Punch form and method of die-cutting with it

A method for die-cutting corrugated paperboard by means of an apparatus having;

• cutting knives and/or scoring rules attached to a punch form,
• an anvil disposed a spaced distance from the punch form and facing the cutting knives and/or scoring rules of the punch form, the anvil having a work supporting surface that extends on both sides of each of the cutting knives and/or scoring rules,
• at least one ejector attached to the punch form a spaced distance from the cutting knives and/or scoring rules, and
• a sheet material which is
• a) arranged on the at least one ejector, and
• b) extends outside the at least one ejector, and
• c) is spaced from the cutting knives and/or scoring rules, and
• d) comes into planar contact with the corrugated paperboard during cutting, and
• e) is made from a low friction and low adhesion material to enable the corrugated paperboard to slide relative to the sheet material during cutting to reduce cracking of the corrugated paperboard at least in connection with the cutting knives and/or scoring rules,
• the method comprising:
• feeding the corrugated paperboard between the punch form and the anvil;
• cutting and/or scoring the corrugated paperboard with the cutting knives and/or scoring rules;
• and
• during the cutting and/or scoring step, applying clamping pressure to the sheet material so that the sheet material of the punch form comes into planar contact with the corrugated paperboard such that the corrugated paperboard is not crushed by the at least one ejector;
• further during the cutting and/or scoring step, allowing the sliding of a top surface of the corrugated paperboard horizontally relative to the clamping sheet material while the sheet material is in contact with the corrugated paperboard, while an elongation in the top surface of the corrugated paperboard is distributed between the cutting knives and/or scoring rules in order to distribute load energy applied by the cutting knives and/or scoring rules so that the load energy does not reach crack propagating levels in the corrugated paperboard;
• releasing the clamping pressure on the sheet material;
• and
• using the at least one ejector to remove the corrugated paperboard from between the cutting knives and/or scoring rules,
• wherein the sliding of the to surface of the corrugated paperboard relative to the sheet material results from a friction and an adhesion between the sheet material and the corrugated paperboard being so low.