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
Category: Manufacturing Processes
Explosive Forming
Explosive forming is a process in which forces produced by an explosion are used to shape a workpiece. The explosive energy replaces the male part
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
Metal Forging
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
Lathe Machine Parts – A Quick Guide
In this article we will give an overview of the components of a lathe; the lathe machine parts and their primary functions. Lathes refer to
Automation Basics – An Introduction
Automation basics: The term automation is derived from the Greek root words of ‘Auto’, meaning “self”, and ‘Matos’, meaning “moving”. So, automation can be described
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
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
A Mechanical Designer’s Quick Guide to Adhesives
Every designer or engineer, no matter their background or industry, has at some point run into the critical question, “How can I stick this thing
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
Design guide for CNC Milling
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
Managing Automation Intelligence
As automation continues to enter into manufacturing plants, on both the operation and machining sides, it is important to understand how education will impact the
Additive or Subtractive Manufacturing?
Before prototyping or manufacturing a product, it is important to consider all the different manufacturing processes which are available, as well as the strengths and
Anodizing aluminium – process description & design guide
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
How to Select an appropriate joining method
Joining is a very broad category of engineering processes. Joining, as the name implies, simply refers to the process of attaching components together. The components
Flat Strip Springs – Types of Tooling
There are a number of ways flat strip components can be produced, generally depending on the volume required. When a small number of components are
Engineered blow molding : Basic concepts
Process Advantages Engineered blow molding offers a highly versatile process for fabricating parts. Effective designs for its blow molding take advantage of the inherent advantages
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
Cutting processes – tolerance and surface roughness
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
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
Laser Beam Machining (LBM)
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
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
Ultrasonic machining (USM)
The tool, which is a negative of the workpiece, is vibrated at around 20KHz with and amplitude of between 0.013mm and 0.1mm in abrasive slurry
Plasma Arc Cutting (PAC)
Plasma Arc Cutting is a metal cutting process that uses a high temperature stream of ionised gas through a water-cooled nozzle at very high velocity.
The fine-art of sheet metal bending
This is a great 9 page PDF entitled “BendWorks: the fine art of Sheet Metal Bending”. This is a basic guide to the main processes
