Panel Configuration · Shaped

Die Cut

Die cutting uses a custom-manufactured steel rule die — a precision blade formed to the exact outline of the required shape — to cut a honeycomb panel into a specific profile in a single press stroke. Once the die is made, it produces hundreds of thousands of identical parts with no change in quality.

How it works.

A steel rule die is a strip of hardened steel blade bent and set into a wooden backing board in the exact outline of the required part geometry. When pressed against the honeycomb panel under controlled force, the blade cuts cleanly through the full thickness of the panel in a single stroke.

Die design is a collaborative process — we work with you to confirm geometry, review any draft angles or feature constraints, and ensure the die will produce the correct finished part. A tooling charge applies for die manufacture; this is a one-time cost amortized across the production run.

Technical Specifications

  • Tooling

    Custom steel rule die — manufactured to customer-supplied geometry

  • Tooling Lead Time

    Discuss with Axxon — die manufacture adds to initial setup time

  • Part Repeatability

    Excellent — die geometry is fixed; dimensional variation is minimal

  • Cut Profile

    Any shape achievable in steel rule die format

  • Panel Compatibility

    Any flat panel within standard dimension ranges

Design considerations.

  • Die cutting requires a custom die for each unique part geometry. For low volumes or frequently changing shapes. CNC cutting may be a better alternative to deliver the same result.

  • Minimum feature sizes and tight corners may not be achievable depending on panel thickness and cell size. Submit your geometry for a feasibility review before tooling is ordered.

  • Waste skeletons — the material surrounding the cut part — should be accounted for in panel utilization calculations.

  • Die-cut parts can be further modified with slit scoring, PSA lamination, or cookie cutting in the same production run.

  • Prototypes can be hand-cut or CNC-cut prior to die manufacture for fit and function validation.

Applications

Common applications.
Die Cuts can be implemented for a variety of applications. The examples below are illustrative starting points, not standard SKUs. Let’s develop your solution.

Custom Protective Inserts

Shaped inserts engineered to the exact geometry of the product being protected — full-contact support that prevents movement.

Automotive Dunnage

Precisely formed dunnage components for automotive stamped panels, castings, and sub-assemblies — repeatable geometry every time.

Packaging Fitments

Die-cut fitment components that assemble inside a carton to create individual product compartments — replacing foam or moulded pulp inserts.

Structural Infill Shapes

Non-rectangular structural panels for door, partition, and architectural applications where the panel must follow an irregular frame profile.

Display Components

Die-cut panel shapes for retail display construction — lightweight, rigid, and finished cleanly on all cut edges.

Gaskets & Separators

Large-area separators, gaskets, and anti-vibration pads cut to exact size and profile for industrial and OEM assembly applications.
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