Last week, Maker’s Row visited Leatherworks by Arturo for a tour and to learn more about the industry they service. As Christina showed us around, we noticed one particular station took up a significant part of this Jersey bag factory.
The die cutting, or ‘clicking” (in leather factories) machine is used to cut fabric and materials into the shape needed to make a product. Die cutting is used in a variety of industries from office supplies to fashion accessories. The technique in production is die cutting and the design is in the die.
Similar to a mold, a die is the unique shape or pattern laid in between the material and the machine to get the desired results. This specialized tool is usually custom created and pressed into the material to transfer the design details.
Even though die cutting started as a process of cutting leather for the shoe industry, it is now sophisticated enough to cut through complex as well as fine materials. So even if you are not producing leather bags or accessories, it’s an important technique to be familiar with as it is used today to produce on labels, stamps, and other stickers.
