A price per kilogram is only the starting point when comparing a Platinum Vulcanizing Agent supplied as Part A / Part B. To compare offers, purchasing needs the identity of both components, their intended use and the quantities required for a defined silicone batch. A quotation for one component cannot establish the cost of using the complete system. Build the comparison around a documented pairing and a trial recipe, then keep purchasing quantities separate from the amounts incorporated into the compound.
1. Identify the complete system being quoted
List the exact Part A and Part B grades together, with the application and silicone compound they are intended for. PtCure provides separate extrusion and molding product pairs; the choice should follow the compound and process rather than a shared product description. Ask whether the offer covers both components or quotes them separately. Keep each component within its documented pairing, and request technical confirmation before proposing a substitution. A familiar A/B label alone does not establish compatibility or the amounts to use.
2. Get the dosage calculation basis in writing
A percentage needs a defined denominator. Ask what material mass each stated dosage is calculated against, whether the instruction is by mass, and which formulation and processing conditions it covers. WACKER's HCR catalyst data sheet, for example, explicitly identifies the base used for its dosage calculation. That illustrates the need for a clear basis; its recipe is not a PtCure specification. If a quotation or instruction gives a percentage without defining the basis, obtain clarification before converting it into a batch weight.
3. Add the cost of both component charges
Once the recipe and its basis are confirmed, record the mass of Part A and Part B incorporated into the defined batch. The charged curing-agent material cost is the Part A unit price multiplied by its charged mass, plus the Part B unit price multiplied by its charged mass. Use the same currency and mass units throughout, and identify the quotation date. This calculation covers the components charged to that batch; record handling losses and other costs separately. Comparing only the Part A price leaves the Part B contribution out of the result.
4. Name the output used for a cost comparison
If the worksheet reports curing-agent cost per kilogram of compound, state exactly which compound weight is used and apply the same definition to every offer. Cost per kilogram of accepted finished parts is a different measure and requires the actual accepted output from the trial. Keep rejected parts, retained samples and material losses identifiable in the production record. Do not present a calculation based on planned batch weight as a measured finished-part cost. Label each result so that purchasing and production can reproduce the calculation from the same records.
5. Separate consumption from the purchase quantity
The amount needed for production does not, by itself, specify an order. Ask for the current pack size, minimum order quantity and supply arrangement for each component, rather than assuming equal order weights. Where pack sizes require rounding up, show the quantity to purchase alongside the quantity expected to be used. Unused stock is not material already incorporated into the trial batch. Keep its value and any stated storage conditions visible in the procurement plan so that the initial order amount is not confused with consumption cost.
6. Compare the commercial scope of each offer
Keep the quoted currency, unit-price basis, delivery scope, freight inclusion and quotation validity visible beside the material calculation. Identify which charges are included and which remain to be confirmed. Where the offers cover different quantities or delivery arrangements, record those differences before ranking them. A component-price comparison and the amount payable for a delivered order answer different questions. Keep the material calculation available as its own line, then add confirmed order-related charges separately so that a change in shipping scope does not look like a change in dosage.
7. Verify the recipe in the intended process
Silicone rubber formulations vary between manufacturers. Test the proposed system in a small batch using your own compound and production process, and begin bulk production only after the trial results meet your agreed acceptance criteria. Record the compound identity, component grades and batches, actual charges, mixing procedure, processing conditions and agreed acceptance results. If a supplier's proposal requires different process settings, document that change instead of treating the trials as identical. PtCure's current product instructions call for selection and adjustment according to the compound and process. A spreadsheet can organize the purchasing comparison, but it cannot establish that a proposed recipe produces acceptable parts.
Build a quotation around your trial requirements
For a manufacturer-direct discussion with PtCure, share whether you are extruding or molding, the silicone compound and hardness, the planned trial batch and the information already available for your process. Ask for the recommended Part A / Part B pairing, written dosage basis and separate quotation details for each component. Use the sample request form to start the technical discussion. A clear request connects the proposed supply to a trial that purchasing and production can evaluate together.