Re: [Epic] Space Marine Tanks and Epic 40k Snapshot...

From: <duckrvr_at_...>
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 01:55:51 -0500

At 07:05 PM 4/10/97 +0100, you wrote:

>I've run plastic moulding machines myself. I think it is unlikely that
>the GW machines are shot just yet a while - the most likely parts to
>wear are the moulds, and given that GW cycles its games, and therefore
>its moulds, on a 3-5 year basis, I don't see this as being a particular
>problem. In addition, the thermoplastic used in the machines is
>reasonably benign and easy to work with.

You may be right on the plastics. It could make a difference.

>Yes, the machines would not have been cheap. But not "insanely
>expensive",
<snip>
> Over 12,000 sprues sold in one week from epic40k basic sets
>alone! That is NOT a small operation.

Obviously, I should clarify. I come from a Chemical Engineering background
(12 hours to my degree, and I hated it so much I bailed). 1) Citadel, by
most plastics manufacturers I have run across is a small operation. 12,000
little sprues per week doesn't exactly compare with 12,000 plastic chairs
per week. The small to mid-size facility I toured with my polymer chem
class could fit an entire year of Citadel production in its stock warehouse,
with much room left over. 2) As far as actual dollar figures, I am most
familiar with the small, proto-testing extruders (which is not to say
extremely familiar). They are amazingly expensive for something that can
only produce a test sprue about the size of the building sprues for E40K.
The one I dealt with was $200,000 and change, IIRC. Now, I'm assuming that
Citdel either has a lot of the overpriced, smaller extruder (they'd have to
be daft), or a handful of larger ones. Either way, that comes to a big
chunk of change.

The simple fact is, that in plastic molding, the material cost is often
negligible compared to the equipment cost. If you can keep the machinery
running until after it has been depreciated and paid for itself, then you
are sitting pretty, so I'm pretty sure that the plastics side of Citadel is
making money hand over fist. For example, the skeleton boxed set used to
cost $25. Buying the separate components that would make that up now is
about $70. So they are ripping people off either way.

Temp
Received on Fri Apr 11 1997 - 06:55:51 UTC