Cartamundi -

Global Cutting Technology & DieCutting Expert

#Ownership

Department: Solutions Division

Location: Turnhout, Belgium

About Cartamundi

Cartamundi is the global leader in “play” solutions — from playing cards to board games, collectibles, and trading card games. With 3,100 team members worldwide, we empower people everywhere to “Live Different, Play Different.” Headquartered in Belgium, our family-owned company operates 12 manufacturing sites and a global network of design and sales offices across the U.S., Mexico, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Our portfolio includes iconic heritage brands like Bicycle®, Bee®, and Copag®, alongside many beloved local brands. We’re also a trusted production and distribution partner for the world’s leading toy and entertainment companies.

With roots dating back to 1765, we combine centuries of craftsmanship with forward‑thinking innovation, including digital experiences. Our strategy focuses on sustainable, profitable growth — preserving our planet and our company for generations to come.

BECOME A CARTAMUNDIAN — We Can. We Care. We Do. We Play. We Connect.

Your Opportunity

The Cutting Technology & DieCutting Expert is Cartamundi’s expert in flatbed and rotary diecutting, laser and digital knife cutting, and downstream blanking/stripping— with primary focus on playing cards, board games, trading cards, stickers/labels, and premium collectibles. This role is essential in defining our global cutting standards, driving innovation, and ensuring tight cuttoprint registration, crease quality, dimensional accuracy, and edge integrity across all production sites and supplier networks.

The Global Cutting Technology and Die-Cutting Expert closely partners with local manufacturing sites, global engineering, and R&D to evaluate new cutting technologies, optimize processes, and maintain our position as a leader in fitforpurpose converting quality and product excellence.

This role requires global travel up to 60%, supporting technology deployments, trials, vendor audits, and crosssite process alignment.

How You Will Contribute

1) Technology Scouting & Innovation

• Continuously monitor developments in flatbed diecutting, rotary diecutting, laser cutting, digital knife/CNC tables, kisscutting, scoring/creasing, perforation, stripping, and blanking relevant to gaming and collectible products.
• Identify, evaluate, and recommend new cutting equipment, die materials (e.g., steel rule specifications, counterplates/matrices), anvil and makeready systems, vacuum/holddown technologies, static control, and automation (robotic load/unload, inline vision) that enhance precision, throughput, or sustainability.
• Lead trials, benchmarking, and validation of new cutting and creasing technologies in collaboration with R&D and site engineering teams (e.g., cut accuracy, kerf, edge quality/burr/fuzzing, nicking strategy effectiveness, tool life).
• Build business cases for technology adoption, including performance metrics (OEE, Cp/Cpk, setup time/SMED), cost impact (scrap, tool wear), energy use, and scalability across sites.

2) Global Cutting Process Leadership

• Define and maintain companywide cutting and creasing standards for all technologies (flatbed/rotary diecut, laser/digital knife, kisscut for stickers/labels) and all product categories (playing cards, board game components, packaging, collectibles).
• Establish cuttoprint registration guidelines and camerabased alignment strategies across substrates and print technologies.
• Develop and maintain calibration routines for die height, anvil pressure, crease channel geometry, scoretocut distance, and laser parameters (speed, power, frequency).
• Troubleshoot complex converting issues and guide teams through root cause analysis and corrective actions (e.g., delamination, edge fuzzing/angel hair, cracking at fold, weak crease, over/undercut, die springback, warpage, dimensional drift).

3) Cutting Process Standardization

• Establish and maintain global cutting specifications, tolerances, and SOPs aligned with industry best practices and tailored to the unique requirements of our products and substrates.
• Define quality benchmarks for critical attributes such as:
• Cuttoprint registration (e.g., ±0.10–0.20 mm as productdependent targets)
• Dimensional accuracy & repeatability
• Crease quality (depth, bead formation, crack resistance, foldability)
• Edge quality (minimized burr/fuzzing, clean laser edges with controlled heataffected zone)
• Card opacity & stack behavior (for playing/trading cards)
• Nicking strategy (strength vs. denicking efficiency)
• Blanking/stripping yield and stability
• Support local sites in implementing standardized workflows, inline/offline vision measurement, and SPCbased quality control.
• Lead capability assessments, SMED/setup reduction, and continuous improvement across global production with focus on OEE, scrap reduction, and tooling life optimization.

4) CrossFunctional Collaboration

• Partner with R&D on NPI to ensure designforcutting feasibility (dieline optimization, scoretocut distances, perforation patterns), material compatibility (SBS/C1S, black/bluecore card stock, laminates, foils, plastics like PET/PVC), and dimensional stability from prototype to mass production.
• Work with global engineering to spec equipment requirements, evaluate vendor proposals, and support installation, commissioning, and process acceptance of new cutting technologies.
• Support local sites with training, certification, and handson troubleshooting.
• Collaborate with supply chain and vendor management to qualify diemakers, counterplate/matrix suppliers, digital table/laser OEMs, and finishing automation partners.

5) Supplier & Production Partner Management

• Conduct technical audits internally and at converting vendors to ensure compliance with company standards (tooling design rules, material handling, preventive maintenance, safety).
• Provide guidance during firstarticle runs, cuttoprint alignment sessions, and production rampups; approve dielines and cutting samples against specification.
• Establish longterm partnerships with key diemakers, cutting equipment OEMs, and vision/automation providers; negotiate tooling performance metrics, warranty, and service SLAs.

Who You Are

• Extensive handson experience in flatbed/rotary diecutting, laser cutting, and/or digital knife tables within playing cards, board games, labels, folding cartons, packaging, or related highprecision converting.
• Strong expertise in die design principles (steel rule selection & bevels, crease channel geometry, counterplates/matrices, nicking and rubbering, anvil pressure & makeready).
• Proficiency with CAD/CAM for dielines and nesting (e.g., ArtiosCAD, Impact, or equivalent) and camerabased registration systems.
• Deep understanding of substrate behavior (paperboard grain direction, moisture & humidity effects, laminated/foil structures, adhesives for kisscut), static control, and dimensional stability through the printtocut workflow.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate, introduce, and scale new cutting technologies across multiple sites.
• Strong analytical and problemsolving skills, with a datadriven approach (SPC, PFMEA, DOE, Six Sigma/Lean).
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence crossfunctional teams and guide vendor partners.
• Experience working in a global, multisite manufacturing environment; comfortable with travel for trials, audits, and commissioning.

Why Working With US

We invite you into a varied position with an attractive package and the possibilities for personal and professional growth.

• A dynamic international environment with opportunities to grow, innovate and thrive alongside colleagues from around the world.
• The chance to co-shape global communications by contributing to impactful projects that influence how our story is told across borders.
• A role where your creativity and organizational skills matter, where you can make a tangible difference in shaping messages, channels and projects that resonate.

DEI Statement

Cartamundi is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing fair and inclusive employment opportunities. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race or ethnic origin, colour, religion or belief, age, disability, national or social origin, marital or family status, genetic or health information, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.