It takes a huge punch-press to die-cut 1/4" aluminum; it's not something most people have (or want) in their home shops. Have you considered sending the parts out to be cut with an abrasive water-jet machine? Plenty of shops do that here in the USA; you wouldn't have to deal with China. That would eliminate the cost of making dies; all you'd need to provide the shop would be DXF files for your shapes, which you could change all you wanted. I think you'd come out ahead financially. Here's a company (there are lots more) that will do it for you: Custom Abrasive Water Jet Machining & Cutting Services - Loveland, Ohio I suppose if you wanted to, and could afford it, you could buy one of these machines yourself, but I'm not sure the bragging rights would be worth it...