Mould features and advantages
Our moulds have many features which make the products cast from them stand out amongst others. Here I discuss a few of them, to give you a glimpse into how the products you cast can help your customers do exceptional work, while you get a great return on your investment.
Modularity
Great modular design, combined with accurate sizing, helps to prevent grout creep and reduces the need for cutting.
Modularity is a key strategic marketing consideration for manufacturers.
Poor modular design
The surface of the square unit is precisely half the length of the surface length of the rectangular unit. As a result, it is impossible to combine the units in any way that would allow for consistent grouting lines.
Good modular design
The surface of the rectangular unit is more than twice the length of the square unit, by a factor which naturally creates the ideal grouting width based on their base dimensions and chamfer. Grouting lines are now consistent.
Ingenuity
Diverse requirements lead us to come up with special approaches to challenges, such as curve ranges to avoid cuttings, multi-purpose products, and special demoulding aids.
Here are some examples of solutions to specific challenges.
A single mould produces a product which serves as a channel and kerb all in one, with the appearance of having been formed by cobble and brick-sized pavers. This neat effect and installation integrity is impossible to create using pavers laid at angles to one another.
Cast-in spacers make it easy to maintain tidy grout-lines.
Accuracy
Dimensional deviations have an enormous effect on on paving installations.
We take exceptional care to cast to tight tolerances, even when making moulds of up to 1 x 1 metre each.
The photo shows a sample taken from a delivered order of unit pavers procured by a developer for a substantial area of paving in a commercial project. The specification had been for ‘cobbles’. The paving contractor was expected to maintain even grouting lines and a smooth paved surface using what was supplied.
It is impossible to keep grouting lines straight and a paved surface even and level if there are significant variations in thickness and lateral dimensions. Such inconsistencies can also have a drastic effect on the strength and integrity of the paved surface.
Unfortunately, even blocks which appear to be precisely cast, can vary in size.
Accurately cast products make it possible for a contractor to do a neat job.
This is what the contractor had expected to receive, made using a one of our moulds.
Quality means fitness for purpose.
A quality installation depends in part on the dimensional integrity of the products. The responsibility for maintaining tight tolerances in the size and shape of the units lies with the manufacturer. Being able be able to cast products consistently to accurate tolerances depends largely on the quality of the moulds. It is therefore important that the design and manufacture of the moulds should address the complexities involved in producing durable moulds that maintain their dimensional integrity over many years of use.
Durability
Our moulds are specifically designed for manufacturing world class products under rigorous labour-intensive manufacturing conditions.
I don’t really want to recommend that you store your moulds like this, but this picture reflects a reality. Our moulds are exceptionally tough. They don’t tear or deform over many years under rough conditions. The moulds have been shown to render more than a thousand casts before selective replacement could become advisable.
In one factory where 16-year-old moulds from are still in constant use, the products consistently conform to the same tight dimensional tolerances as those cast in new moulds which were acquired recently to increase capacity.
Neatness
There are no cuttings in this installation. The range (seen here with a Fine Granite surface) has been designed with square-off modules to fit the gaps at the edge of the pattern. Excluding the edge (also made with our moulds), there are six versatile module sizes in this design. The sharp arris and reduced chamfer contribute to the crisp appearance of the installation.
Fitness for purpose
Kerbing, edging, coping and steps are some of the many applications where corner modules become helpful. This auxiliary module has a built-in spacer to fit in with the rest of the Transition Cobble range.
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If you’ve struggled with moulds that don’t have these features, you’ll appreciate our modularity, ingenuity, accuracy and durability.
