Full definition
A value-added service offered by industrial rubber distributors and fabricators, cutting standard sheet, roll, or slab material to customer-specified dimensions rather than selling full sheets or rolls. Cutting methods: (1) Manual cutting — steel-rule dies, utility knives, and straightedges for simple shapes; lowest tooling cost. (2) Die cutting (clicker press) — steel-rule die punches through material; for medium volumes of repetitive gaskets and pads. (3) Guillotine — hydraulic or pneumatic straight-cut blade for strip and sheet cutting; fastest for rectangular shapes. (4) Waterjet cutting — high-pressure water (with or without abrasive) CNC-guided; for complex shapes, tight tolerances (±0.1 mm), no material distortion; ideal for gaskets and custom parts from drawings. (5) Laser cutting — for some rubber types; precision cutting but may char edges. (6) CNC knife cutting — oscillating or drag knife on flat-bed plotter; for thin materials and prototypes. Custom cutting enables customers to purchase ready-to-install parts from engineering drawings (DXF/DWG files), eliminating in-house fabrication. Turnaround: simple cuts same-day; complex waterjet parts 2-5 days. For distributors: custom cutting adds 30-100% margin versus selling raw sheet, creates customer dependency, and reduces price-only competition.