Digital knife cutting for printed vinyl, foam, felt, rubber, card and display boards. Our CCD camera keeps contour cuts aligned to print on a 3000 × 1500mm flatbed in our Sydney workshop.
Applications
Signage, print, packaging and soft-material work where registration, layer control or a cool edge matters.
The camera reads registration marks before cutting, so contours stay aligned around decals, display graphics and shaped labels. Supply the print artwork and contour path together so scale, bleed and registration can be checked as one job.
Printed cartons and corrugated displays are cut and creased in production quantities without the cost or lead time of a steel-rule die. Cut lines and fold lines must be identified separately in the production artwork.
PE, PU and EVA foam can be shaped for protective packaging, equipment cases, drawer liners and presentation kits. Density, thickness, pocket layout and the required fit are confirmed before the full run.
Flat seals and profiles in rubber, cork and selected gasket sheet are blade-cut without a burnt edge or heat distortion. Material grade, thickness, hole size and service conditions should be supplied with the drawing.
PET felt panels, baffles and decorative features are cut for offices, hospitality venues and commercial fit-outs. Pattern direction, visible face, fixing zones and repeated modules can be resolved before nesting.
A practical option for campaign signs, stencils and lightweight display parts that should not be laser cut. Flute direction, printed face and any folds or assembly tabs need to be clear in the brief.
Our Work
Machine setup, printed contour work, felt, foam and gasket parts from our workshop.
Digital Knife Cutting
Laser and router tables are excellent for rigid sheet, but they are the wrong tools for some flexible materials. A digital knife follows the artwork with a blade, so vinyl liners stay intact, foam does not melt and suitable card can be creased as well as cut.
Our 3000 × 1500mm flatbed uses a CCD camera that reads printed registration marks before cutting. The same setup can through-cut, kiss-cut and crease when those operations are clearly separated in the artwork.
Registration is only one part of preparing the job. The artwork must distinguish the printed image from the paths used for through-cuts, kiss-cuts and creases, with closed contours and the intended scale. That lets production assign the correct tool and operation without interpreting an ambiguous line on the table.
Flexible materials also behave differently under a blade. Thickness, density, surface finish, stretch and the area available for hold-down can change the tool choice and cut sequence. Customer-supplied or unfamiliar stock is reviewed first, with a sample recommended when the edge, fit or print alignment needs proving.
Printed work stays in register
The camera checks registration marks before following the contour path
Cut and crease in one setup
Through-cut, kiss-cut and crease paths can be supplied in the same file
Edges stay cool
There is no heat-affected zone, melted foam or scorched card
Cutting Capabilities
Common knife-table materials and our published working ranges. They are production guides rather than a promise for every grade: density, backing, laminate construction, surface finish and required edge can change the practical limit. We confirm the actual stock before production.
CCD registration follows printed contour marks
Kiss-cut while the release liner stays intact
Cold cutting without a scorched or melted edge
Through-cut and crease for packaging and display production runs
Display parts, packaging and printed panels
Knife- or CNC-cut; PVC is never laser cut
Sample testing confirms the right tool and edge
Case inserts, pads and protective packaging
Panels, baffles and interior components
Seals and profiles with no heat-affected edge
Material behaviour is confirmed before production
The 50mm figure is the machine clearance, not a guarantee that every material will cut cleanly at that thickness. Thick rigid boards generally move to the CNC router; acrylic that needs a polished edge moves to the CO2 laser.
If a material is not listed, send its technical data sheet, thickness, backing and intended finish. We would rather confirm the actual foam, rubber, felt or laminate than assume two products sold under a similar description will cut the same way.
Choosing the Process
You do not need to nominate the machine. Send the material, thickness and edge requirement and we will quote the process that suits the job. Print registration, flexibility, backing and the required finish can matter as much as the material name.
| Capability | Digital Knife | CO2 Laser | CNC Router |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printed vinyl contour cutting | Excellent — CCD registered | No | No |
| Foam, rubber & gaskets | Excellent — cold edge | Material dependent | Thick rigid grades |
| Kiss-cutting & creasing | Excellent | No | No |
| Corflute, card & Foamex | Excellent | No PVC | Good |
| Thick rigid boards | Limited | Material dependent | Excellent |
| Flame-polished acrylic | No | Excellent | Machined edge |
Quote preparation
Start with the exact material or product grade, thickness, sheet size, finished quantity and whether the stock is printed or unprinted. If Platinum is cutting supplied print, include the final artwork and registration marks with a 1:1 vector cut file.
Separate through-cuts, kiss-cuts and creases onto clearly named layers. Also identify the visible face, any backing or release liner, grain or flute direction, critical fit and packing requirements. If the job begins as a sketch or sample, send dimensions and photographs so drawing work and material testing can be allowed for before production.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Services
Compare our CO2 and fiber laser services for acrylic, timber and sheet metal work.
Flame-polished acrylic, timber, MDF and engraving on a full-sheet laser table.
Stainless, aluminium, brass and mild steel cut on the metal side of the workshop.
Thick boards, ACM, rigid plastics, V-grooves and machined panel work.
Next Step
For a useful quote, include the material, thickness, finished size, quantity and whether the paths are through-cut, kiss-cut or crease. If the artwork is not ready, send a sketch, photo or measurements and we can help prepare it.