against a blue spring steel plate. It adds pressure, and is very resilient to denting or cutting. i can order more sheets but i need a few orders, as the supply house has a minimum order. i can get prices for sizes and thickness if anyone would like. please send zip code for shipping estimates.
You can see the corner of it in the pic. i can post a better one if anyone is interested.
Diecutplate.jpg
@western - I’ve got two sided tape at the back of the jacket. The pins on the press to keep it from slipping are missing on one machine; messed up a hundred pieces out of a thousand one time. It won’t affect anything.
Re: embossing and cutting jacket… I don’t follow. To me they are mutually exclusive… I might be reading wrong. But I do (have) use(d) chipboard to ramp up the grippers. Now I shim under one of the two attaching bolts.
I die cut on a metal jacket but I mount embossing counters to glassboard, the jackets to thick and I can’t fine tune the height. My snap on die cutting jacket tends to flex a little raising off of the platten a little when they get older. It is not a lot but I have tape and messed with it. It will press back into place when cutting but I wanted to find a way to keep it true to the face at all times at not dance at all.
EricM - how do you mount the spring steel?
the piece is slightly smaller than plate, i tape it down at the edges.