Custom Die & Digital Cutting Services
Geometry cut to the released drawing
Die cutting and digital cutting for identification components and converted parts, chosen against quantity, geometry, and revision stability rather than a house preference. No tooling fee on in-house dies; a one-time charge applies only when a new tool must be created.
U.S. Nameplate Co. die cuts a wide range of flexible and metal materials in varying thicknesses and sizes, and digitally cuts flexible and aluminum orders on CNC routing tables. Virtually every order printed here needs trimming or cutting, so both platforms run in-house. There is no tooling fee on our in-house equipment — a one-time charge applies only when a new tool has to be created for your part.
About die and digital cutting
Whether your project calls for a standard die or a custom one, we can handle the order. Hard dies are used for metal and rigid plastic parts. Low-cost steel rule dies cut custom shapes in flexible substrates and thin-gauge metals or foils. Digital routing follows the CAD path directly, with no tool to build at all.
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Decals and safety labels
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Roll labels
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Nameplates and identification plates
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Serial, VIN, property, and asset tags
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Graphic overlays and dead-front panel overlays
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Control panels
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Gaskets, spacers, and converted components
Dies are commonly used for unusual shapes and rounded corners — the geometry a straight trim cannot produce.
Tooling charges
U.S. Nameplate Co. does not charge a tooling fee for any of our in-house equipment. We hold a large library of existing dies, and a rectangular, square, or round part usually lands on one of them. A special one-time charge applies only when your part needs a shape no existing die covers and a new tool has to be created.
This is often where competing quotes diverge. A supplier without an in-house die library has to price tooling into your first run. If you are comparing numbers, check whether the tooling line is amortized into the piece price.
Die cutting or digital cutting
The honest answer is that quantity drives it more than anything else, with geometry and revision stability close behind. Neither method is better; they fail in different places.
Die cutting
A shaped tool cuts the part in one press stroke. Fast and highly repeatable once the die exists, so unit cost drops as volume climbs. Best for established parts running in production quantities.
Digital cutting
A CNC head follows the programmed path. No tool to build, so there is no tooling lead time and a revision costs nothing but a new file. Best for prototypes, first articles, complex or one-off geometry, and short runs.
A practical rule
If the outline is still moving, cut it digitally. Once the drawing settles and volume is steady, a die will usually cost less per part.
If you are not sure which fits, send the drawing and the annual volume. We will quote it the way that costs you least, and say why.
Cutting equipment
Clamshell steel rule die presses
High-speed production cutting for repeatable volumes. A shaped blade presses through the material; suits flexible substrates and thin-gauge stock.
Hard dies
For metal and rigid plastic parts, and close-tolerance work where a steel rule die would not hold the edge.
Zund digital routing tables
CNC cutting that follows the CAD path, handling rigid and semi-rigid material up to 50 mm thick.
Digital cutting
Rolls, sheets, and rigid media up to 1.96″ thick, through-cut or kiss-cut as the construction requires.
Contour cutting and routing
Trimmed and contour-cut jobs, through-cutting, kiss-cutting, and routing on projects of most any size.
Through-cut or kiss-cut
Two ways to finish a flexible part, and the choice changes how it is applied on your line.
Through-cut
The blade cuts the material and the liner. Parts come off as individual pieces, packaged loose or in counted stacks.
Kiss-cut
The blade cuts the face material but leaves the liner intact, so parts stay on a carrier sheet and peel off one at a time. This is what makes a multi-decal sheet practical at assembly.
Kiss-cutting is how a label set is delivered as one sheet an operator can work straight down.
Cuttable materials
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Vinyl
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Polyester
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Polycarbonate
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Foil
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Aluminum
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Anodized aluminum
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Brass
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Stainless steel
Thickness matters as much as the material. Digital routing handles rigid and semi-rigid stock to 50 mm and media to 1.96″, while steel rule dies suit thin-gauge metal and flexible substrates. Tell us the gauge and we will confirm the platform.
How a cutting order runs
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Send your drawing or artwork. Our seasoned art department turns a blueprint or artwork into a press-ready proof at no charge, and quotes are free on every order.
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We confirm the method. Die or digital, chosen against your quantity, geometry, and how settled the outline is — with the tooling position stated plainly.
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You approve the proof. Outline, hole positions, graphics registration, and finish are signed off before anything is cut.
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Production. Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved, in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility. Rush work runs 3–5 business days for an additional fee.
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Delivery. Orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard, packed the way you ask.
Cutting RFQ checklist
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The drawing or artwork, with the finished outline and any internal cutouts
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Material and thickness, or a description of the application so we can recommend one
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Quantity, and whether this is a prototype, a first run, or a repeat program
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Whether the outline is final or still being revised
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Whether you need parts through-cut as pieces or kiss-cut on a carrier sheet
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Any graphics that must register to the cut edge or a hole
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Your timing, including the date the line actually needs parts
If you do not have all of that yet, send what you have and call 319-895-8804. Customer service is open 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday, and you will always reach someone in person.
Since 1946
Family-owned and operated in Mount Vernon, Iowa
3,000+
OEMs supplied across the U.S. and abroad
25 years
Outdoor exposure, some products guaranteed longer
7–10 days
Typical production after proof approval
$0
Tooling fee on in-house equipment
Why U.S. Nameplate Co.
Why manufacturers bring die & digital cutting work to U.S. Nameplate Co.
One partner, one roof
Metal identification and flexible labels are produced under one roof in Mount Vernon, Iowa, so a single supplier covers plates, tags, overlays, decals, and safety labels instead of three.
No tooling fee on in-house equipment
U.S. Nameplate Co. does not charge a tooling fee for any in-house equipment. A one-time charge applies only when a tool has to be created for your order.
You reach a person
Customer service representatives are available 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday. You will always reach someone in person.
Built to outlast the equipment
Metal nameplates are built to withstand up to 25 years of outdoor exposure, with some products guaranteed for 25 years or more. Safety labels are UL authorized and OSHA compliant, produced in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility.
Family-owned since 1946
Supplier of choice to more than 3,000 original equipment manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad, with team members averaging 10+ years of service.
One piece or one million
The 55,000 sq ft climate-controlled facility is equipped to handle orders from a single plate to production volumes, on repeat release schedules.
Request a quote for die & digital cutting
We offer free quotes on all die & digital cutting orders. Send the drawing, artwork, quantities, application, and timing you have today — our art department turns a blueprint into a press-ready proof, and we will tell you what is still open.
Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved. Rush orders can be produced in 3–5 business days for an additional fee. Orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard.
Request a Quote or call 319-895-8804 and you will reach someone in person.
