Injection moulding seems like it would be a straightforward process. Simply insert the plastic pellets into the hopper, inject the molten material into a mould, pop it out and repeat – not much planning or organising involved. That is until you start doing it on a large scale. This is where ERP software becomes imperative […]
What is the best ERP software for plastic injection moulding products? Read More »
Have you ever seen how foam products are shaped? Well neither had we and now we are hooked! This is one of those satisfying processes where you just sit in amazement until you realise you have been watching machines cut pieces of foam for 10 minutes! Enjoy!
Video of the Day: Foam Shaping Read More »
The history of metal fabrication, alternatively known as metalworking, dates back to ancient times with the development of civilisation largely being down to the discovery and deformation of metals. To begin with these metals were used to build tools and weapons long before being used for the advancement of agriculture, transport and art. Today metal
Processes Used in Metal Fabrication Read More »
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Here we present our best pick of the best laser engraver machines of 2021. Acquiring the laser cutter that will fulfill your needs may not be as expensive as you might think.
Best Laser Engraver Machines: Our Top 5 Pick Read More »
Cold welding is a welding process that needs little to no heat to fuse two metals together. Instead of heat, pressure is used to join the metals together, and no metal is liquefied during the process. Welding is most often thought of as something that involves molten metal and sparks flying everywhere, however, there are
Cold Welding – The Ultimate Guide! Read More »
Strain hardening, also referred to as cold working or work hardening, is the process where metals are made stronger and harder through permanent deformation. You cannot discuss strain hardening without mentioning the word “temper”. Tempering is the type and amount of processing done to the metal when it is at the mill, including thermal treatments
What is Strain Hardening / Cold Working / Work Hardening? Read More »
This article will teach you how to use SolidWorks bend table when working with sheet metal. We will also look at how you can create sheet metal gauge tables for SolidWorks. Anyone that has worked with sheet metal in the past knows that sheet metal properties like bend allowance, bend deduction, ben radius, K-factors, gauge
SolidWorks Bend Table: Sheet Metal Gauge Tables Read More »
We’ve already talked about the Extreme manufacturing danger: the steel mill cobble, now here are two new hot steels rolling videos. Take a look at this video about hot steel rolling. It’s mesmerizing watching the hot steel being fed in and out of the rolling mill! This one will tickly your nerves!
Video of the Day: Hot Steel Rolling in India and the US (Goodbye H&S!) Read More »
The advent of computers brought the concept of numerical systems to reality for many industries. Manufacturing, in particular, has widely embraced the technology, with CNC machining now seen as the gold standard and offering many advantages over more traditional measures. CNC vs. Traditional Machining: the basics CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control and such a
Why CNC Machining Beats Traditional Machining Every Time Read More »
CNC fabrication involves the use of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines to shape and resize a block of material (known as a workpiece) by automatically removing bits of the material. Typically, the materials used are plastic or metal, and when the removal is completed a finished part or product has been produced. This process is
CNC Fabrication: 3, 4 and 5-Axis CNC Explained Read More »
Deciding on the ideal coating for your engineering application is always a very difficult task, you need to decide on chemical, process, mechanical and component compatibility. Some coatings are not ideal for specific applications. There are many different types of coatings for a vast array of applications, however this post will focus on an advanced
What is Parylene coating and when should you use it? Read More »
Burnishing is the process of rubbing metal with a small hard tool, which can be either a ball type or roller type, to compact the surface. It is a very useful finishing technique which can increase the work piece surface finish as well as adding micro hardness. Burnishing is also known by various other names
What is Burnishing and what is it used for? Read More »
The best way to describe electroforming is a metal forming process used to manufacture parts using electrolyte deposition onto a model. In the manufacturing industry this model is known as a mandrel. It is a highly specialized process which sounds fairly simple in theory but not so easy in practice. We will now take a
What is Electroforming and where is it used? Read More »
Thermoforming is a plastic manufacturing process where a thermoplastic sheet is deformed into a specific shape. The process starts with the heating of a flat plate like sheet of plastic which is then manipulated by either applying pressure or using a vacuum. The process is also know by a number of other names such as:-
What is Thermoforming and what is it used for? Read More »
Shot peening (also known as shot blasting) is a surface conditioning process carried out after various manufacturing processes. In simple terms it increases/improves the surface finish. Shot peening is done with the help of small balls which are streamed out in the form of a jet at very high velocity, accelerated and directed toward a
A Guide to Shot Blasting / Shot Peening Read More »
Electropolishing is a material removal process using an electrically powered chemical process called electrolysis. In this process the amount of material being removed is very small as it is done for polishing purposes only. A negatively charged copper electrode and positively charged workpiece are dipped into a solution of fast flowing electrolyte solution. When connected
What is Electropolishing and what is it used for? Read More »
In simple terms, cold rolling is an industrial process used to change the material properties of sheets or strips of metal. The metal is fed between two rollers which compresses it. The resulting mechanical properties vary, depending on how much strain is applied. The main benefits of cold rolling are that it results in a
Cold Rolling – process overview Read More »
Circular sawing involves the use of a rotating cutting blade that can be fed horizontally, vertically, or at an angle into the material. Circular sawing is highly accurate because of the rigidity of the machines and the cutting blade. This process can produce burr-free surfaces and can reduce the need for secondary finishing operations. The
Circular sawing – process description and design guide Read More »
Bandsawing: As per the name of the process, the saw is formed as a band and is continuously cycled in one direction around pulley wheels. This enables a continuous cut to be made. The blade has to be sufficiently thin to bend around the pulley wheels. It is possible to make a contour cut, but
Bandsawing – process description and design guide Read More »
EDM stands for Electrical Discharge Machining. An EDM machine is the piece of equipment used to carry out this manufacturing process. The principle behind EDM was first observed in 1770 by Joseph Priestley, who was experimenting with electrical discharges. He noticed that the sparks had eroded some of the electrode material. Almost 200 years later
EDM Machine – types & working principles Read More »
Centrifugal casting is a permanent mold process which makes use of centrifugal force to fill a mold with molten material. There are 3 types of this process: centrifugal casting, semi-centrifugal casting and true centrifugal casting. The principle is the same for all three types: the mold is rotated around an axis and molten metal is
Centrifugal Casting – process overview Read More »
Compression molding is one of the oldest and most widely used processes for the production of thermosetting plastic parts. Compression molding machines consist of platens to which the two halves of a mold is attached. The name given to the raw material used for the production of the parts is known as a charge. A calculated
Compression Molding – manufacturing process guide Read More »
What is Broaching? How does a broach work? Broaching is a subtractive manufacturing process that produces features by removing material form a part with a toothed tool known as a broach. The process is divided into two main types: linear broaching and rotary broaching. Both variants are detailed in the article below. This process is
Linear Broaching & Rotary Broaching: Process Guide Read More »
Many types of additive layer manufacturing processes have become well-known in recent years, but Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is still relatively new an uncommon. Electron Beam Melting does not require molds to be produced and is therefore a less expensive and faster lead-time manufacturing process than many traditional processes like casting, forging, and machining. It
Electron Beam Melting (EBM): process, materials, uses Read More »
History is littered with innovative ideas and processes which we often take for granted today but were groundbreaking in their day. Something as simple as producing lead shot, in an effective and efficient manner, goes back to 1782 and the creation of “Shot Towers”. Have you ever sat back and thought how the perfectly spherical
Shot Tower – How Lead Shot is Made Read More »
The idea of welding underwater seems bizarre in the extreme. From a very early age we are taught never to mix electricity and water. However, there are numerous occasions when pipelines and equipment submerged under water will need to be repaired but cannot be removed and taken to the surface. This has created a very
Underwater Welding 101: Read this and be an expert in 5 minutes! Read More »
Die casting is a permanent mould casting process in which molten metal is poured into a mould and removed after solidification. There are two main types of this process: Gravity Die Casting (GDC) and Pressure Die Casting (PDC). In GDC, molten metal is poured into the mould using gravity. In PDC, the molten metal in
Die Casting – design guide, materials, advantages and disadvantages Read More »
Computer Aided Design (CAD) was seen by many as a turning point in the world of business but now we have Computerised Numerical Control (CNC). The ability to directly convert a 3D CAD file into an actual prototype component brings with it an array of significant benefits. There is no doubt that CNC is rebasing
CNC prototyping: 5 things you need to know Read More »
Composite spraying is an open-mould composite manufacturing process which makes use of a manually controlled spray gun to spray a chopped fibre with catalysed resin directly into the mould. After curing, the part is removed from the mould. Process Steps: A mould of the desired final shape is prepared. A gel coat is applied to
Composite Spraying Read More »
Even though the original concept of a steam hammer dates back to James Watt in 1784 it was not until the 1840s that the first working steam hammer was produced. The first working machine was built by François Bourdon in France and led to a very heated dispute with British inventor James Nasmyth who claimed
The Steam Hammer: An industrial monster Read More »
Swaging is a process that belongs to the forging class of manufacturing processes, where the dimensions of the work piece is changed using dies which apply force to the part. The process is divided into two main types; extrusion or rotary. Extrusion is similar to wire drawing, where a work piece is forced through a
Swaging: Rotary and Extrusion Read More »
Blow moulding is a permanent mould process used for the manufacturing of hollow plastic parts. The process can be divided into two main types: extrusion blow moulding and injection blow moulding. Extrusion blow moulding requires less costly tooling, but injection blow moulding offers greater control over part parameters like wall thickness and weight. This process
For those in the design world, the idea of rapid prototyping is not a new concept; prototypes of every new design must be produced to validate and test before a finalized version will proceed to mass production. With the emergence of additive manufacturing technologies, commonly known of as 3-D printing, the speed of prototyping has started
Rapid Prototyping Basics Read More »
Metal forging is the oldest metal forming process which produces parts by the process of metal deformation. The forging process is classified into two different types on the basis of the deformation mechanism: impact forging and compression forging. In impact forging, an impact force is applied to the work piece using a hammer. In compression
For some mechanical design engineers, manufacturing process selection is the last thing they think about during the design process. This is a very bad way to work. The best approach is to keep manufacturing concerns in mind throughout the entire design process. This will result in a design that is easier and less costly to produce. There
Manufacturing Process Selection for Your Product Read More »
CNC milling is the most common fabrication method for professional prototyping, scaling well into the low- to mid-volume levels and sometimes higher. As with any manufacturing process, the more familiar the designer is the better and easier to produce the part will be. However, given the incredibly varied design possibilities and the flexible nature of
Design guide for CNC Milling Read More »
Anodizing is an electrolytic surface treatment most commonly used with aluminium components. It creates a hard, durable, corrosion-resistant, non-conductive, and often reflective oxide finish on the outside surface of the anodized part. It also makes the surface of the component easy to dye and paint due to the porous nature of the oxide layer. For
Anodizing aluminium – process description & design guide Read More »
Electro-Discharge Machining (EDM) is machining with sparks. The work-piece is held in a jig submerged in a dielectric fluid such as kerosene. A power supply generates rapid electric pulses that create a discharge between the work piece and an electrode (a continuous wire or a shaped graphite form) at the point at which the two
Electro-discharge machining (EDM) Read More »
Here’s a useful table of tolerance and surface roughness achievable with cutting and machining process (collectively termed “material removal processes” or “Subtractive Manufacturing“). More useful info on surface roughness designations can be found here. This information has been collated from a variety of sources. If you have any suggestions of processes to include in this
Cutting processes – tolerance and surface roughness Read More »
Laser Beam Machining: A coherent beam of monochromatic light is focused on the workpiece causing material removal by vaporisation. Machines are generally CAD/CAM compatible, with 3-axis and 5-axis machines being generally available. Profile creation of sheet metal parts is the most common applications, but it is also possible to drill holes and create blind features
Laser Beam Machining (LBM) Read More »
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