Injection Moulding: Applications and Materials
While many people may not be aware, injection moulding is used to create a whole range of the everyday products we use. The applications of
Search Results
What is the best ERP software for plastic injection moulding products?
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,
What are the main advantages of injection moulding over traditional manufacturing?
To the untrained eye it may be easy to assume that injection moulding is simply a quicker and more cost-effective method of manufacturing when compared
9 Tips for Designing an Injection Moulding
A correctly designed and implemented injection moulding is a very efficient and cost-effective piece of plastic manufacturing. They allow the creation of individual parts which are identical in
Tips on Injection Mold Tooling Design
Injection moulding is one of the most common manufacturing methods to produce thin-wall engineered parts. Development of moulds that produce high quality parts is a
Venturi Meter
A Venturi meter is an instrument that measures flow that features a converging piece of pipe to intentionally increase the velocity of the flow and
Processes Used in Metal Fabrication
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
What is Garolite? Your guide to G10 Material – Its Properties & Applications
What is Garolite? Garolite is a composite material and brand name for G10 – FR4, which is developed by curing epoxy and fiberglass under high
The Differences Between Metal vs. Plastic 3D Printing
3D printing has been widely adopted for rapid prototyping as well as for low-volume, end-use parts. The term “3D printing” is synonymous with additive manufacturing,
Volumetric Flow Rate Equation
Before defining the volumetric flow rate equation and how to apply it, let’s explore the concept of volumetric flow and how the principle is used
Polypropylene properties and uses
Polypropylene is widely regarded as one of the most versatile plastics. Just look around and you will surely spot it, albeit in different forms –
Viscosity of Water – the Ultimate Guide
Viscosity refers to the amount that a fluid (gas or liquid) resists changing shape. In other words, how much a fluid opposes flow. Therefore, the
CNC prototyping: 5 things you need to know
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 Steam Hammer: An industrial monster
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
The Engineering of DEATH. How the Nazis killed on an industrial scale.
Even to this day the scale on which the Nazis gassed prisoners, men, women and children, is unknown but suffice to say it was in
3D Woven Interlock Composites
There was a time when the idea of using textile material for primary load parts was scary. Thankfully we now live in the post-era of
Blow Moulding
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
FaroArm, measuring the difference between success and failure
Designed and manufactured by FARO, the FaroArm measurement arm is a device which has proven to be extremely valuable to the engineering sector. It is
Why is DF(x) so Important?
DF(x) is a term you will likely hear quite often as an engineer. In product development parlance it means “design for X”, where “X” can
John Wilkes: Master Safe Cracker & mechanical engineer!
EngineeringClicks speaks to lock and safe expert, and mechanical engineering guru, John Wilkes. John trained in England as a safe cracker (a safe and bank
A Basic Guide to Tooling Design
The discipline of tooling design is fundamental to manufacturing. The cost of manufacturing and of the end product depends heavily upon tool design. Tool design affects
3 Silly Mechanical Design Mistakes To Avoid
One of the silliest mechanical design mistakes I made was to mis-position a PCB supporting feature on an injection moulding by around 3mm. Despite this
Manufacturing Process Selection for Your Product
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
What is CLIP 3D printing?
I recently had the opportunity to tour the facilities of The Technology House, one of four companies that are prototyping and testing the newest Carbon
Tolerances: A Brief Introduction
What are dimensional tolerances? Why would a designer set a tolerance, and why would they choose a tighter or looser tolerance for a feature? Manufacturing Tolerances Dimensional
Design it! The nuts and bolts of getting started…
This article has been written with the novice or beginner designer/inventor in mind. The intent of this article is to hopefully guide you through some
Design for Defense: Lyman Bishop, mechanical engineering consultant
In this series of interviews with members of our mechanical engineering community, MDF talks to Lyman Bishop, director of Star Labs Inc. Lyman is a
Introduction to Heat Pipes
A technology that is often overlooked as a design option are heat pipes. Although it is widely used by many industries it is sometimes considered
Thermal design basics: materials and calculations
This article is a basic look at thermal materials that are available today, and general design considerations for thermal design. This article covers thermal conductivity,
Ball Bearings: Guide to selection, applications & calculations
This article helps mechanical engineers understand the selection of ball bearings depending upon the application and load conditions. Primarily the article helps you calculate the
Electro-discharge machining (EDM)
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
Wire EDM (Wire Electro Discharge Machining)
Wire EDM (Wire Electro Discharge Machining, or WEDM) involves a continuously spooling conductive wire (the most widely used is brass). A power supply generates rapid electric
