The Benefits to Making Our Own Dies

Thistle Inc. Makes Their Own Dies

The Benefits to Making Our Own Dies

Quality, Diversity, Custom Options
Here at Thistle we take the old saying “If you want something done right, do it yourself,” to heart. We make all of our own dies to ensure that the quality of our products starts at the beginning. There are other benefits to making our own dies. One of them includes faster turn-times, this means a better product faster. Saving money is a priority for many, making our own dies is beneficial in this realm as well. By making our own dies and their components in house, this reduces costs and allows us to pass along the savings to our customers. Innovative ideas through research and development allows for our internal departments to work together to efficiently produce top of the line quality products.

The Craft of Die Making
Being a diemaker involves intricate processes and a keen eye for details. Diemakers are skilled workers who produce and maintain precision tools used in the production of metal, plastic and other materials of all shapes and sizes. The first step in the process is that the Diemaker will receive drawings and technical data that they will then interpret to machine and assemble with great accuracy jigs, fixtures, moulding tools, dies and punches. The most integral parts of diemaking are care and attention to detail and high precision. The tools of the diemaker trade are the lather, milling machine, surface grinders, other various drilling equipment, and measuring tools. Diemakers at Thistle, Inc. read blueprints, sketches, specifications, and CAD and CAM files for making dies. Our diemakers compute and verify dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of the dies.  They set up, operate, and disassemble conventional, manual, and computer-numeric controlled (CNC) machine tools. Turn, mill, drill, shape, and grind machine parts to specifications.  Measure, examine, and test completed products for defects. Present finished workpieces and make modifications if needed.

All of our products are 100% American made and the dies that are used are no exception. We utilize the latest RF technology and happen to be one of the few companies in the US with the technology to manufacture finished vinyl products in-house.