During his analysis, Jason compares a cast iron disc with that of a carbon-ceramic disc of similar dimensions. By dimensions, we mean diameter and thickness; the masses of the two discs are very different, as we will see.
Three main differences can be observed:
1) The material: cast iron is significantly cheaper than carbon. Furthermore, carbon-ceramic discs use higher-quality fasteners because the discs last longer than conventional versions and as such, the materials used also need to last longer.
2) The production process: a cast iron disc takes just 90 minutes to make, compared to the three weeks of processing required to make a carbon-ceramic disc, due to the large number of stages and the complexity of each individual steps, many of which are carried out by highly specialized workers and equipments.
3) Economies of scale: carbon discs are produced in infinitesimal quantities compared to cast iron discs, and similarly, the components of the former are also manufactured in very small quantities. Accordingly, the economies of scale seen with the production of cast iron discs do not apply to their carbon counterparts.
