automatic boolit making machine (not in production yet): schuptercasting

[worker]

Anyone heard anything more info on
https://schuptercasting.com/ ?

[atfsux]

So if I'm seeing this right,...it appears to fill the same niche as a Magma Master Caster,...but automated direct from the factory, rather than having a Master Caster automated by someone like Hatch after the fact.

I'd be curious to compare prices. How much does a Master Caster go for now? How much is the Hatch conversion? What is the price on the Schupter?


Looking deeper online, I see it is made in Warsaw, Poland.


And since I happen to be of Polish ethnicity, I can go ahead and say there is a joke in there somewhere about a Polish bullet machine.

[HATCH]

I would guess that machine will run around $6000 USD.
Current Master Caster is $1100 but they aren’t accepting any orders and when they do the pricing will be increased so no telling what it really is. They do not have a lead time on anything.

As far as my automation, depends on what options. $850 to $1150 with 2 week lead time.


Charles

[atfsux]

Received an update from Schupter this morning via email;....


Hello! We've posted some updates on our Facebook page (link below), but I'm aware that not everyone uses social media, so I've summarized it briefly.



https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555001162560



* The machine is still evolving (improved safety, manufacturability, operation), but we should be fine for the May 1st presale launch.

* Estimated price - $3k + shipping. It will rise slightly after the presale, but we are considering making a manual version using the same platform.

* We have decided to allow foreign molds into our machine. The idea has to be tested and confirmed, but we want to make life easy for all those who have a collection of popular molds.

* We are working on our own mold portfolio as this is the guarantee of high quality for automatic operation. We have a selection of round ball bullets, now getting started with conical, other profiles and custom applications.



Never hesitate to contact us if there's anything you'd like to ask or comment! Have a great day and thanks! MN



Michal Napora

Owner



schuptercasting.com

[lightman]

Thats a nice looking machine!

[atfsux]

Received another email update from Schupter.

Hi there!

I'd like to give you a short update on the project status:
1. The comercial machine concept is ready. It has been adopted to Magma molds as compatibility with commercially available molds was requested by a lot of people. Now, I also think that this is a good direction. We have refined every aspect of the machine we could think of, the next step is to build some and give for final testing. We don't expect any major changes, just a confirmation by a commercial caster that no further tweaking is needed.
When a video of the machine working with Magma molds is available, I'll send another email.
In the meantime I've posted some photos of the concept on our facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555001162560
2. We are experiencing some problems and confusion with molds. I would really like if you could help me understand how to approach this either by commenting on our facebook page or just replying to this email.
So... We have some Magma molds, still waiting for a Ballisticast mold to come (on the way). They seem to be very similar to each other which makes everything simple.
But we know some you requested compatibility with MP Molds, NOE and RCBS. I tried to contact MP and NOE, but it was very difficult to speak to someone and unsuccessful in the end.
Therefore a few questions if you already have some machine casting experience:
- How do they fit in casting machines? What parts have to be changed to put them in? Can you share some photos?
- What about the sprue plate? Should we provide one that would fit them?
- I know that some mold-makers mimic Magma and Ballisticast mold designs. So is there even a point in adopting other molds than these brands? It seems to us that only they are marketed as capable of high-cycle machine casting.
- Some manufacturers offer various mold types/sizes/cavitations, etc. Which ones should we buy? Or, do you have a spare mold (MP Molds, NOE and RCBS) and could send it to us so that we can engineer machine parts and test?

Thanks for your help in advance. We have not planned for this and unfortunately those molds are now delaying the machine release... Regards, MN

Michal Napora
Owner

[SSGOldfart]

Hey Charles they say they are trying to meet a price point of about 3K, but I guess we'll see once they have there mold line worked out it shouldn't be too long now.

[dverna]

I think Hatch is closer to the true cost at $6000 or so.

I came close to buying one of his packages a while back when it looked like I would need neck surgery. Just be cognizant that you will need a decent air supply to run it. There is a value in having a unit that will get support, and has off the shelf items you can source locally.

I REALLY like the unit Schupter has come up with. But an air cylinder is cheap and easy to deal with...a gear motor might not be. If the gear motor is a "standard" size/type it would be more attractive. I would look into that if buying one. A $600 part you can get and replace easily would be acceptable. A unique part that comes sourced in Poland would be a red flag.

Heck, look at the issues with getting replacement band heaters for a Master Caster.

[atfsux]

[KenH]

....But an air cylinder is cheap and easy to deal with...a gear motor might not be. If the gear motor is a "standard" size/type it would be more attractive. .

Looking at the YT video on the last post it looks like a standard NEMA stepper motor - one that size wouldn't be very expensive, well less than $600. Perhaps asking the guy what stepper is used?

[atfsux]

Just received this email from Schupter;...

Hi there!

This newsletter email may be a bit long, but we really hope it will give you a better picture of what's going on on our end.

We have built a few machines for beta testing. This is the last step before the machine design is finished. We want someone else to confirm that the operation, service, mold changeovers, panel functionality etc. make sense and the overall casting experience is very good.
This video is showing the latest machine in action:
https://youtu.be/kkVzn8fJFVY?si=7Uhr5FgYJXcryy9s

In the past weeks we have had multiple meetings with suppliers and engineers specialized in almost every type of parts that was used in our machine. We have decided to outsource laser cutting, welding and painting to a company that works in the military sector. Their job is amazing and the sheet metal components should remain in good condition in a tough environment. We have changed completely the heating component. It is now a stainless-steel industrial grade coil that can be used with continues load. Additionally, it is oversized for 2kW power and the temperature rating is higher than needed to melt lead. The stepper motor and the gearbox can also take much higher torque than what is needed for the mold movement back and forth. The idea of the electromagnet used to open the pot valve was taken by us from a printing press that makes millions of cycles.
Every machine we have ever built was run 24/7 to see what could be changed or improved.

Unfortunately, all these upgrades and the engineering time have affected the price. The first batch of a few dozens of machines will be sold with a discount: $3,500 + shipping. After that the price will jump to $4,000 + shipping. We will offer a possibility of payment by credit card, which should allow you to get some percentage back depending on your bank. It also provides security and delayed payment options. 100% of the sum will be collected at the time of the order until we build more capital to have machines on hand and ship them right away.

The timeline is always tricky, because things take longer than expected, but in a matter of several weeks our website will be updated so that the product info is accurate and a form to place orders can be added. In the meantime, we should get some feedback from the beta testers to close the engineering documentation. Another thing that we are working on hard right now is logistics. We are positively surprised by the number of contacts we have received from all over the world, but this translates to finding the right partners to ship goods to every region.

I'd like to share some plans beyond this project to give you a better perspective of our vision:
1. All the products and spare parts will be sent from Poland for the time being. We realize that this is not ideal for customers outside of Europe. If everything goes well, we'd like to have some warehouse space where most of our customers are. The US would be a priority. This way we could send you goods quickly and cheap, including whole machines.
2. We will have a dedicated email for support for all customers where all your technical concerns can be handled quickly and accurately.
3. We are working on another project - a 50-lb pot just like the one you see on the FA50 machine. It will be a standalone item equipped with a control panel and a pedal for safe operation (both hands free during casting). You will have an option of variable and fixed valve opening time (while the pedal remains pressed or time set on the panel activated by pressing it).
4. We were considering downgrading the FA50 machine to something like a Master Caster, but our specialty is advanced automation, which this product would be lacking. We don't believe we can add value for customers and stay competitive with this product.
5. Next year, we would like to open a new project - a large multi-mold casting machine that would be supreme to Bullet Master but offered at a similar price range. We think this could be a sweet item for those who run businesses.
6. We are open to ideas and challenges, so if there are any other machines that are needed, we would love to hear about them. The only limiting factor is our engineering time, but after the release of the FA50, we should have much more capacity.

If you have any questions or comments, you can always contact us responding to this email or through our Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555001162560

Kind regards, MN

Michal Napora
Owner