Location gives West Coast converters a local repair resource for more productivity, less downtime
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- IMPACT Converting & Systems Solutions announced today that it will open a repair facility in Santa Fe Springs, California that will help converters extend the life of their steel rule dies. The facility is expected to open in late summer and will serve customers in the western United States. IMPACT is a single source for all converting needs and transforms almost any type of material for diverse applications using the broadest selection of tooling in the industry.
Steel rule dies (SRD) operate by pressing a sharp steel cutting blade into material against a flat surface, like a cookie cutter pressing into dough. They are designed for modern, high-speed presses and are available in several versions, with stainless steel, fiberglass or aluminum top and bottom plates. While other types of dies can be sharpened, the knife in an SRD must be removed and replaced ("reknifed") to extend its life without negatively affecting performance.
"Reknifing a steel rule die is a cost-effective way to potentially gain many millions of impressions from the same die base," said Travis Moellers, Sales Director of Steel Rule Dies for IMPACT. "We are seeing extended life of our premium die with the initial rule into 2+ million and these dies can be re-knifed 10 times."
The Santa Fe Springs repair and reknife operation is co-located with an existing IMPACT facility that manufactures narrow web rotary dies for the label industry. IMPACT also offers repair and reknife services at its facility in Stone Mountain, Georgia for customers in the Southeast U.S. IMPACT designs and manufactures new steel rule dies at its facilities in Chicago and Greensboro, North Carolina.
"This new facility will make it easier for West Coast customers to get reknifing done locally, so they can get the die back into service quickly with less downtime," he added.
Minimizing downtime is of particular concern to converters who use SRDs because they typically run high volumes that require tight tolerances. SRDs are used in all industries—from pharmaceuticals to automotive to consumer goods– and are especially cost-effective for corrugated and other packaging products. Some examples of typical SRD applications include folding cartons such as fast-food containers and pizza boxes, or adhesives such as bandages or nicotine patches.
According to Moellers, re-knifing is also ideal for converters whose operations are growing. "We can help converters keep their steel rule dies in top condition to meet growing demand until they are ready to invest in higher-volume, faster-speed rotary dies," he said, adding that IMPACT has the capability to provide support from original design and start-up through to full-scale production.
IMPACT was formed in 2021 when six leading U.S. tool and die companies—including Bernal, Midway Rotary and Atlas—came together under one brand umbrella. IMPACT not only designs the tools that convert almost any type of material, but it also designs and builds the systems that run those converting tools for customers. IMPACT's Tech Team is a premier resource for all customers and has deep expertise across all aspects of converting, with a focus on making the customer's process better, cheaper, and faster.
For more information, visit the IMPACT website at http://www.impactcss.com.
ABOUT IMPACT CONVERTING & SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS
IMPACT Converting & Systems Solutions is a single source for all converting needs and creates the industry's smartest, most precise, durable, and sustainable dies, systems, and solutions. IMPACT provides the tools to transform materials such as paper and plastics into a wide range of products—from adhesive bandages to aerospace applications—using state-of-the-art tool and die technology. IMPACT also offers prototyping, machine sharpening, cryogenic treatments, tooling repair, and extensive customer support. Six leading U.S. tool and die organizations came together in 2021 to form IMPACT. The company has more than 200 employees at locations in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, and California. Visit http://www.impactcss.com for more information.
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Media Contact
Kathy Suchowiecki, IMPACT Converting & Systems Solutions, 1 586-354-7888, [email protected]
SOURCE IMPACT Converting & Systems Solutions

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