Maintenance, Replacement & Ownership Policy

When we submit a quotation for your consideration, we simultaneously make an unwavering commitment to harness our design and manufacturing capability to service you. And when we secure your order, we proceed with the pre-determined most cost-effective materials to fabricate the needed auxillary tools to produce your custom products.

Whilst you pay for the ownership of these auxillary tools, it is our responsibility to ensure that your tools are handled with skills and care. To assure you of our proper discharge of this heavy responsibility, we undertake to bear all replacement costs for damaged screen and artwork no matter how long your product life is.

Artwork

For a faster turnaround time, we recommend that you work with a graphics design house for your artwork requirements and provide us with the film. Though equipped with computeraided drafting equipments, our artwork capability at this juncture is limited to reproduction of specifications.

Image Screen

Whilst the screen frames are of welded aluminium alloy construction and machined to flatness tolerance of typically ±0.15mm, the screen mesh materials can be nylon, polyester or stainless steel depending on your print thickness and resolution requirements.

Screen mesh is normally glue mounted at a uniform tension of up to 35 Newton Force per centimeter and stencil coating is controlled to a tolerance limit of ± 0.002mm.

Based on long-standing industry practice, screen belongs to the manufacturer who stores, maintains and insures it. If it is moved, the subsequent manufacturer will not generally use it due to its machine specific characteristics.

Die Cut Tooling

Our dies are fabricated from heat treated razor-sharp steel rule formed into the required dimensions and mounted onto hard-wood or synthetic board, singly in multiples. Typical tolerance limits are +0.1mm for hole size, ±0.25mm for hole-to-hole and hole-to-edge locations, and +0.30mm for edge-to-image dimensions.

Our past experience show a wide range of life span with some dies maintaining its functionality after as many as 30,000 punches whilst some others losing their precision after as few as 300 punches. We do not therefore guarantee a lifespan for from of tooling.

That said, it is our observation that there is strongest inverse correlation between material thickness punched and lifespan of steel rule dies though cumulative usage deteriorates the punching quality of a steel rule die as well. When evaluating tooling costs, reference should therefore be made to quantity requirements as well material thickness. We do not recommend die cut tooling for any material thicker than 0.2mm except for short prototype runs of not more than 2,000 punches.

Hard Dies Tooling

Although costing several times more than steel rule dies, hard dies can be justified by its extremely long die life and improved shearing accuracy. Our typical tolerance limits are ±0.05mm on hole size, ±0.05mm for hole-to-hole and hole-to-edge dimensions and ±0.03mm on edge-to-image locations. If required, the above tolerance limits can be held closer but at additional costs.

Given our skills and the care we lavish on your hard dies, we normally guarantee a minimum of 250,000 impressions.