How to cut aluminum plates

[CHAVEZ]

Hi everybody:

I need to cut aluminum plates to adjust at size required, but are many plates, do you know what kind of equipment or tool can do this work ??

Thanks

 

[turbotom1052]

Id advise against cutting down plates as a rule. If your in a pinch and just need to cut down plates for an occasional job then place plate in lineup table and score the edges you need cut with a NEW razor blade. Once you've scored the edges, and hopefully you will only be scoring 2 edges, then line up the scored edge with the sharpest edge of your lineup table. Fold the scored edge along the edge of the table back and forth until the throwaway edge breaks free. Use a file to de bur the cut edges.

 

[aqazi81]

We usually use the paper cutter knife and a steel ruler to lightly cut the plate and then bend the plate at the edge of a table to break the edge.

 

[prepressdork]

Perhaps one of these might fit your needs:

http://go-foster.com/resources/cutterselectionguide/cutter-selection-guide-aluminum-printing-plate/

pd

 

[keith1]

This reminds me of a story from my press operator days. We had run out of plates for a particular press and as we were rushed it was decided to cut down a pack of plates from a slightly larger press we had. The plates needed were measured in metric. The boss/owner and who was also the one to cut the plates, was too ignorant and arrogant to cut to the correct metric measurement as he was accustomed to imperial (inches) and simply converted to 'close enough', despite being forewarned that 'close enough' wasn't good enough - they had to be exact.
The plates went into the paper cutter and whoosh! They were cut ever so slightly too small to work. The plates originally fit a Heidelberg SORM so they were a good size - pretty expensive. Can't recall if the package was 50 or 100 plates. In any case they were now garbage.
You can use the paper cutter to trim a bunch of plates. Just make certain to measure accurately. And you'll likely need to have the blade ground/sharpened again afterward.

 

[CHAVEZ]

Dear Colleagues, I appreciate your advice's, thanks so much for them. Let me explain my status, we sell plates for final users, one of them ordered in a verbal way 1200 plates for his Roland press, we ordered the plates under his specifications, but his company never placed the purchase order, so we have in the warehouse 1200 plates with only 6 months to reach end of live, then I need cutter them to small and commercial size. I am not sure how Agfa, Fuji, Kodak cut the bunch of plates.

Anyway thanks again for your comments, good year for everybody.

Sincerely

 

[joyce]

I have been Fuji, Agfa, Kodak plate facilities. The Plate were all cut on paper cutters. The blade angle was different than for paper cutting. You can cut about 20 plates a a time using chipboard on top and bottom of the stack. I would start out doing 5 at a time and increase 5 at a time until you find the sweet spot. I have cut plates on our paper cutter for over 30 years. It the plates are light senetive they must be done in very dime light or total dark.

 

[CHAVEZ]

Dear Joyce; thanks for your response, I understand a cutter paper is the automatic guillotine that usually use the printer shop or a manual model?? What means "The blade angle was different than for paper cutting" inside to plates, or outside of plates ?? Thanks so much for you time and help.

Sincerely

 

[dabob]

Since you have that many I would contact a local sheet metal shop with a good sized shear . . they could cut them down no problem except for the ambient light in the shop . . .

 

[CHAVEZ]

Dear dabod, thanks for your comment is a good advice, I did not think in this possibility. I will analyze this alternative. Good afternoon.

Sincerely

 

[dabob]

Dear dabod, thanks for your comment is a good advice, I did not think in this possibility. I will analyze this alternative. Good afternoon.

Sincerely

Chavez, We trim singles with an xacto knife and fold and they break . . . but vot 1200 plates you could get it all ready with a single plate to set the measurements, turn the lights off, remove the outside packaging biuty a piece op chipboard top and bottom and wack away . . . if its done correctly the plate should be less than .5mm off dimension in any direction and no scratches due to the interleaved paper in the stack

But I need to note that I have had friends in that industry and have worked with them on many projects over the years, so I am intimately familiar with the process. - you would need somebody that knows both of the processes.

 

[keith1]

What I said. Stick them in the paper cutter. You can definitely cut more than 20 at a time provided it's a decent cutter (guillotine). Depends on plate thickness too though. Being a plate wholesaler surely you must have contacts in print shops that have cutters - every shop has one. Pay for the blade sharpening after you're done and toss the shop some free plates. Just remember the old adage . . . Measure Twice, Cut Once. And as others have suggested, pad the top & bottom with scrap paper when trimming. I wouldn't sweat the lights too much. The plates aren't going to be out of the packaging that long and besides, they'll be in a stack.

 

[CHAVEZ]

Dear dabob, thanks for your advice, I appreciate it and help me to take a decision about what to do.

Dear Keith your comments. I will visit a friend to cut the plate in his guillotine, I think is the best way to do the work with minimum investment. Good day

Thanks

Sincerely

 

[ChuckTJ]

Here in Tj we do it using a Polar-Mohr guillotine (I'm not the one doing the cutting but when we do need to cut a plate to size when we run out the guillotine operator is the one that does the measurement and cuts them to size usually using a plate from the size needed as a guide)

 

[Santa]

I have something similar to this. I cut about 80 plates a year on it....aluminum .006 1,200 would take a few days as it's manual. Kicker is it says it only does up aluminum plate up .004

https://www.mybinding.com/foster-keencut-advanced-rotary-cutter.html

 

[tomcatinc]

The company I work for is CtP-service company - we image thermal plates for others. We do not have every imaginable format of plates so we have 8 main formats (1 8up, 4 4up and 3 2up) and we use the plate trimmer to make final product of required size. It is used for over 10 years now with monthly volume over 300 plates of 0.30 and 0.15mm plates (mostly 2 cuts per plate). In recent months it starts to show need to be sharpened. You can buy it and use for long time for plate customization.

50 plates 0.30mm 2 cuts takes about 20 minutes and I'm well practiced. So if it is 100 plates per hour including packing (and that can be achieved by most people) it is a 2 day job.

Only thing that is important to mention to seller is that you will be cutting metal plates. Angle of blade is different and the blade itself is somewhat different in terms of finish.

 

[ChrisZ]

We use Mohr cutter with proper knife.
Chris

 

[CHAVEZ]

Dear friends and colleagues, I appreciate your advises and comments, I will put some of them in practice. Good day.