Design Tips

This guide discusses the ins and outs of threads and threading, including the foremost types of thread, when to use them, and how to make them.

Living hinges are a simple and cost-effective way of incorporating flexure bearings into plastic objects like containers and food packaging. While most hinges typically require at least two separate components, a living hinge is made from the same material as the two sections it connects.

CNC machines are a marvelous technology that offer a range of possibilities for accurate parts, but your end-product is only as good as the design you set out with. There are some major considerations one has to make when developing any machined part, taking into account its full geometry.

Whatever your line of work, physical prototypes are an important part of product development, bridging the gap between ideas and production. Prototypes can be used to assess the physical performance of a part, to pitch ideas to potential investors and to provide proof of concept. In some ways, they’re as important as the finished product.

Several things can affect the cost of CNC Machining parts, including materials, design, finishes, quantity, and turnaround time. Typically, the most important is how much time it takes to machine your parts. This can influence cost even more than the cost of materials, setup time, or finishing type.

Injection molding is an important manufacturing process used to make car parts, packaging, toys and many other products. During the injection molding process, a molten material — often a thermoplastic — is injected into a mold cavity. When the materials cools down, it can be removed from the mold as a finished product.

When creating a part or a product, the first step is often the hardest. Even if you are a highly skilled CAD expert, a professional engineer or a handy machinist, it can sometimes be difficult to step back and ask: How should this part be?

There are a thousand reasons why you might want to add text to a part. For an item of self-assembly furniture, text may be needed to explain how one part slots into another. For an electronic part, text can provide crucial safety instructions that are required by law.