Last month’s newsletter was a case study showing changes that were made to a real customer part to save them money. This month we have a second case study, where we look at a part as it was originally designed, and then look at the changes that we made to make it more cost effective…
Last month’s newsletter discussed threads and plating. This month we are going to start a series of case studies, where we look at a part as it was originally designed, and then look at the changes that we made to make it more cost effective to machine. We were asked to machine this part below…
Last month’s newsletter discussed designing and machining plastic parts. This month (which marks the first anniversary of our newsletter !!!) we are going to discuss the combination of threads and plating, addressing some of the common issues and things to avoid and look out for. When a part has threaded holes and it is plated,…
Last month’s newsletter discussed a situation where both our customer and Pro CNC missed some details on an ambiguous drawing, which was an expensive mistake. This month we are going to introduce the topic of designing and machining plastic parts. This is a vast topic so this month’s newsletter will just be an overview which…
Last month’s newsletter discussed countersinks and chamfers. This month we are going to discuss an unfortunate situation that was expensive and that could have been easily avoided. We hope that people can learn from our mistake. Please read this carefully to get the full effect of this situation. We got an order for a pretty…
Last month’s newsletter discussed bilateral vs unilateral tolerances. This month we are going to cover a fairly simple topic – countersinks, chamfers and the tolerances of these types of features. Any machined part that has holes in it probably also has countersinks. Countersinks are used as a lead-in for threads, for flathead screws, and just…
Last month’s newsletter discussed Surface Profile tolerances. This month we are going to stay on the topic of dimensional tolerance but focus on unilateral vs. bilateral tolerances. Bilateral tolerancing (also known as symmetric tolerancing) is a method of tolerancing a dimension using equal plus and minus deviations from the nominal dimension. Unilateral tolerances (also known…
Last month’s newsletter discussed undercuts. This month we are going to talk about surface profile requirements and minimally dimensioned drawings. The use of GD&T has increased significantly over the last several years. Engineers are being trained to use it and becoming more familiar with it. It can be a great way to specify what tolerances…
Last month’s newsletter discussed chemical conversion coating and anodizing. This month we are going back to geometry to talk about undercuts in machined parts. Sometimes it is impossible to avoid creating a feature that can’t be made with a standard endmill; often this means using an undercut feature. See Fig. A for an example. These…
Last month’s newsletterdiscussed some cost drivers and details with threaded holes and threaded inserts. This month we are going to talk about two different types of plating and some strategies to make those finishes more successful and cost effective. Chemical Conversion Coating In reference to coating aluminum, this process is known by many common names…
