The Future is Now

In the spring of 2021, Tomlinson’s investment in two Datron M8Cube high-speed milling machines was proudly announced. Their arrival further increased our manufacturing capacity, capability and flexibility here at our UK die-making facility and, since then, Tomlinson’s brass CNC machine-shop has gone from strength-to-strength.

Throughout the last two years, those compact yet mighty machines have run around-the-clock producing brass foiling and embossing dies to extremely tight tolerances and with an impressively high surface finish - die qualities of particular importance to clients in the luxury packaging and label sectors. In addition, Tomlinson’s Datron machines are incredibly nimble and adept at cutting fine type and detail.

Ginger Kauldhar, Business Development Director here at Tomlinson’s informs, “A few short years ago it wouldn’t even have been a consideration to reproduce the fine detail in brass that we do now. But the technology we have at our disposal today has proven to be a complete game-changer.”.

You may read elsewhere that chemically etched copper dies are the sole option to hold fine and intricate detail featured in designs; that copper dies are more efficient to produce; and that they have superior qualities to dies digitally cut in brass.

Here at Tomlinson’s, however, we disagree and recognise that, for us, brass dies are the future. Why? Because, in our experience, the digital manufacture of brass dies is cleaner and safer; because the properties of brass entirely equal those of copper; and because up-to-the-minute CNC milling technology makes it possible to hold and reproduce levels of detail in brass that rival copper.

Below is the artwork that produced the die above.

In fact, we’re so confident that Tomlinson’s brass CNC department is now capable of reproducing all but the very tiniest of fine detail - which is relatively rarely required - that we’re diverting almost all detailed die-work into our expanding machine-shop which will boast two further Datron M8Cube machines come early spring 2023. And you can rest assured that where super-fine detail is required, Tomlinson’s can supply intricately cut, superior quality, laser-cut brass dies to meet your needs.

Ultimately, we’re certain you’ll love the quality of our brass dies equally as much as the stunning finishes they go on to produce.