From Xylographs to Lead Molds; A.D. 1440-A.D. 1921 Part 6

Backing-up the sh.e.l.ls with the metal base, i. e., casting, is done automatically by The Rapid Electrotype Company.

A rotary casting-table with a capacity of ten pans revolves around its axis on a plane that brings each pan immediately below a spout through which the required metal is automatically flowed from the bottom of the metal pot on the tinned sh.e.l.l placed therein. When the required metal backing has been flowed, the table turns to bring the next pan with its sh.e.l.l under the metal-spout. The amount of metal flowed is exactly regulated. As the casting table completes a circuit, the first sh.e.l.l backed up has cooled so that it can be removed to the scrubbing machine.

This method, of course, eliminates the hand-ladling of hot metal from the metal-pot to the casting-table, as is the ordinary practice, and obviates any possibility of the oxidized metal or dross on the surface getting into the casts, besides effecting a marked economy in time and handling. In addition, it casts the plates flat, thereby eliminating about 75 per cent of the finis.h.i.+ng, which, of course, means a better printing plate. Three of these machines are used.

The Rapid Electrotype Company developed and built these casting-machines in its own machine shop and owns the patents covering them.

THE ALUMINOTYPE PROCESS

The development, perfection and introduction of the Aluminotype Process for duplicating a printing surface in a solid piece is one of the outstanding accomplishments of The Rapid Electrotype Company, and marks a distinct step in advance of the other and older methods used in the graphic arts, for certain cla.s.ses of printing.

Aluminotypes are much harder than an electrotype or stereotype and have as sharp and deep a printing face as an electrotype. The Aluminotype process will reproduce as sharp and clear as the electrotyping process an eighty line screen half-tone, which is really too fine a screen for newspaper printing.

A distinct advantage Aluminotypes have is in the item of weight. An Aluminotype, unmounted, weighs only one quarter as much as an unmounted electrotype or stereotype of the same size. When mounted on a wood base an Aluminotype weighs just one half as much as an electrotype or stereotype of the same size mounted on wood. In a national advertising campaign where a general list of newspapers is used Aluminotypes, by reason of their light weight, effect a marked saving in parcel-post or express charges. This saving in postage is especially noticeable in the case of foreign country newspaper campaigns.

In addition, because of their toughness, a saving can be made in packing Aluminotypes, inasmuch as they do not require the expensive precautions in packing to avoid injury in transportation that electrotypes or stereotypes do. They will not bend; their printing face cannot be injured by the ordinary mishaps attendant upon handling in transportation. For all practical purposes it can be said that Aluminotypes are indestructible.

MATRICES

The ordinary practice followed in making mats is to use an electrotype or stereotype pattern plate made from the original form. Sometimes the original itself is used.

The first mat molded from an electrotype pattern plate will be sharp.

The next one molded will be a little less sharp than the first. The third one molded will be slightly less sharp than the second one. In other words, with every succeeding mold, the electrotype or stereotype pattern plate is mashed a little by the pressure of the matrix press until it has to be discarded and a new one used.

The five-thousandth mat made by the Rapid Electrotype Company from the same pattern plate is as sharp as the first one molded. This is because an _aluminotype_ pattern is used from which to mold.

_Aluminotypes_ will not mash under the pressure of the matrix press, as they are much harder than electrotypes.

THE s.h.i.+PPING DEPARTMENT

The s.h.i.+pping department of The Rapid Electrotype Company is one of the most important and highly systematized in the entire organization, and in the manner of handling orders for distribution to newspapers in large campaigns or in making bulk s.h.i.+pment direct to the advertisers is unique.

It is in this department that the packing and routing of advertising plates to newspapers or dealers is done. A system of triple checking each item of all orders precludes, as far as is humanly possible, any error in filling accurately all specifications.