Crest Widemouth™ Technology
Informed buyers make better decisions. Trained operators make better production. DCA exists for both.
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What no other clamshell can
Standard clamshell presses have a limitation — the daylight between platens only opens so far. That means thick structural materials, tall cutting rules, and deep scoring tools don’t fit. The job goes to a flatbed or gets farmed out. You lose control, you lose margin, and you lose time.
Crest Widemouth™ technology eliminates that ceiling. The extended daylight opening allows operators to run higher rule heights, deeper scoring, and specialized tooling for thick structural board, heavy-wall displays, multi-layer substrates, and industrial materials that would jam a standard clamshell before the first sheet.
If you want to cut today’s and tomorrow’s exotic materials — Falconboard®, Eagle Cell, and others — the Widemouth takes the versatility of a clamshell and puts it on steroids. There’s almost nothing you can’t die cut with a Widemouth.
What Makes Widemouth™ Different
The Widemouth is patented Crest technology. No competitor offers an equivalent system.
- Adjusts from .937″ to 3″ steel rule die height in seconds — no plate removal required
- Runs serrated cutting rule with Soft Cut™ urethane pads and traditional flat steel rule knife on the same press — eliminating make-ready and enabling zero-setup cutting on the right applications
- Processes materials up to 1″ thick, and even thicker with some materials
- Integrates touch screen and digital controls in the make-ready process
- Capable of processing multiple sheets per impression in select configurations
Non-Widemouth clamshell presses — including all competitor models — must remove filler and cutting plates to use serrated knife and Soft Cut pads. They are also limited to 1.125″ knife height, which restricts the material thickness they can process to approximately 3/8″.
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Applications & Materials
Widemouth presses are built for large format display manufacturing, structural packaging, and converting applications involving thick or difficult substrates. Common applications include POP display production, retail signage, trade show graphics, architectural display materials, and large format promotional graphics.
- Falconboard®
- Ultra® Board
- Foam core (up to ½″ standard; thicker with appropriate tooling)
- Honeycomb board
- Heavy-wall corrugated
- Multi-layer substrates
- Structural display substrates
Widemouth presses also cut rigid plastics — such as styrene — without the need to heat the cutting die, a significant advantage over standard steel-to-steel cutting on difficult substrates.
Widemouth™ Availability & Lead Times
Widemouth technology is currently available on large format Crest models only. All Widemouth models deliver 500 tons press load and 200 tons die load.
Average manufacturing lead time for Widemouth models is 5–6 months. Delivery may vary based on production levels and inventory at time of order.
- Crest 2M — 63″ × 85″
- 500 tons press load
- 200 tons die load
- Crest 2.5M — 63″ × 108″
- 500 tons press load
- 200 tons die load
- Crest 3M — 63″ × 123″
- 500 tons press load
- 200 tons die load
Financing Options
Capital equipment purchases are significant decisions. DCA works with manufacturers to identify financing options that fit their situation, so equipment investment doesn’t have to wait for the right budget cycle.
FAQ
Yes. Crest Widemouth™ technology is patented. No competitor currently offers an equivalent system for clamshell die cutting.
Widemouth presses can process multiple sheets per impression using steel rule dies, providing significantly higher throughput than digital cutting tables for production runs. They deliver edge quality similar to a digital table cutter on materials like Falconboard® and foam core, at mass production speeds.
Average manufacturing lead time is 5–6 months. Delivery may vary based on production levels and inventory at time of order. Die Cutting Advisors can provide current estimates during your evaluation.