CNC Machining Tolerances: A Plain-English Guide
A tolerance is just the range of sizes you will accept. Tighten only the features that touch another part, and you can cut machining cost by a third.
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Manufacturing Guides That Make Parts Easier to Build
Short, plain-English guides to custom manufacturing. Learn how each process works, what it costs, and how to design for it.
3D Printing vs CNC Machining: How to Pick the Right Process
Both processes deliver parts in days. One is better for hollow shapes and fast changes, the other for strength and smooth surfaces. Use this checklist to decide.
Aluminum 6061 vs 7075: Which Alloy Should You Specify?
6061 machines easily, welds well, and anodizes cleanly. 7075 is much stronger but cuts slower and costs more. Compare both before you commit to a drawing.
Draft Angle in Injection Molding: Why 1° Saves You Money
Straight walls grip the mold and cause drag marks or short shots. A 1° draft on most walls helps parts release and protects the tool over thousands of cycles.
Anodizing Types Explained: Type II vs Type III
Type II gives you color and moderate wear resistance. Type III builds a thicker, harder layer for sliding parts. Here is how to specify the right one.
Sheet Metal Bending: K-Factor and Bend Allowance Basics
Flat patterns only unfold correctly when the bend math is right. Learn what K-factor and bend allowance mean, and what to send your supplier.
Titanium CNC Machining: Cost Drivers and When It Pays Off
Titanium is strong, light, and slow to cut. Understand the four cost drivers, from stock removal to tool wear, before you design a part in it.
GD&T Basics: How to Read a Technical Drawing
GD&T tells the shop what actually matters on your part. A short walkthrough of datums, flatness, position, and profile, with plain-English translations.
Surface Roughness (Ra) Explained for Buyers
Ra is the average height of the tiny peaks and valleys on a surface. Learn which values a CNC machine can hit, and when polishing is money wasted.
How to Vet a Contract Manufacturer in China: 7 Checks
Good suppliers answer the same seven questions the same way every time. Use this list to verify process range, QC reports, tooling ownership, and who runs the machines.
SLA vs SLS vs FDM: Choosing a 3D Printing Process
Resolution, strength, and cost pull in different directions. Match the process to what the part must do, not to the sample that looked best on a desk.
CNC Machining Cost: 6 Factors That Move Your Quote
Six things drive your quote: material, setup, tolerances, features, finish, and quantity. See how each one changes the price before you send an RFQ.
Have a part you are not sure how to make?
Send us your 3D file or drawing. An engineer will review it and tell you which process fits, what it will cost, and what to change before you cut metal.