How to prepare CAD drawings for a CNC machining quote
Twenty years of quoting machined parts taught me which drawings price fast and which ones stall. Here is the file package, tolerance advice, and drawing...
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Technical Guide
When die casting beats investment casting for aluminum enclosures
Die casting beats investment casting for aluminum enclosures above 3,000-5,000 units per year with 40-60% lower per-part costs. Below that volume,...
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How to qualify a new metal parts supplier step by step
A six step process to qualify a new metal parts supplier: document screening, floor audit, production trial order, first article review and ongoing...
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How to check if supplier meets RoHS and REACH compliance
Compliance files fail quietly: a certificate gets filed, and a customs hold proves it showed nothing. The documents I request, the six checks I run on every...
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What heat treatment to specify for 17-4PH parts
A drawing that says 17-4PH without a condition leaves the choice to the supplier. H900, H1025, and H1150 compared for strength, hardness, and corrosion...
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Why first article inspection matters for procurement
First article inspection is the cheapest chance to catch a bad process before you own 5,000 wrong parts. What a real FAI report contains, what it costs, how...
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