Monthly Archives: July 2020

35 Years in Business!

July 16th, 2020

July 2020 marks our 35th year in business and we want to thank YOU, our loyal customers, many of whom have turned into friends. We would not be where we are today without you.

Jim Ippolite, current COO, started Apple Die 35 years ago with a jigsaw and a hand bender. Since then, Jim has grown the company from a startup to one of the largest specialty steel rule die manufacturers in the U.S., with multiple locations and the industry’s most diversified steel rule dies (12 mm up to 6 pt high rule dies). In 2013, Barb Wambold, who started as an office clerk in 2001 and worked her way up, bought Apple Die and expanded the company even further. She opened a new location in South Africa, bought three different companies merging them into Apple Central, and added flex dies, rotary dies, magnetic cylinders and more to the company’s ever-growing product line-up. Under Barb, Apple Die has also been named a top 50 largest woman-owned business based on revenue in WI by the Milwaukee Business Journal for the last three consecutive years.

Today, Apple Die maintains one of the fastest turnaround of any die company in the U.S. with 98.7% of orders shipped the same day or next and holds some of the most competitive pricing in the industry. With more than two centuries of combined craftsman experience in the manufacturing of close tolerance dies, Apple excels at medical dies, flexible circuits, displays, folders, gaskets, heat sealing, labels, decals, nameplates, overlays, membrane switches, packaging, vacuum forming and more. Cheers to another 35 years!

Apple Bites: Flex Dies

July 14th, 2020

Q: What are flexible dies?

A: Flex dies are thin metal cutting dies with a raised, sharpened cutting blade. This is achieved by etching away the metal from the plate but not the image. Apple Die can then sharpen the image to the desired height and angle depending on the substrate being converted.

Q: What are the advantages?

A: The biggest advantage is a flex die does not have any joints and has a tight tolerance +/- .002″. The maximum blade height is .059″ so ideally the material being cut should be less than .035″. Flex dies can be used in a flatbed or rotary press. If running a flatbed flex die, Apple can produce different bases like magnetic, steel, or wood to mount the flex die in order to bring the cutting height up to standard .937″. If running on a rotary press we distort the images depending on the repeat of the magnetic cylinder.

Q: So what type of flexible die should you be using on your next project?

A: Ideally flex dies are suited for very tight tolerance jobs, intricate jobs with tight bends, thinner material, kiss cutting, and multiple up cavities. If your project cannot be made with a standard steel rule die, ask us about a flex die. We can also offer different heights on the same plate, add nicks, security cuts and perforation, in addition to laser hardening and special non-stick coating.

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Standard flexible dies Treated flexible die magnetic

Flexible die coated magnetic grape design Flexible die

Steel Rule Die

Over three centuries of excellent die-making craftsmanship.

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Steel Rule Die

Laser Cutting

Apple Die specializes in wood, metal, and plastic laser cutting.

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Laser Cutting

Flexible Die

Less expensive option to Rotary dies with extremely tight tolerances.

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Flexible Die

Rotary Die

The proper tooling for long run cutting precision.

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Rotary Die

Send Us a Message!

Woman Owned Business

Contact Information

Apple Die Corporate Headquarters

800-227-3437

414-435-9627

7817 W. Clinton Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53223

central@appledie.com

Contact for: Steel Rule Dies

Apple Die East

88 Industry Ave. Ste. C
Springfield, MA 01104

East@appledie.com

Apple Die South

south@appledie.com

Contact for: Flex Dies, Magnetic Cylinders, Rotary Dies