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1.800.348.4RPM

RPM and Associates, Inc. Rapid City, SD

About Us

RPM and Associates, 333 Concourse Dr., Rapid City, SDRPM & Associates, Inc. was founded in 1982 by Rob Mudge, Deb Mudge and Rob's parents, Jim and Phyllis Mudge. RPM & Associates, Inc. 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 & 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.
    RPM and Associates awarded Basin Electric Preferred Vendor
    Over the years, RPM's quality service has earned it the distinction of being a
    Basin Electric Preferred Vendor.
    “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 & 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 benefits to its employees.

Services and Capabilities:

RPM & Associates, Inc. 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, multiple Faro portable coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and a stationary coordinate measuring machine that enable us to repair or manufacture parts to very precise tolerances.
    On-site Metallurgy Lab
    On-site Metallurgy Lab     		Stationary CMM
    Stationary CMM     		Portable CMMs
    Portable CMMs     		Portable Faro Focus Scanner
    Portable Faro Focus Scanner

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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
    CNC Cutting Table     		4-roll Hydraulic Forming Machine
    4-roll Hydraulic Forming Machine     		Large Shaft on Lathe
    Large Shaft on Lathe     		Vertical Turret Lathe
    Vertical Turret Lathe

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Our History

RPM & 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 & 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. (www.RPMSolutions.com), 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.
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.
February, 2011 Built third automated welding system.
March, 2011 Installed a CNC vertical turret lathe with 28,000 lb capacity.
December, 2011 Began 15,000 square-foot expansion, to be completed in November, 2012.
April, 2012 Celebrated 30 years of being in business.
October, 2012 Second 557 Laser System Completed.
January, 2013 Spun off Laser Deposition Technology Group to sister company, RPM Innovations, Inc. (www.RPM-Innovations.com)

 

About RPM & Associates

About RPM and Associates

RPM laser cladding can make your worn shaft better-than-new with a variety of laser-deposited alloys that eliminate spalling.

Rapid City, the Black Hills, and South Dakota ... Our Home

About Rapid City and the Black Hills

The Black Hills are home to one of only two herds in the world that are pure-blooded buffalo. The American buffalo population has gone from 60 million in the 15th century, to less than 1,000 in 1900, but has now climbed back up to 30,000.