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| ALJ Advantages | |
The following are illustrations of the comparisons for
an average design between the Rubber Plaster Mold (RPM) process, "hog-outs", sand,
permanent mold, investment and die castings.
| Tooling
Cost - Rubber Plaster Mold patterns are SLA, FDM, or machined from
stock and tooling can be fabricated without draft as compared with dies machined
from tool-steel or iron, always with draft. Unlike other processes, RPM does not
require lightening cavities to maintain uniform section thickness, hence less
cost. | |  |
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| Unit
Cost - Using the Rubber Plaster Mold process, unit costs can be
lower than apparently less expensive methods when considering the combined casting
price and finished machining cost. Unit cost, combined with tooling amortization,
make it feasible to cast as few as 7 to 10 units with the Rubber Plaster Mold
method. | |  |
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| Accuracy
- Although dimensional tolerances for Rubber Plaster Mold castings are
larger than for die castings, often the absence of the need for draft compensates
for this condition. Closer tolerances than those listed can often be obtained
without additional cost. | |  |
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| Surface
Finish - Unlike processes using porting agents and coarse grain media,
the Rubber Plaster Mold technique guarantees surface finishes that are compatible
with painting and oxidizing without additional surface finishing. | |  |
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| Fine
Detail - The use of very fine grain plaster in the Rubber Plaster Mold
process allows for the faithful reproduction of minute detail such as cast part
numbers, nomenclature and customer's logotypes. Highlight buffing can bring out
a bright, natural finish. | |  |
Note: Just as every
design does not lend itself ideally to any one process, the comparison does not
apply in every circumstance.
Rubber
Plaster Mold castings reduce time from prototype
to production
Other casting processes require long lead times for production
dies and create large time gaps from prototype to full production. This gap is
greatly reduced with Rubber Plaster Mold castings from the Original prototype
tooling.
No Additional Tooling Costs
Paying for expensive dies up front (even though amortized over the life of a product's
expected life) drains cash and risks financial set-backs. Instead, the use of
Rubber Plaster Mold castings requires no additional tooling costs and keeps cash
flow in balance with current production requirements.
RPM
reduces risk of new product production
In many instances, industrial
companies find themselves in the situation where the market potential for their
products is not sufficient to warrant the cost of expensive molds or die tooling,
yet they require the advantages of castings, such as shielding, heat dissipation,
strength, style, cast lettering, etc. Year in and year out they rely on Rubber
Plaster Mold (RPM) and A. L. Johnson Company for their casting requirements. |
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