Flash Cutting

We offer a wide range of precision flash cutting services to manufacture gaskets from a diverse array of soft-to-semi rigid materials.

Our flash-cut products appear across many industries, including transportation, food processing, electronics, power generation, and medical device manufacturing.

As a leading manufacturer of flash-cut gaskets and sealing products, we draw on our experience to produce high-quality precision products that meet or exceed the most stringent industry standards and tolerance specifications. Our advanced flash-cutting equipment also enables us to meet demanding production volumes ranging from low-volume prototypes to high-volume batches without affecting product quality.

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Flash Cutting Process

Flash cutting creates complex and intricate shapes more efficiently than die-cutting procedures. During the flash-cutting process, a dieless oscillating knife cuts through flexible materials at various depths. Flash cutters are highly versatile and can perform a wide range of cutting operations including depth cutting, engraving, milling, plotting, kiss cutting, and creasing.

We offer a full suite of computer-automated flash-cutting processes. We integrate our cutting equipment with computer-aided design and manufacturing systems (CADs/CAMs, respectively), allowing us to manufacture gasket and sealing parts with little to no manual involvement. We work with numerous CAD formats including .DWG and .DXF files, which our CAM software then uses to deliver specific code-based directives to our flash-cutting CNC machine.

The CNC machine uses code generated from the CAD graphical input to control the movement of the oscillating knife, producing the desired shape with a high degree of accuracy.

Benefits of Flash Cutting

  • Our effective use of CNC control for flash cutting eliminates the need for steel-rule dies. The CAD/CAM operation mode moves the product from the finalized CAD drawing stage to the production stage. This seamless process cuts out the time needed for die manufacturing entirely.
  • Clients can also nest multiple shapes on a single sheet of material, leading to faster turnaround times, increased yield, and reduced waste. These attributes make flash cutting ideal for rapid prototyping and sample products as well as timely delivery of high-volume production runs.
  • Manufacturers prize flash cutting for its superior accuracy and precision over other cutting methods such as waterjet cutting and steel rule die cutting. CAD/CAM programming and automation ensures that gasket and seal components are cut to exacting tolerances regardless of complexity but with consistent repeatability. Additionally, flash cutters attain considerably smoother edges than comparable cutting techniques.
  • Finally, flash cutting costs less than die cutting. The elimination of dies results in less steps and tools needed for manufacturing, reducing costs.

Why Custom Gasket Mfg.?

Custom Gasket Mfg.’s flash cutting tools cut a wide range of parts of up to 1/2-in thickness and achieve tolerances up to 1/32 in (or tighter upon request). Our state-of-the-art equipment also enables us to rapidly cut parts up to 120 in long and 60 in wide.

The dieless knife-cutting system allows us to create a diverse array of custom sealing components from many different flexible materials including foams, rubbers/elastomers, plastics, cork, sponge, and silicone. Custom Gasket Mfg. maintains a high standard of excellence for its products. Our team is committed to providing high-quality, precision flash-cut gaskets and sealing products that meet or exceed industry and client specifications.

We also offer a range of additional value-added services. This enables us to be a single-source solution provider for all our customer’s sealing needs. Our range of services include but are not limited to:

  • Rubber molding services
  • Rubber extrusion services
  • Water jet cutting services
  • Laser cutting
  • Adhesive applications
  • Custom packaging
  • Kit assembly
  • Tooling design and production
  • Custom compounding

For more information on our flash cutting services and our other capabilities, Contact Us or Request a Quote.