Manufacturers of die-cutters and ram punches are to an extent victims of their own success: their products tend to be incredibly robust and able to tackle the stresses and strains of heavy-duty production day after day. As a result, they tend to last, which is good news for customers, but for the manufacturers, it means that those customers tend to hang on to their machines for longer.

That said, there are indications that the sector has picked up recently, according to Steve Waterhouse, managing director of Diecut UK. "Buyers seem to have a bit of confidence in the market now," says Waterhouse.

New players
They also have more choice. Machines from Asian manufacturers are increasingly popular and Waterhouse is keen to capitalise on these new entries to the UK market. Previously at Crosland VK, Waterhouse set up his own company to sell high-quality die-cutting machines from South Korea.

Basic die-cutters cut and crease through a combination of a die, which is typically mounted into a steel top unit using a chase or quicklock system, and a bottom unit that houses the rubber anvils. More automated machines cut, crease, waste strip and blank.

"In the general commercial print and point-of-sale markets, more and more are moving towards larger formats," says Waterhouse.

Ram punches can cut a pile of sheets up to 200mm thick in one pass. When comparing these machines, it's worth looking at punch pressure and ease of use. Production speed is difficult to measure on ram punches as they're often limited by how fast the operator can feed the products in. That said, the machine's pile height will have a bearing on productivity.
For drills, the key areas to watch out for are the number of strokes per minute, spindle speed (which affects the height of the stack that can be cut) and the size of the drilling table.

It might seem obvious, but it's vital to compare the products on the market.

"Get three or four different quotes from suppliers, compare features and make sure it's a like-for-like comparison," says Waterhouse. In addition, thorough tests and trials are essential.

WHAT'S NEW IN Drills, die-cutters & ram punches

? Packaging printer and corrugated manufacturer Tyne Tees Packaging (TTP) upgraded its finishing department with a Bobst Visioncut in September to cope with an increase in demand for cutting. The machine, which has a list price of more than £350,000, is the company’s second Bobst machine. TTP is one of the largest independent manufacturers of corrugated packaging in the North East
? Die-cutting manufacturer Crosland said it had recorded a significant upturn in secondhand machinery sales. Operations director Justin Glass said that many of his customers were investing in secondhand kit in order to survive the recession, with the intention of making larger investments once the economic climate stabilises
? Large-format printer Swanline Print has invested in one of the world’s largest die-cutters. A SOL 2517 large-format flatbed semi-automatic die-cutter, from South Korean converting specialist NURI BM Tech, was installed at the firm’s Staffordshire site in July. The new die-cutter has a maximum cutting size of 1,700x2,500mm and comes with full auto-stripping and downstacker