Monthly Archives: March 2013

How to Read a Manufacturing Drawing

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When learning how to read a manufacturing drawing, it can seem quite daunting because there is so much information to take in. This blog post will break down a drawing and make it easier to understand. But, first thing is first! What is the purpose of a manufacturing drawing if there are 3D models? Manufacturing drawings show numerous features of a part that a 3D model doesn’t. For instance, drawings show the material type, the finish, dimensions, hardware, company information, and other specific requirements. The sole purpose of a drawing is to show all the details of a part. Imagine if you were looking at a single part in your hand, a drawing would essentially describe and illustrate all the details of how to place the part in your hand.

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Aluminum vs. Steel

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We often get asked by start-ups and or those designing new products on what the difference is between aluminum and steel for the design of their product. There are several physical properties and characteristics of aluminum and steel that set them a part and make them both ideal for different applications. Here is a list of the differences between the two metal materials:

Features Aluminum Steel
Conductivity Higher Lower
Corrosion Resistant Yes No
Magnetic No Yes
Malleability More Less
Melting Point Lower Higher
Recyclable Yes Yes
Reflectivity Good (polished state) Good (polished state)
Weight Lighter Heavier

If you have more characteristics to add, feel free to comment below!

Metal Tensile Strength

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In the metal fabrication world, you will hear the words “tensile strength” get thrown around. Many times, customers of ours and those just learning about metal fabrication will always ask about it and how it is pertinent to manufacturing. So this blog post will be intended to close this gap.

Metal Tensile StrengthWhat is metal tensile strength? Continue reading →

What is CNC Machining?

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CNC Machined Part

We know what machined parts look like (example shown above). But what is CNC machining anyway? For starters, CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control which indicates that the machine operates on numerical coding from a program in order to machine a part. As oppose to a non-CNC machine, which operates by mechanically using hand wheels and levers. By using  program commands from a computer file, the machine is able to operate automatically using various tools to machine metal and plastic. Below is a video of our Machine Shop. Continue reading →

Standard Sheet Metal Sizes

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When it comes to manufacturing, efficiency is key to being successful. There are a lot of ways to be efficient and one of them is material utilization. With constant rising costs of material, it is very important to use as much material as possible to eliminate the amount of scrap. That’s why it is important for engineers to design parts that can easily fit or be nested within standard sheet sizes. Manufacturers will ultimately choose the proper sheet metal size to use based on the size of the part and the number of parts to be manufactured. Here is a list of standard sheet metal sizes: Continue reading →