Also known as: Kiss Cutting, Kiss-Cut Foam Parts, Kiss-Cut on Liner, Partial Cut
A kiss cut is a die cut that goes through the foam and its adhesive but stops at the release liner, leaving the liner whole. The parts stay on a sheet or roll and are peeled off one by one at assembly, like labels. It is the standard way to supply self-adhesive foam gaskets, pads and spacers; a through-cut instead gives loose parts, each with its own piece of liner.
Kiss cutting starts with a laminate. The foam sheet is coated or laminated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) that sits on a siliconised release liner. The steel-rule or rotary die is then set to a precise blade height so that it cuts the foam and the adhesive completely but only "kisses" the liner. The waste foam around the parts, called the matrix, is usually stripped away, leaving the parts standing on a continuous liner that can be handled as a sheet or wound as a roll.
The alternative is a through-cut, in which the die cuts every layer including the liner. Each part then comes off the press loose with its own small piece of liner, which the operator has to pick off before fitting. Through-cutting suits thick parts, low quantities and parts that are bagged and counted. Kiss-cutting suits high-volume assembly: parts are presented in order, the liner peels off easily, small parts are not lost, and roll formats can feed an automatic applicator. Many parts combine both — kiss-cut outlines on a through-cut sheet so that each sheet carries a fixed number of parts.
Material choice matters because the blade has to cut cleanly without the foam tearing or pulling. Cross-linked PE and EVA are ideal for kiss-cutting, EPE is workable, and PU is too soft below about 25 kg/m³. The working thickness on liner is roughly 0.5–6 mm. Kiss-cutting holds about ±0.3–0.5 mm and makes sense from around 500 pieces upward, while rotary dies running roll to roll hold about ±0.3 mm for runs in the tens of thousands.
The adhesive and liner are specified with the part. Acrylic PSA at 30–60 g/m² is the default: it ages well and holds to about 80 °C, which matters in Indian summer storage, but builds full bond more slowly on PP and PE. Rubber-based PSA grabs low-energy plastics immediately but softens above about 50–60 °C. Siliconised kraft paper of 60–80 GSM is the standard liner; a PET liner is used for machine dispensing or where paper would curl in monsoon humidity.
To order kiss-cut parts, state the foam type, density and thickness, the adhesive, the liner, the part drawing, and the format — for example "kiss-cut on sheet, 500 × 500 mm" or "kiss-cut on roll" — with the number of parts per sheet, because it changes the die layout. Balaji International die-cuts EPE, EVA, PU and cross-linked PE parts, plain or with pressure-sensitive adhesive, and makes the dies in Rajkot; the converting route for each part is chosen from the material and the quantity.
Kiss Cut at a glance
| Definition | Cuts foam and adhesive, leaves the release liner whole |
|---|---|
| Alternative | Through-cut (loose parts with own liner) |
| Best foams | XLPE and EVA; EPE workable; PU only ≥ 25 kg/m³ |
| Thickness on liner | About 0.5–6 mm |
| Tolerance | About ±0.3–0.5 mm |
| Typical minimum | Around 500 pieces |
| Adhesive | Acrylic PSA 30–60 g/m² (rubber PSA for instant tack) |
| Liner | Siliconised kraft 60–80 GSM or PET |
Common questions
What is the difference between kiss cut and die cut?
Both are die cutting. A through-cut, often just called die cut, goes through every layer and gives loose parts each with a piece of liner. A kiss cut stops at the release liner, so the parts stay on a common sheet or roll and are peeled off at assembly.
Which foams can be kiss-cut?
Cross-linked PE and EVA cut cleanly and are the best choices. EPE can be kiss-cut with care. PU foam below about 25 kg/m³ is too soft to cut cleanly through to the liner, and a firmer grade or a through-cut is used instead.
What adhesive is used on kiss-cut foam parts?
Acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive at 30–60 g/m² is the default because it ages well and holds to about 80 °C. Rubber-based adhesive is used where the part must grab PP or PE immediately and the service temperature stays below about 50–60 °C.
Why choose kiss-cut parts on a roll or sheet?
They speed up assembly. Parts are presented in order, peel easily from a continuous liner, small parts do not get lost, and rolls can feed automatic applicators. Loose through-cut parts each need their liner picked off by hand.
Need EPE Foam Sheets & Rolls for your product?
We manufacture epe foam sheets & rolls at our Rajkot unit and dispatch across India. Send the product, size or weight and monthly quantity and we specify and quote within one working day.
Or read the full specification: EPE Foam Sheets & Rolls