Method for selecting a substrate intended for use in a cutting operation

A method for selecting a facestock for use in a pressure-sensitive adhesive construction, said pressure-sensitive adhesive construction comprising said facestock, a layer of a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and a liner, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer being positioned between the facestock and the liner and being preferentially adherent to the facestock;

• said method comprising:
• (A) cutting the pressure-sensitive adhesive construction with a first cutting step to form at least two shapes;
• the shapes being positioned in spaced relationship to each other;
• the cut from this first cutting step being deep enough to penetrate the facestock;
• the cut from this first cutting step resulting in the formation of a matrix which comprises the waste facestock around the shapes;
• (B) cutting the pressure-sensitive adhesive construction with a second cutting step to form at least one test sample;
• the test sample comprising part of one shape, part of another shape adjacent to said one shape, the matrix around said shape parts, and the adhesive and liner underlying the shape parts and matrix of the test sample;
• (C) separating the matrix from the shape parts while measuring the force required to separate the matrix from the shape parts and measuring the displacement of said force;
• and
• (D) determining the friction energy required to separate the matrix from the shape parts for said facestock, the selection of such pressure-sensitive construction, or a portion of said construction, being dependent on such friction energy measurement.

A method for selecting the facestock of a pressure-sensitive adhesive construction, said pressure-sensitive adhesive construction comprising said facestock, a layer of a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and a liner, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer being positioned between the facestock and the liner and being preferentially adherent to the facestock;

• said method comprising:
• (A) cutting the pressure-sensitive adhesive construction with a first cutting step to form at least two shapes, the shapes being positioned in a side-by-side spaced relationship to each other and being of equal size and rectangular in shape, the long dimension of each shape being parallel to the long dimension of the next adjacent shape;
• the cut from the first cutting step being deep enough to penetrate the facestock;
• the cut from the first cutting step resulting in the formation of a matrix which comprises the waste facestock around the shapes;
• (B) cutting the pressure-sensitive adhesive construction with a second cutting step to form at least one test sample, the second cutting step resulting in two parallel cuts through the pressure-sensitive adhesive construction, one of said parallel cuts being through one shape and the other parallel cut being through another shape adjacent to said one shape;
• the test sample comprising part of said one shape, part of said another shape, the matrix around said shape parts, and the adhesive and liner underlying the shape parts and matrix of the test sample;
• (C) separating the matrix from the shape parts at a constant rate while measuring the force required to separate the matrix from the shape parts and measuring the displacement of the separating force;
• and
• (D) forming a plot of the force versus displacement measured in step (C), and determining the area under said plot, said area being a measure of the friction energy required to separate the matrix from the shape parts for said facestock, the selection of such pressure-sensitive construction, or a portion of said construction, being dependent on such friction energy measurement.

A method for selecting a substrate for use in a cutting operation, said method comprising:

• predicting the die-cutting characteristics of a candidate substrate;
• and
• selecting the candidate substrate if its die-cutting characteristics are suitable for said cutting operation;
• wherein said selection of the substrate includes the steps of:
• (A) cutting the candidate substrate during a first cutting step to form at least two shapes in the candidate substrate, the shapes being positioned in spaced relationship to each other, a matrix being formed during said first cutting step, said matrix comprising the waste substrate around the shapes;
• (B) cutting the candidate substrate with a second cutting step to form a test sample including a portion of the matrix;
• (C) determining the frictional energy required to separate said portion of the matrix from said test sample;
• and
• (D) selecting the substrate for use in said cutting operation if the friction energy determined for said substrate is acceptable.