Question on simple mass cutting

[Matt S]

17 minutes ago, Sonydaze said:

They are often too slow for production. There are also pneumatic and manual presses but again, not that fast. Aside from the cycle rate of the clicker, being able to quickly place both your hide and die makes for considerable time savings. 

Well that depends on what speed is acceptable for production. My humble 6 ton manual hydraulic needs three pumps to click a 2mm thick piece. That's under 10 seconds per piece, including the time to place the die, pump, release and eject. 6+ pieces per minute is plenty fast enough for a lot of small one-person businesses, as we have a lot of on this forum. It may not be as fast as a swing-arm Atom but at <£100 vs. £3000 (plus transport, space, electric and 3-phase) I think this approach has a lot to recommend it.

[Sonydaze]

5 minutes ago, Matt S said:

Well that depends on what speed is acceptable for production. My humble 6 ton manual hydraulic needs three pumps to click a 2mm thick piece. That's under 10 seconds per piece, including the time to place the die, pump, release and eject. 6+ pieces per minute is plenty fast enough for a lot of small one-person businesses, as we have a lot of on this forum. It may not be as fast as a swing-arm Atom but at <£100 vs. £3000 (plus transport, space, electric and 3-phase) I think this approach has a lot to recommend it.

We all have to do our own math on what is the best choice for individual businesses. 

The title on the thread is about mass production.  Although I understand 'mass' is a word that can have greatly varying connotative values.

[johnv474]

Could you use a shear, like bookbinders use for cutting stacks of paper?  You could set up a jig to hold the leather x distance from the blade, then cut through a stack of leather at once.  You'd need to do that for each of the sides, or just feed a stack of belt strips 3.75" wide through it.

Edited February 19, 2018 by johnv474

[Windrider30]

22 hours ago, johnv474 said:

Could you use a shear, like bookbinders use for cutting stacks of paper?  You could set up a jig to hold the leather x distance from the blade, then cut through a stack of leather at once.  You'd need to do that for each of the sides, or just feed a stack of belt strips 3.75" wide through it.

that may work as well due to space being a major issue may have to look into it

[Matt S]

@Windrider30, what quantity are we talking? 10? 100? 1000? How much scope is there for repeat orders, or other uses to which you can put the kit once you're done with this order?

[Windrider30]

On ‎21‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 10:24 PM, Matt S said:

@Windrider30, what quantity are we talking? 10? 100? 1000? How much scope is there for repeat orders, or other uses to which you can put the kit once you're done with this order?

Talking in the 50 to 100 range high repeatability and the 50 to 100 a week 

[Matt S]

13 hours ago, Windrider30 said:

Talking in the 50 to 100 range high repeatability and the 50 to 100 a week 

Cutting dies are certainly in order I think. Your choice of press depends on a few factors (investment cost, space available, access, power available, required speed). Essentially they boil-down to:

(1) Slightly modified garage/shop hydraulic press. These are popular options on this forum for the smaller businesses and hobbyists. A slow option but the lowest investment, and no power requirements are attractive. Most are O-frame designs which limits the size leather you can put in it. I can do at least 6 pieces per minute from my humble 6-ton press. For 100 pieces that shouldn't take you more than 20 minutes, though your mileage may vary.

(2) Dedicated swing-arm manual presses like the Lucris. These are toggle presses and apparently need a bit of elbow grease to make em go, but they have a swinging head which means you can use larger pieces of leather as they are. Not a cheap option, about £1300 last time I checked.

(3) Proper 3-phase swing-arm clicker press like Atom makes. Big, heavy, expensive (£3000ish) but fast. Can do a click in less time than it takes to place the dies. Usually need 3-phase electric. Used ones can be found online at lower prices. Usually need a pallet jack or small crane to move.

There are a few other options like the Tippmann 1500, all sorts of things. Another option could be to subcontract your clicking to another company once you have your dies made. They could also source the leather for you. We have a few Aussies on this forum who may be able to put you in contact with someone.

[Windrider30]

9 hours ago, Matt S said:

Cutting dies are certainly in order I think. Your choice of press depends on a few factors (investment cost, space available, access, power available, required speed). Essentially they boil-down to:

(1) Slightly modified garage/shop hydraulic press. These are popular options on this forum for the smaller businesses and hobbyists. A slow option but the lowest investment, and no power requirements are attractive. Most are O-frame designs which limits the size leather you can put in it. I can do at least 6 pieces per minute from my humble 6-ton press. For 100 pieces that shouldn't take you more than 20 minutes, though your mileage may vary.

(2) Dedicated swing-arm manual presses like the Lucris. These are toggle presses and apparently need a bit of elbow grease to make em go, but they have a swinging head which means you can use larger pieces of leather as they are. Not a cheap option, about £1300 last time I checked.

(3) Proper 3-phase swing-arm clicker press like Atom makes. Big, heavy, expensive (£3000ish) but fast. Can do a click in less time than it takes to place the dies. Usually need 3-phase electric. Used ones can be found online at lower prices. Usually need a pallet jack or small crane to move.

There are a few other options like the Tippmann 1500, all sorts of things. Another option could be to subcontract your clicking to another company once you have your dies made. They could also source the leather for you. We have a few Aussies on this forum who may be able to put you in contact with someone.

THanks Matt I am currenly looking at a hydraulic press as space is limited and I really do not want to put a 3 phase outet in the house lol

[bikermutt07]

I am liking the looks of Weaver's Heritage Press. $440.00 + $150.00 for 2 plates and a pad.

But, I don't know if Weaver has a presence in Oz.

[Rockoboy]

I have never heard of Weaver having a shopfront or warehouse in Australia, but I am in Western Australia. We have about 30% of what is available in the eastern states.