Here at Signature Pins, we get a lot of questions about the difference between die struck and die cast lapel pins, so we thought it would be helpful to cover a few of them. In this blog, we’ll go over the basics of how die cast and die struck pins are made, and talk a little bit about why you might want to choose one over the other.
For the most part, the difference between die cast and die struck lapel pins has to do with how the design and production will work together. But no matter the case, all pins start out as nothing more than a design on a piece of paper. Our production team uses that design to create a custom mold for your pins, and depending on whether you need a cast or struck pin, the mold will look a little different.
How Are Die Cast Lapel Pins Made?
Die cast pins are made by pouring liquid metal into a custom die. In most cases, we use zinc for casting lapel pins because it’s a softer metal a with relatively low melting point. The custom dies have small channels cut into them, allowing the liquid metal to fill the cavity between the front and back molds.
The zinc only takes a few minutes to cool. Die casting lapel pins this way will create a lot of rough edges that need to be removed, so we put each freshly die cast pin through a thorough deburring and polishing process. Since zinc is a softer metal, it’s one of the better metals to use for highly detailed 3D pins.
So, if you’re looking to order custom lapel pins with carefully molded 3D artwork, a die cast design might be exactly what you need.
Die struck pins are made by using a custom mold, or die, to strike strips of metal, leaving detailed impressions of your artwork.
Die struck pins are created a little differently. We machine a custom mold and use that mold to stamp highly detailed impressions of your design into strips of metal. It takes over 150 tons of pressure to ensure the design comes out just right with every strike.
We prefer die striking because compressing the metal results in a much denser product. This makes the pins more durable. Just like die cast pins, freshly struck pins need to go through a vigorous deburring and polishing process before they’re ready for colorfilling.
Deciding On Die Struck vs Die Cast Lapel Pins
Choosing between a die struck or die cast lapel pin might come down to the type of design you need. We almost always use the die striking method to create our pins, however, there are some speciality pins and 3D pins that we create via die casting.
We prefer die striking because is results in more durable pins that are sure to last a lifetime. No matter what type of pin you order from us here at Signature Pins, you’re sure to get a top-quality product and the best customer service available online.
A lapel pin, also known as an enamel pin, is a small pin worn on clothing, often on the lapel of a jacket, attached to a bag, or displayed on a piece of fabric. Lapel pins can be ornamental or can indicate the wearer's affiliation with an organization or cause.
All we need is your logo, text, thoughts or ideas. We have a staff of graphic artists and they will create your design from any information that you can provide to us.
Our minimum quantity to order is 100.
Once you have received your proof and pricing, approved the digital proof and paid for your order we will begin production and be ready to ship within 7-10 business days. The order will then be shipped via UPS Red Label shipping free of charge to the continental United States.
All of our lapel pins are manufactured in the fastest possible time frame of 7-10 days so we do not offer a rush service. However, if you have a time frame constraint you are working under please let your salesperson know and we will do all that we can to meet that time frame.
All of the designs that you see on the web page are previous designs that we have created for other clients. We do not stock any lapel pins however we can create any custom design that you want.
