Die-Cast Resin & Metal Made Models Differences

Supra_Fanatics

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For hardcore die-cast fans, just in case some do not know,
I just found out the difference between Resin and Steel Made die-cast models. Just to
share and hope it helps all die-cast fans out there to know the difference and quality
of die-cast further.

Just will only take about 5 mins of your time to read and understand further. Not to
say Resin Models are not good, there are some pro & cons but they still produce great
quality in Resin models.

At least now I know, why the cost of Autoart is higher and the detail workmanship &
quality is excellent.

Happy Reading. :smile:
Resin models

Many collectors have been asking why AUTOArt does not produce models made
out of resin. As a matter of fact, AUTOArt has done a few special projects in resin,
but only models in large scales such as 1/8 and 1/5 which sell directly to car makers.
Because the quantity requirement is so small and the scale is so large, it is not
commercially viable to tool up to make the models in die-cast metal, simply
because the mold investment would be too high.


Special project of scale 1/5 resin model produced by Autoart.
Only a few pieces have been produced.


Regardless of the materials used, a model car requires a mold in which to be cast.
To cast a zinc metal die-cast model requires the use of a steel mold. However, a
resin model is cast in a silicon rubber mold.

Tooling a full set of die-cast steel molds for one model is expensive. The tooling
investment for a 1/18-scale model car can be in the region of US$100,000 to
$200,000, depending on the complexity of the model and the number of components.
It requires, at minimum, several months of engineering work to produce a complete
set of steel molds. Once the mold is made, the product is cast in a split-second by
injecting the molten metal into the mold cavity with a high-pressure casting machine.
Hence, large quantities of products can be manufactured continuously and precisely,
and the life of a mold tooled in high-grade steel can be as much as one million “shots,”
or die-castings. It is therefore the most economical way to manufacture model cars in
a large quantity, and all mass-market, toy-grade die-cast model cars are manufactured
in such steel molds in order to make the product as cheaply as possible.


The steel mold of a scale 1/18 car body.
It weights half a ton.


However, if the intended selling quantity is only a few thousand pieces, then a steel
mold is also the most expensive way to manufacture the product because the investment
in the tooling is amortized over a smaller quantity. Divided by only a few thousand pieces,
tooling costs can get as high as US$40 per model car.

Resin models are cast in a silicon-rubber mold, and a set of such molds costs a fraction
of that for steel molds—in fact, only hundreds of dollars to maybe a few thousand dollars.
When the development of the model is completed, it takes only a few days to produce
the silicon-rubber molds, versus months for the steel molds. Resin is thus the ideal
material for manufacturing a small quantity of model cars, in any scale, especially
ones that require the shortest possible lead time for launch into the market.


A large silicon rubber mold half for casting large resin object.
There are intricate lines and contour in the rubber mold which
would not be found in steel mould due to the draft angle.


We often see that a resin model of a newly launched car is always the first to appear
in the market. It can be so quick that within weeks after the real car is officially
unveiled to the public, the resin model is already available in stores. In contrast,
a die-cast model car in 1/18-scale requires at least nine months of development
and mold making.


A small silicon rubber mold
to cast small resin object


Lead time to market is one of the biggest advantages to resin models. Because
a silicon-rubber mold is elastic, the mold design can be simpler, and draft angle
is not a major concern. That means complicated shapes can be cast easily. Also,
producing a silicon-rubber mold is relatively simple and involves the mixing of
the chemical compounds that form its material, and then pouring it into a small
chamber containing the pattern. Within hours, the silicon is cured. In contrast,
a steel mold is made of very hard material, and the cavities of the model’s pattern
are formed by careful and time-consuming hand grinding and trimming, with
electrical discharging and manual polishing as final steps. That’s why it can take
months to complete a set. The upside is that steel tooling lasts for hundreds of
thousands of “shots,” or molten-metal injections, whereas a silicon-rubber mold,
in most cases, cannot survive more than a hundred injections. Hence, the smaller
runs of resin models.


High detailed scale 1/18 resin model launched into the market
within two or three months time after the debut of the real car.


Resin has another advantage: it is much softer than zinc metal. Hence, the
labor-intensive trimming and polishing of a resin model requires less time than
one rendered in metal. Fine details are easier to cast in resin, and the model
can be well presented with many intricate parts attached.


Fine detailed interior made of resin in scale 1/8

However, there are major shortcomings to resin models, mainly in the nature of
the resin material itself. It is much weaker structurally than die-cast zinc-metal,
and it may deform after some years as it ages. Working doors and bonnets
cannot be made accurately, with a fine air gap around them, because a doorframe
cast in resin is not rigid enough, especially in the area of A- and B-pillars. Moreover,
the fixing of the hinges is also very fragile, and they can easily break if not handled
carefully. Therefore, to avoid such problems, most resin models are made without
any working doors or bonnets.


A high-detailed scale 1/43 resin model with workable
doors and bonnets. The model is retailed for over US$200.


When it comes to painting the model, there is also a big difference between resin
and zinc. Paint requires baking time in an oven to cure properly, a step needed to
ensure the paint achieves an accurate glossiness. Such oven curing can be done
on metal, but not on resin, which will deform in the heat of an oven. Thus, the
paint used on a resin model cannot be oven baked; it requires extra clear coating
to achieve the desired glossiness. So while the color painted on metal will yield a
similar effect to a real car, the paint finish on a resin model can appear very glossy,
but only with clear coating, which somehow lacks the look and solid feel of
single-step painting.

On resin models, colorful racing liveries are mostly done with water decals due to
the small quantity of models being manufactured. Pad printing or “tampon” printing
yields a better result than using water decals, because the colors are printed directly
onto the body rather than printed onto the decal membrane. But the pad printing
process involves high setup costs, especially if the livery consists of many colors,
and that’s only economically feasible if thousands of pieces will be manufactured.
Therefore, practically all the racing versions of resin models use water decals.
Water decals age and can become brittle and vulnerable to scratches after some
years. They also require great skill to apply precisely, and on the assembly line,
maintaining a consistency of workmanship among the models becomes problematic.


The common problem of water decal: the transparent membrane
between the words can turn yellowish after many years of storage.


The windscreens and side windows of resin models are made of clear acrylic sheet
that is cut into shape and press-formed into the required contour. Clear acrylic sheet
can be so thin that it appears almost like real glass in miniature form, so that the
interior is clearly visible without any distortion. However, when the contour of the
glass is curvy, it is a great challenge to form the correct shape from a flat sheet,
and we can see many resin models in the market that are not well-made in the
area of the windscreen and side windows. On the other hand, injection-molded
plastic, which is used for windows in die-cast zinc models, can be made in practically
any contour using a mold that replicates the exact contour of the real thing. Because
injection plastic mold is expensive to make, it is seldom used in resin model due to
the small quantity being produced.

Also, chrome plating, as on a bumper or headlight reflector, is something that cannot
be done realistically on resin models. Putting the shiny-metal effect on resin material
can only be achieved by vacuum metallization (or, vacuum plating). However, when
done, the surface is not as brilliant as compared to a real car, for which “wet chrome
plating” is used and in which the part is required to be dipped in acid compounds for
pre-treatment. For a model, only injection-molded plastic and die-cast zinc metal can
be plated using the same wet chrome plating technique as the real car to replicate
the same finish.

Thus, on resin models, metal trim tends to be rendered with thin, etched stainless
steel plate, and that is expensive and labor intensive to apply. Such finely etched
parts can appear very accurate and nice on a model car, but when it comes to
components like the window frame around the windscreen and the side windows,
such as that found on older cars, etched metal parts are flat and lack the soft edges
of the real trim on the actual car. Moreover, the etched steel pieces are attached to
the resin model purely by gluing. When the glue ages, the trim can start to separate
and fall off. Only injection-molded plastic can be replicated realistically to the accurate
shape that duplicates the real thing, and by “wet chrome plating” these pieces, the
same metal texture can be achieved. And the trims are securely bonded to the body
with heat-deformable mounting pins rather than just the glue.

Another major issue with resin is breakage during transportation. When the boxes
are mishandled, resin models, in particular those with intricate parts that are long
and thin, can break more easily. This inevitably increases the product’s cost because
a higher percentage of breakage must be factored in. Customers are also not happy
when the models they have bought arrive broken.

For all these reasons, resin models are normally sold at double- to triple-the-price
of die-cast models built to the same scale. And that’s despite the fact that the resin
piece typically has no opening of doors and bonnets. As we’ve noted, the higher price
starts with the development costs that must be amortized over the smaller number of
models that can be produced on silicon-rubber tooling. Furthermore, the model is entirely
handmade, which is costly to manufacture. Resin mainly caters to a small number of
collectors around the world who want the earliest batch of the new cars being released
and who don’t want to wait for die-cast models that can only be launched at a much
later time. Otherwise, resin model cars are mostly of unique or rare subjects that will
be sold only in quantities of dozens or hundreds of pieces for the small group of collectors
around the world. Or, the model is in a scale so large that would not be feasible to make
it in die-cast metal.

Other than special project, AUTOArt will not go into the production of resin models or
make it part of our mainstream product program. We believe die-cast metal, along with
injection-molded plastic, is the most ideal material to make an accurate and collectible
model car to our standards of excellence. Die-cast metal is harder and more challenging
and costly to work with, but the model can be made with much finer detail overall and
at a more affordable price. It is structurally more rigid, and it will bring pleasure to its
owner for much longer.

Just some samples of Autoart Models. (Not promoting on behalf ya :smile:)









Source: AUTOart -
 
Last edited:

gunnerzz

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Melaka
i dont even read the article...just enjoy the pic...hahha
i luv scale model..not the high end stuff though.
sometimes for the same scale,a mainstream brand produces almost the same quality.
which is why i collect maisto instead of minichamp.
 

Supra_Fanatics

Beyond 20,000 RPM!
Senior Member
Thread starter
Sep 17, 2008
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1,713
i dont even read the article...just enjoy the pic...hahha
i luv scale model..not the high end stuff though.
sometimes for the same scale,a mainstream brand produces almost the same quality.
which is why i collect maisto instead of minichamp.
Ya, i search also because I was wondering what is RESIN model on some that is selling online. Then some not stated RESIN. So now I know metal die-cast last longer.
 

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