How Long Will It Take to Receive My Custom Die Cut Parts?

“Assuming I did place an order, when is the soonest you could have it ready?”

Urgency doesn’t always involve sprinting out the front door with a piece of toast in your mouth; sometimes, you simply recognize it’s finally time to order your product. However, it can be challenging to predict custom orders with 100% accuracy when many potential delays could be involved. 

As a converter who’s worked with hundreds of suppliers, Strouse is full of deadline-juggling experts who work tirelessly to prevent you from suffocating under the weight of a sticky note mountain. 

Although every custom die cut part takes a different amount of time to manufacture, knowing the general timeline will prepare you to better coordinate with your converter and plan accordingly. 

How Long Does it Take to Make Custom Die Cut Parts?

Every converting project will vary. In a perfect world, you’d have your answer the moment you asked, but it’s impossible to generalize custom die cut parts because the build time varies. 

Although certain process stages take far longer than others, you can still plan to achieve a quicker manufacturing process through preparation that can help reduce project delays in the long term. 

You may not see every phase in the process, but this map should indicate how converters will plan out your project and where you might encounter the most considerable delays. Generally, the entire project timeline is most affected by:

1. The initial status of your finished design (how far along is your project planning?)
2. The complexity of your part
3. Material shipment

As you learn what to expect during the journey with your manufacturer, you’ll begin to recognize these time drains and learn how to collaborate on your design or materials earlier to avoid facing issues later in the process. 

1. PRODUCT DISCUSSION AND DESIGN

You might have fully realized digital sketches and prototypes of your product, but it’s equally as likely you only have an idea and a napkin drawing. Before receiving custom die cut parts, you must navigate the discussion and design process. 

Understanding how your product is used will allow a converter to make any necessary design adjustments during the process and aid them in selecting a suitable material.

The product design phase can take days to months of working with a converter, depending on how far along you are and whether it’s challenging to transform your design into a custom process. 

• Do you have a part drawing? 
• Have you included the necessary measurements in your design? 

If so, you’re at a good place in the process. 

Even with a starting drawing, it might take days or weeks to create a custom process, meaning to devise a method to run your product through all the required processes in a single pass. Seemingly simple designs can be complicated to run, and we may recommend trials if you have a complicated process. 

Knowing how much sway your design and discussion have over your initial process, prepare to spend significant time discussing your part’s application and design. If you're looking to save time, come prepared with an accurate drawing and an idea of the material you want. 

2. DIE CUT SAMPLES OR TRIAL

Samples aren’t a time drain, but they’re worth mentioning for a clearer picture of the timeline. Not every customer requests samples, and not every project requires a die cut trial. At Strouse, we offer a 48-hour service for producing samples. Once we have the material, we can quickly create products for you to test and observe. 

Producing samples is a rapid process, but it’s common for customers who already asked for samples to request adjustments after they receive the first batch. Therefore, we might go back and forth until you’re satisfied with the current design and material.

Trials take longer to set up than samples because they could require an order of material and tooling. While most of our samples are laser cut, we do trials on-press for more complicated parts, which we’ll explain during Machine Run Time. 

3. PLACING YOUR CUSTOM ORDER 

Suppose you’ve had a successful sample or trial and already requested a quote. You’ll receive a project quote within a few business days, and you can then decide whether to place an order. Although we aim for the quickest possible turnaround, this is when Strouse finalizes the details of your order. 

Your purchasing acknowledgment might take a few hours at best or a few days at worst. We first validate that the purchase order matches the quote and that the quote is still valid. Next, we order your material and die cut tooling, choose a machine operator, and schedule press time. 

As soon as you get the email detailing your purchase acknowledgment, you’ll know the order is in our system, and we’re preparing to run it on schedule. 

4. ORDERING MATERIAL AND DIE CUT TOOLING

Material lead time is by far the longest step in the process due to shipping delays, dwindling material supplies, and other obstacles. If a supplier processes quickly, the material lead time could be as short as a couple of days. On the other hand, if you’re ordering from overseas, it could take months to arrive. 

Strouse processes thousands of different materials yearly, so keeping a vast supply of specific materials (often with adhesives prone to expiring) is only possible with an ongoing reason. As a result, we order our material from suppliers after we receive a purchase order. 

The material lead time determines how soon the machine can run (and when you’ll receive your order), so unfortunately, it’s often the catalyst for unwelcome changes in schedule. In addition, it’s challenging to make an accurate timeline prediction until you’ve confirmed your material choices with a converter. 

In addition to the material suppliers, we also work with die cut tool manufacturers to build blades based on your design for jobs requiring rotary or flatbed die cutting. The die cut tool lead time can be relatively quick, but it could become longer if you order multiple tools or tools with complex designs. Most times, the material lead time will trump the die cut tool lead time.

5. DIE CUT MACHINE RUN TIME

Setting up the die cut machine depends entirely on the part's complexity, which can translate into hours, or even days of labor time. Yet, after the press has been assembled, converters often run thousands of parts in minutes. 

Multiple actions are involved in die cut machine run time: 

• Setting up the machine
• Inspecting the part 
• Running it
• Disassembling the machine afterward. 

If you look at the timeline as a whole, machine run time makes up a small portion of the total time it takes to get your parts. Most jobs can be run in a day or two, depending on quantity. If you’re producing a lot of parts at once, this analysis may change, but ultimately, your material lead times will significantly outweigh the machine run time. 

6. SHIPPING YOUR CUSTOM DIE CUT PARTS

You’re twiddling your thumbs at your desk, wondering if you should send a follow-up email. What’s the latest update on those parts you ordered?

Unless we’ve contacted you prior with a notice of a delay or a re-date, you can rest easy knowing your order is in progress until you receive the shipment notice. The shipment notice will include your tracking number and any other pertinent information, and all that’s left afterward is to prepare for your order’s arrival. 

What Can I Do To Improve My Die Cut Lead Time?

The best way to improve your die cut lead time is to plan your projects far in advance and come prepared with a design. This design doesn’t need to be perfect, and in fact, converters can benefit from some flexibility regarding the die cut tolerances. However, starting from an idea will take a lot longer until you’re ready to answer technical questions from a converter.

If you’re hoping to overcome future lead times through planning, consider placing a blanket purchase order so your converter can prepare the necessary material and tooling in advance. 

Aligning your production timeline with everything else is no easy feat, especially if your company is a startup. Knowing your production timeline lets you plan project goals that align more closely with the manufacturing process. 

Do you still have questions about the die-cut process? Contact us or check out the resources in our Learning Center. 

Originally published: April 25, 2023