No-Change Dies vs Professional-Grade Dies to Install KAM Snaps
May 11, 2019
KAMsnaps® offers 2 types of dies to install plastic snaps with your heavy duty KAM table press:
2pc no-change. These are the dies also used in the pro-handheld and mini-table presses.
3pc professional-grade. Professional-grade dies don't fit the portable KX pro-handheld or mini-table press.
What's the primary difference?
The pro-dies have a dedicated die piece for the female vs male snap piece, which need to be switched out depending on which side of the snap you're installing.
Convenience - no need to switch out dies, 1 less die piece to keep track of
Speed - makes installing a few snaps faster compared to pro-dies
Less pressure needed - easier to flatten the snap prongs compared to pro-dies
Can also be used in the KX8J pro-handheld and KX-T2 mini-table presses
Cons -
May be a little less precise - top snap piece must be manually placed and aligned over fabric, resulting in greater potential for human error or less perfect-looking results
Compared to the pro-grade dies, there is a greater risk of too much pressure being applied with the heavy duty table press and damaging the bottom cap die.
Most people don't have this issue when using the appropriate snaps for their material and they aren't pressing down with all their might.
There is alternative bottom cap die sold separately to prevent this issue. Please contact us to inquire.
Precision - top dies hold the the snaps in place, so there's less manual fidgeting and the top & bottom snaps are automatically aligned
Speed - if installing high volume of snaps, may be faster compared to no-change dies
Recommended if multiple presses are set up or if press is attached to kick pedal
Cons -
Less convenient - 1 more die piece to track, requires switching top dies for male vs female snap pieces
Compared to no-change dies, there is a greater risk of not enough pressure being applied - some may find it too difficult to apply the necessary pressure to flatten the snap prongs sufficiently
Not compatible with other KAMsnaps presses
Some DK93 press bundles include the 3-piece professional grade dies with only the TOP no-change die:
KAM Professional Table Press for Snaps, Rivets, Grommets & Buttons (DK93) × 1 Green / Plastic Snaps Size 20 Professional & TopNo-Change Dies
That's because the pro-grade bottom die can be used with the no-change top die, as illustrated in the video tutorial:
