About Us
RPM and Associates was founded in 1982 by Rob Mudge, Deb Mudge
and Rob's parents, Jim and Phyllis Mudge. RPM and Associates is a manufacturing firm
located in Rapid City and is a South Dakota corporation.
Our core customers are coal fired power plants, mining operations,
cement plants, chemical processing plants, Department of Defense and aerospace. We are
focused on solving wear problems for our customer base using innovative ideas, automatic
welding systems, creative machining and proper material selection.
Please take a few minutes to browse through our
products and services, and contact any one of our
sales associates with questions.
Operating Principles:
RPM operates under four basic principles: Safety, Quality, Production, and
Profit. There is one driving force behind each one of them: A strong desire
to solve our customers’ wear problems and save our customers dollars.
- Safety.
Safety is very important at RPM and Associates. Rob Mudge, our President and
founder states, "Safety is our number one priority. There is no job we have
ever done nor will we ever do that is worth someone getting hurt over.
Quite frankly, as far as we are concerned, that job does not exist."
Extraordinary measures have been taken to ensure that our
facilities offer the safest possible work environment.
- Quality.
Over the years, RPM's quality service has earned it the distinction of being a
Basin Electric Preferred Vendor.
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“The best is barely good enough” is a motto of Jim Mudge, co-founder and
father of Rob Mudge. In 1982, this motto was
adopted by the newly formed company, RPM and Associates.
Since then, its meaning has been embraced by all employees and
our customers experience it in our products every day.
- Production.
RPM’s management and engineering teams are constantly reviewing and improving
production processes to make sure employees have the best possible tools,
equipment, education, and work environment to operate efficiently and
competitively.
- Profit.
When the first three principles of Safety, Quality, and Production are embraced,
profit follows. RPM is able to provide competitive wages and benfits to its
employees.
Services and Capabilities:
RPM & Associates offers a variety of industrial and engineering services, including
analytical and design engineering, CNC plasma cutting, forming, custom fabrication,
and machining.
- Engineering Services
Our highly skilled team of mechanical, metallurgical, electrical, and software
engineers will analyze your problem and provide a timely and cost effective solution.
Services provided include engineering analysis and design, inspections, and
re-engineering of specialty parts.
- Onsite Metallurgy Lab and Coordinate Measuring Machines
We have an on-site metallurgy lab, a Faro 8-foot portable coordinate measuring
machine, and a stationary coordinate measuring machine that enable us to
repair or manufacture parts to very precise tolerances.
On-site Metallurgy Lab
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Stationary CMM
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8-foot Portable CMM
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- Other Equipment
RPM’s custom-built CNC cutting table can cut metal sheets as big as
140” x 78” and up to 6” thick. Computer-aided cutting ensures your part is cut
with precision.
Our digital 4-roll hydraulic forming machine can form metal sheets up to
5/8” thick and 120” wide. A variety of radii can be achieved in both cylindrical
and cone shapes.
With multi-axis lathes and mills, manual and CNC, RPM’s machine shop can
resurface or manufacture almost any part. RPM specializes in large shafts,
journal parts and pulverizer rolls. RPM's machine shop offers critical support
to our welding capabilities.
CNC Cutting Table
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4-roll Hydraulic Forming Machine
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Large Shaft on Lathe
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Our History
RPM and Associates, Inc. was founded in 1982 by Rob Mudge, Deb Mudge and Rob's parents,
Jim and Phyllis Mudge. Over
the years, the variety of products and services we produce has grown
dramatically. A few of the major milestones in the growth of the company
are outlined below.
| Date | Description |
|---|
| April, 1982 |
RPM and Associates, Inc. is founded. |
| February, 1986 |
Purchased first automated welding system. |
| October, 1986 |
Welded first pulverizer roll. |
| January, 1988 |
Built second automated welding system. |
| February, 1988 |
Welded first Coal Pulverizer Table. |
| January, 1991 |
Received first inquiry about atomizers and Flue Gas Desulphurization systems. |
| October, 1992 |
Started welding coal transport elbows and fittings. |
| January, 1996 |
Started manufacturing overlay plate. |
| April, 1996 |
Spun off sister company, RPM Solutions, Inc., focused on atomizers,
spray dryers and Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) systems.
|
| March, 2001 |
Teamed with South Dakota School of Mines and
Technology and began investigating laser technology.
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| June, 2002 |
Moved into a new 35,000 square foot facility. |
| March, 2004 |
First laser welding system started up. |
| December, 2009 |
Built and put into production in-house designed Laser Deposition Technology
machine, RPM557, our second laser welding system. |