<h2>Project Background</h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678964982680-25a94d847b59c003ac0221780893cc01.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><a href="https://www.rpworld.com/" id="isPasted" target="_blank">RPWORLD</a> received a purchase order from an instrument company for a complete shell project for protein analysis and detection equipment. The customer advised us that we must deliver the demonstration prototypes to their office in Shanghai before 12 pm on April 28th. Timing was very tight as this instrument shell would be sent to the United States for the exhibition. Prototypes for exhibitions are quite different from standard development prototypes as they have strict cosmetic appearance requirements. The project was quite complex, and considering the urgent deadline there was no room for mistakes.&nbsp;<h2>Risk Evaluation</h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678965015299-ed83934ffadf43f09c428a24a4fe34b5.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">During the early stages of project analysis, we determined that a transparent, curved part required 5 silk screen layers in order to properly show the In Molding Labeling (IML) effect. Since this represented the primary visual element of the prototype, it required extremely high quality. After consultation with engineering and production teams, we settled on an ideal solution and established a suitable process flow. We also prepared a backup solution as a contingency&nbsp;<h2>Resolving Issues</h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678965062351-d8ec93b078b3d446c3fa040979426089.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Three days later, the curved part was to be silk-screened. We did not succeed during several initial trials. As time was running out, an overnight project meeting was called and it was decided that we would make changes to the process plan. At the same time, we updated the status of the project with our client, informing them of the issues that we were facing. With the deadline quickly approaching, our team worked overtime. Finally, thanks to the modified process plan and the efforts of all team members, the prototypes were completed on the night of the 27th.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678965049995-f42b985e76a1327d83db5b24bbf2a738.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>Resolving Issues</h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678965217082-3b7ce75359da820b1ea7e3bba65b3631.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Normally we would entrust a Top 3 global carrier to ship international express goods, and major domestic carrier to ship local express goods. At midnight on the 27th, the project team decided to have me personally deliver the prototypes to our client by airplane due to the tight timeline. At 3 am, I went to the airport with the completed packaged product. Before boarding, our sales manager called me to advise me that Eddy (the client&rsquo;s project engineer) would come to pick me up.On the way to their office, Eddy expressed great appreciation for our work.<h2>Perfect Ending</h2>I opened the parcel and showed the perfect assembly prototypes to Eddy, his leader, and other engineers at the office. The entire team was fully satisfied with the quality of the prototypes. On the return flight I felt extremely excited. Perhaps only a participant in such a project can feel the challenges. To date, the client has sent more orders to RPWORLD. They also introduced RPWORLD to their partners, knowing that we would meet and exceed their requirements.&nbsp;

Time is money. Normally we only choose from the Top 3 express partners in the world to deliver finished goods to our clients. Occasionally, however, the delivery timeline is too tight, and we have to use our internal "transporter", which is faster than courier service.

Faster than Courier Services

<h2>Background</h2>The client is a well-known automotive company. They developed a new headlights, and then come to RPWORLD for high quality aesthetic model. The mold is used for appearance reviewing and lighting testing, which sets high process standard for after treatment. what&rsquo;s more, the lead time for this project is 20 calender days.&nbsp; Challenges<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQ3NTE2NzE1LTgyNWJlMzczOWM0NmZhNzZlZWQxMGY2NTkxZTMyMzI0LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> &bull;&nbsp;Tight schedule &bull;&nbsp;High quality and multiple after treatment requirements &bull;&nbsp;Functional lighting. The high beam, low beam, turn light and driving lamp should be lighted in any combination or single way. &bull;&nbsp;The design was not final freezed, we should adjust the assembly manually if any interference or unexpected problems occurs. &bull;&nbsp;The headlight shell was oversized with a complex structure, which has to be split first and then glue them together. It is easy to cause bubbles and other defects. &bull; Two or three different surface effect are required to show on several parts, which needs high standard on the combination of different manufacturing solutions and after treatment processes.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQ3NTIyNTUxLTdlNzIxYTQ2N2RhYzNjZWJlNTI3MzY4MjIwZDA4ZTMyLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>Project Analyzing</h2>Multiple parts: &bull;&nbsp;A headlight contains 25 individual parts, requires different after treatment Headlights shell size is 659*224*345mm &bull;&nbsp;Headlight shell was oversized and could not be produced by a solid part Manufacturability with difficulty &bull; Hard to process LED strip with complex structures and meet high precision requirement&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQ3NTg0NDA0LWI5OTAzMjQzOGFkZTU1NWE4MWFiNzVjODRjNjIyMTcxLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Assembly view&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQ3NTk3MDg5LTEzMmZlYTcwM2VhMDk5ZDE4ODM4MTRjMDFhZTNhZmNiLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Exploded view &nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Production</h2>Detailed production schedule was prepared for production and quality control.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQ3NjIyMzQwLTlhYzJmNTQ3ZTBlYzU0NjNiZmJlNGUzY2FmMzNkN2Y0LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>Production Steps</h2><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQ3Njg1NTcxLTE2Nzg0NDc2ODU1NzEucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>After Treatment</h2>Polishing on PMMA parts: &bull;&nbsp;The headlight and led shell are made from PMMA material. &bull;&nbsp;The headlight shell was produced by split and glue solution with PMMA material, it will cause bubbles and other defects if we did not glue well. &bull;&nbsp;To reach good transparency effect, we polished the PMMA parts with 600#，800#，1200#，1500#，1800#，2200# sand paper step by step. &bull; The led shell have many details on surface, the polish work is important to make sure the appearance.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQ3NzMyMTk5LTc5ZjI2YTM2NDIyNDgzOTdjMmJhMzM0NzYzNDcwYmVlLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">&bull; The headlight shell was polished by our senior manual technicians, who has over 15 years experience in this industry. And they did well on the part.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQ3NzcyMjU3LTE2Nzg0NDc3NzIyNTcucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Dichroic plating:&nbsp;&bull; This reflector bowl as a stepped shape, needs dichroic plating. The green surface requires glossy plating, the yellow surface is the matt plating. The complex structure requires both experience and technology on surface treatment process. Our adept technicians meticulously handle the surface step by step, and finally get the ideal appearance.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678447870394-1678447870394.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Single Part with Multiple Effects: &bull; The PMMA part below needs to be blue transparent. The green area requires glossy plating and the yellow area should be matt finish.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678447896843-1678447896843.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Basic Assembly: &bull;&nbsp;Lighting &bull; For functional lighting, we got the led beads and controller and then assemble them as following. It could be lighted by free combination.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678447924121-1678447924121.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>Final Assembly</h2>After all products are finished, the next important step is the final assembly. &bull; All the parts are under safekeeping and assembled in the dust-free workshop, protecting it from scratches and other defects.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678447958475-2b2e2096a8d15aa811d3e078fe711dcb.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2><style type="text/css" id="isPasted"></style><style type="text/css"></style>Quality Inspection, Packing And Delivery</h2>&bull; QA department inspected the well-assembled parts, including product quantity, appearance effect, function test and so on. All is good to delivery. &bull; We are strictly on packing to prevent damage. Also, we cooperated with famous expressing companies such, DHL, UPS, etc. for safe and prompt delivery.&nbsp;<h2>Testimonials</h2>To RPWORLD Team: Thank you very much for all your effort to support LAMP Project. It&#39;s hard to imagine that such kind of high quality products was finished in such a short time even with complicated processes, you guys are amazing and we appreciate for all your brilliant work. Again, please forward our thanks to all your engineering and production team. We are looking forward to cooperating with you. &mdash; Innovation Project Manager&nbsp;

The client is a well-known automotive company. They developed a new headlights, and then come to RPWORLD for high quality aesthetic model. The mold is used for appearance reviewing and lighting testing, which sets high process standard for after treatment. what’s more, the lead time for this project is 20 calender days.

Aesthetic Model of Automobile Headlight

Metalworking, in its various forms, has existed&nbsp;for almost&nbsp;as long as humankind. Evidence of shaped metal objects like pendants goes back almost 11,000 years, while archaeological research has shown the mining of metal ore was taking place around the world just a few millennia after that.Today, there are countless ways to fabricate metal parts. Some techniques — forging, for example — work on the same principles as those developed by ancient civilizations. Others, meanwhile, use computers to control pieces of complex machinery, making objects with a greater level of detail than the ancients would have believed possible. Across these many processes, a huge variety of metals and alloys can be used.Access to these types of manufacturing processes is varied. Processes like forging and casting are typically carried out exclusively for large-scale manufacturers, either for mass production or specialized one-off operations. On the other hand, newer processes like CNC machining and additive manufacturing have virtually no barrier to entry: consumers can even order custom parts directly via third-party online bureaus.This article looks at six of the most common metal manufacturing processes, comparing their characteristics and respective pros and cons. It also looks at a few examples of combining different processes, such as machining-forging and machining-casting.<h1 dir="ltr">Machining</h1><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQyMTcyMDU2LUNOQ190dXJuaW5nX21hY2hpbmUuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="turning"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/what-is-cnc-turning">CNC turning</a> with a latheMachining processes are a group of subtractive manufacturing operations that involve cutting material from a workpiece to achieve the desired geometry. Machining as we know it has existed since the middle of the 20th century.A machined part can be made in one of three ways, or a combination of the three. The three main types of machining are:<ul><li dir="ltr">Milling, in which a rotary cutting tool removes material from the workpiece</li><li dir="ltr">Turning, in which the workpiece itself is rotated against the cutting tool using a lathe</li><li dir="ltr">Drilling, in which a particular type of rotary cutting tool is used to make holes in the workpiece</li></ul>Machining can produce strong parts, as parts are made from a solid block of metal. It can also produce a variety of geometries, although generally it is only possible to machine one side of the workpiece at a time. This is because the workpiece must be physically fixed to the worktable, making one side inaccessible to the cutting tool. However, multi-axis machining centers allow for a much greater range of movement and can reduce the total number of required setups.Some mills and lathes are operated manually, but complex machining operations are generally performed using CNC (computer numerical control) machining, in which computer instructions guide the movement of the machine to achieve a high level of precision and repeatability. Toolpaths are programmed automatically using CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) software.Since the machining process does not involve melting the metal, the machine tool may struggle to cut through very hard materials. Some metals — aluminum 6061, for example — are easier to machine than others.<h1 dir="ltr">Forging</h1><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQyMjc1ODAxLURyb3BfRm9yZ2VkX0hhbW1lcl9Gb3JnaW5nLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="drop forging">Drop forging a metal partThe metalworking process of forging, one of the oldest techniques used to make metal parts, shapes parts by forcefully hitting metal, typically with a power hammer or die.Although forging is not the most complex of manufacturing processes, it remains an essential form of metal part production because of the way it maintains the grain flow (grain structure) of the metal and eliminates internal voids. Maintaining the grain flow, rather than cutting up or melting the material and shaping it in random ways, makes parts highly impact and strain resistant and unlikely to crack.[1]Historically, the forging operation involved the use of a hammer and anvil. An example of this technique is the forging of swords and other bladed weapons by a smith. Today, large pieces of forging machinery use either a power hammer or a die and are powered by mechanical or hydraulic forces rather than armpower.The forging process can take place at high or low temperatures. Hot forging prevents work hardening and is best for iron and steel forgings. Cold forging is often sufficient for more ductile metals such as aluminum.Some common types of forging include:<ul><li dir="ltr">Drop forging&nbsp;(including open die forging), in which gravity is exploited as the hammer is dropped from a height onto the workpiece, which then assumes the shape of the die on which it is resting</li><li dir="ltr">Press forging, in which continuous pressure is applied slowly to the workpiece rather than in one heavy blow</li><li dir="ltr">Roll forging, in which flat bar stock is slowly shaped by two heavy cylindrical rolls which have grooves on their surface to give the forged part its desired shape</li></ul>Forging is one of the best processes for making metal components with high strength requirements such as engine components and gears. However, costs are very high due to the machinery and labor involved, as well as the cost of any custom dies required.<h1 dir="ltr">Casting</h1><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQyMzI5MTUyLWNhc3RpbmdfcHJvY2Vzcy5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="sand casting">Sand casting with molten metalCasting is another metal manufacturing process with a history dating back thousands of years. Archaeologists estimate that the casting process was first developed around 7,000 years ago. Today, casting is a mass production technology with the ability to create high-quality parts with a high level of geometrical complexity.Casting processes involve the delivery of molten metal into a mold, where the metal cools and solidifies before its removal from the mold. There are many different types of metal casting, which use different forms of material delivery and different types of mold.Metal casting can be divided into two broad subcategories: expendable mold casting and permanent mold casting. Expendable mold casting uses a mold made from a material like sand or loam that must ultimately be broken into pieces to remove the finished casting. Permanent mold casting, on the other hand, uses a mold or die made from a strong material like tool steel, which can be opened up to remove the finished casting then reused.Different forms of casting can accommodate different requirements. For example, sand casting is relatively low cost, since sand molds are cheaper to make than tool steel molds, as well as allowing the casting of very large parts. It is also one of the few processes capable of forming nickel parts. Meanwhile, a process like high-pressure die casting is excellent for making detailed castings, as the molten material can be forced into every small crevice of the mold.Casting is used across many industries and is suitable for applications as diverse as automotive and aerospace parts, nuclear power plant components, and jewelry. Its main drawback is the lead time for tooling, which can be several weeks.<h1 dir="ltr">Powder metallurgy</h1><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQyMzY0NTUwLW1ldGFsX3Bvd2Rlci5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="metal powder">Metal powder poured into a machineSome metal manufacturing processes, such as extrusion and machining, use metal bars or billets as the raw material feedstock. Others like stamping and coining use sheet metal. Processes that use metal powders as feedstock, meanwhile, can be grouped under the general category of powder metallurgy.Powder metallurgy, which has existed since the 19th century, encompasses a fairly wide range of metal production processes, including:<ul><li dir="ltr">Press-and-sinter, the most common form of powder metallurgy, in which metal powder is mixed with additives, compacted and shaped in a die, then sintered in a furnace to create the finished part</li><li dir="ltr">Hot isostatic pressing (HIP), in which powder is set in a mold within a can-shaped container, vibrated, evacuated, then sealed, before being placed in a hot isostatic press under high pressure for several hours</li><li dir="ltr">Metal injection molding (MIM), in which metal powder is mixed with a binder then molded like a plastic injection molding part, before going through debinding and sintering to remove the binder and densify the remaining metal</li></ul>Powder metallurgy processes can create a range of parts from a nearly infinite range of alloys. In fact, one of the main advantages of PM is its unique ability to make parts from refractory metals like tungsten.However, the main disadvantage of working with metal powders is the number of hazards associated with their handling. For example, accidental inhalation of powders can pose a serious risk to human health, and several metal powders are highly flammable.[2] Material costs are also high for metal powder when compared to billets, and parts may have limited strength.<h1 dir="ltr">Additive manufacturing</h1><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQyNDEwNzM2LW1ldGFsXzNkX3ByaW50ZWQuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Metal 3D printed">Metal 3D printed parts with complex geometriesAdditive manufacturing or 3D printing is the most recent of the major metal manufacturing processes. Although there are different configurations, the most common at present is powder bed fusion, in which a laser is used to fuse particles of metal powder in successive layers. Other metal additive manufacturing techniques include electron beam melting and binder jetting.Despite not being the best process for achieving a quality surface finish, additive manufacturing offers the greatest level of geometrical freedom of any metal manufacturing technology. This is because each layer of the part is built from scratch while being supported by surrounding powder. It is therefore possible to create highly intricate geometries — including internal geometries that can radically affect the mechanical properties of the final part — using a 3D printer.First used as a prototyping technology, the advancement of additive manufacturing systems is shifting the technology away from prototyping and towards final parts production. Machine costs can be high, but there are no tooling costs or long lead times for each part.Note that although metal additive manufacturing primarily uses metal powder as a feedstock, it is not usually classified as a form of powder metallurgy. One form of additive manufacturing, binder jetting, has parallels with press-and-sinter and metal injection molding, as it uses metal powders mixed with a polymer binder which is later burned away.Recommended reading:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/new-process-allows-3-d-printing-of-microscale-metallic-parts" target="_blank">New process allows 3D printing of microscale metallic parts</a><h1 dir="ltr">Extrusion</h1><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc4NDQyNDg2MzI2LWV4dHJ1ZGVkX2FsdW1pbml1bS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="extruded billets">Extruded billets with unique cross-sectionsA relatively simple metal manufacturing process that uses long billets as feedstock, extrusion involves forcing the billet lengthwise through a shaped die, producing a metal part with a consistent cross-section.Although extrusion is only suitable for certain simple parts — such as connecting rods — it allows for a high level of geometric freedom along two axes and also works well with a variety of metals, including brittle ones. Extrusions can either be left as long pieces (continuous) or cut into sections (semi-continuous).Like forging, extrusion can be carried out using either hot or cold metals, with steel requiring the highest temperatures. The most common form of extrusion is direct extrusion, in which the billet is placed within a container and forced through the die opening by a ram.<h1 dir="ltr">Combining processes</h1>Many metal parts are fabricated using a combination of metal manufacturing processes. Although this necessarily adds time and cost to the production, it allows the manufacturer to exploit the benefits of different processes.The process most commonly used in conjunction with other processes is machining. In addition to being a viable process for building parts from scratch, machining is also widely used as a finishing process, as semi-finished parts can simply be attached to the worktable of a CNC mill or machining center like a blank workpiece.For example, in a machining-forging operation, forging may be used to make very strong parts with near net shapes before a CNC machine is used to selectively remove material to make fine features. Machined forgings can therefore be more desirable than basic forgings.&nbsp;Machining is also used to finish parts made via casting, as it can be used to add engravings or small details to parts and to achieve tighter dimensional tolerances than casting alone.Some processes are less suited to combining with other processes. Additive manufacturing, for example, is best used as an end-to-end process as it already achieves a high level of part complexity.<h1 dir="ltr">Comparison of processes</h1><div align="left" dir="ltr"><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td>Process Basics</td><td>Advantages</td><td>Disadvantages</td></tr><tr><td>Machining</td><td>Cuts material from workpiece</td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">High level of geometrical freedom</li><li dir="ltr">No costly tooling</li></ul></td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Worse results with harder metals</li><li dir="ltr">Slow for mass production</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>Forging</td><td>Applies force to workpiece</td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Very strong parts</li><li dir="ltr">Compatible with desirable metals</li></ul></td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Very high costs in all aspects</li><li dir="ltr">Limited geometrical freedom</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>Casting</td><td>Melts metal and forms it in a mold</td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Can be fast and repeatable</li><li dir="ltr">Range of processes</li></ul></td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Tooling costs and lead times</li><li dir="ltr">Limited geometrical freedom</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>Powder metallurgy</td><td>Forms part in mold then sinters it</td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Wide range of metals and alloys</li></ul></td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Hazardous raw material</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>Additive</td><td>Fuses metal powder particles in successive layers</td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Very high level of geometrical freedom</li><li dir="ltr">No costly tooling</li></ul></td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Slow for mass production</li><li dir="ltr">Limited part strength</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>Extrusion</td><td>Forces workpiece through shaped die opening</td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Fast for medium-large volumes</li></ul></td><td><ul><li dir="ltr">Limited geometrical freedom</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table></div><h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1>Metalworking has been an important part of human life for thousands of years and will continue to be so for many more. With so many processes to choose from, it is possible to create metal parts of virtually any shape and size, from cast nuts and bolts to forged aircraft components.<h1 dir="ltr">References</h1>[1] Rathi MG, Jakhade NA. An overview of forging processes with their defects. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications. 2014 Jun;4(6):1-7.[2] Bourell D, Frazier W, Kuhn H, Seifi M. Safety in Handling of Metal Powders.

There are countless ways to manipulate metal to create metal parts, from millennia-old techniques like forging and casting to digital processes like additive manufacturing and CNC machining.

Metal manufacturing processes compared: machining, forging, casting, powder, additive, extrusion

Although oxygen keeps humans and practically every other life form on Earth from going the way of the dinosaurs, it&rsquo;s actually a toxic, highly corrosive element more suitable for sending rockets to space than for sustaining life. It&rsquo;s only because our bodies have evolved to make use of oxygen in some pretty spectacular ways, and the fact that the atmosphere contains such a small amount of this nasty substance&mdash;roughly 21 percent by volume, with most of the rest nitrogen&mdash;that we&rsquo;re able to exist at all.&nbsp;Many metals have similar superpowers. While iron and its offspring carbon steel will quickly rust if not protected with paint, plating, and similar coatings, others such as aluminium and stainless steel react with the oxygen in the air to form a thin protective shell known as a passivation layer. More on that shortly.&nbsp;We won&rsquo;t delve into the electrochemical mechanisms that cause rust in all its various forms to develop&mdash;it&rsquo;s a complex topic, of interest mainly to metallurgists and material scientists. We will point out, though, that it happens more quickly in the presence of humid air and water, especially saltwater, and that even the tallest building and mightiest bridge will eventually fail because of it.&nbsp;The good news is that a broad selection of corrosion-resistant metals is available, and we <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/services/cnc-machining/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-0223&utm_content=wevolver-corrosive-metals-dt-0223" target="_blank">machine</a>, and <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/services/3d-printing/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-0223&utm_content=wevolver-corrosive-metals-dt-0223" target="_blank">3D print</a> the most often used ones. Here&rsquo;s a quick overview of each, along with a few application examples:&nbsp;AluminiumThis element is an excellent choice for a host of applications. Its many alloys are strong, lightweight, non-magnetic, and electrically conductive, making them suitable for everything from cooking utensils and lawn furniture to machinery hardware, electronics housings, and scientific instruments.&nbsp;We carry five CNC grades of aluminium, and a 3D printing grade. 6082-T651, very similar to 6061, it is a general-purpose alloy that is readily milled, turned, laser-cut, bent, formed, and welded. 7075-T651 and 7075-T7351, both are used in the aerospace industry, the latter is tougher and more durable. 5083-H111 is more corrosion resistant, as it contains more magnesium. 2024-T351 is another aero grade, specifically for components in tension, it is fatigue resistant.&nbsp;And for 3D printed parts, there is AlSi10Mg, a tough grade of aluminium long used for castings. Oh, and the thin, protective layer mentioned earlier? In aluminium, it&rsquo;s called aluminium oxide, an exceedingly hard chemical compound found in many grinding wheels. If you want a tougher coating, you can turn to <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/services/secondary-services/anodising/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-0223&utm_content=wevolver-corrosive-metals-dt-0223" target="_blank">anodising</a>, too.&nbsp;<img border="0" width="602" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc1NjczODg4Mjg2LTE2NzU2NzM4ODgyODYuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" alt="aluminum flange" class="fr-fic fr-dii">This bead-blasted aluminium flange was peppered with small, glass beads, yielding an attractive, smooth appearance and feel. Corners are smoothed out, as well, to avoid sharp edges on this machined part. As with all aluminium parts, it is highly resistant to corrosion.&nbsp;&nbsp;TitaniumLet&rsquo;s start by mentioning that this lightweight metal is pricey. If that doesn&rsquo;t bother you, read on! Metallurgists will tell you it&rsquo;s just as strong as steel but at half the weight; and twice the strength of aluminium but only one-and-a-half times the weight. Metal trivia aside, titanium is also one of the most corrosion-resistant metals thanks to its generation of a titanium oxide coating when oxygen is present (which it almost always is).&nbsp;We rightfully label titanium Ti6Al4V (grade 5) as a &quot;workhorse alloy&quot; for its widespread use in medical implants, aircraft engines, power generation facilities, sporting equipment, and other applications that extensively use this important alloy for machining and 3D printing.&nbsp;<img border="0" width="602" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc1NjczODg4MzQzLTE2NzU2NzM4ODgzNDMuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" alt="Titanium part" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Polishing titanium has no effect on its toughness or corrosion-resistance. It does do a great job of brightening the surface, and best of all, titanium is also resistant to many acids, saltwater, and chemicals.&nbsp;&nbsp;Stainless SteelThis steel alloy gets its protective layer from chromium oxide. That&rsquo;s because the element that gives all stainless steels their name is chromium. 304, or A2 is a good &ldquo;general-purpose&rdquo; grade, used for cutlery and freshwater applications. 316, or A4, stainless steel, is a tougher, more heat, wear, and corrosion-resistant grade thanks to 2 percent molybdenum. It is often called marine grade, as it will resist saltwater corrosion (at room temperatures). Each of these also comply with the requirements of &quot;low carbon&quot; grades denoted by an &ldquo;L&rdquo; for example 304L and 316L. They are slightly softer and more weldable. Finally, here comes another aerospace favourite, 17-4 PH (short for precipitation hardening). Unlike 300-series stainless steels, 17-4 can be hardened by heat treatment, so is often found in gas turbines, petrochemical applications, and aircraft parts.&nbsp;Cobalt ChromeThis alloy boasts many of the same mechanical attributes as stainless steel but is slightly stronger and more wear resistant. Thanks to its biocompatibility, you might be wearing a cobalt chrome wedding band on your hand, dentures in your mouth, or a replacement joint in your knee or hip, although cobalt chrome is also common in many industrial applications such as furnace liners and engine components. And while the stainless steels just listed are regular visitors to the CNC mills, lathes, and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) at Protolabs, the cobalt chrome superalloy Co28Cr6Mo is currently limited to <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/services/3d-printing/direct-metal-laser-sintering/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-0223&utm_content=wevolver-corrosive-metals-dt-0223" target="_blank">DMLS 3D printing</a>.&nbsp;InconelThis is another unique DMLS-only offering. That&rsquo;s because this superalloy is quite challenging to machine (like all superalloys) but is readily 3D-printed into parts as large as 400 mm &times; 800 mm &times; 500 mm (31.5 in. &times; 15.7 in. &times; 19.7 in.) on some of our printers. Like 17-4 stainless steel, Inconel 718 is precipitation-hardenable but contains far higher amounts of nickel (around ten times as much) along with 5 percent or so of the refractory metal niobium and nearly that much molybdenum. This explains its great strength and high heat capabilities, making it a preferred material for any component subject to temperatures up to 700 &deg;C (1,300 &deg;F) and extreme mechanical loading. And yes, it&rsquo;s resistant to corrosion of all kinds.&nbsp;BrassAn alloy of copper and zinc, this sits at the opposite end of the machinability chart from Inconel, titanium, and cobalt chrome. That doesn&rsquo;t make it any less valuable, though, especially to those looking for a corrosion-resistant, easily machined metal. It is useful for plumbing fixtures and adapters, bearings, heat sinks, threaded fasteners, and any other parts requiring high electrical and thermal conductivity. Protolabs stocks two types of brass. So-called free-cutting brass C360 (Cz121 or CuZn36Pb3) that gets its name from a trace amount of lead, which eases machining and makes this yellow metal quite popular for high-volume screw machine work. Similarly, alloy C464 (Cz112 or CuZn36Sn1) is known as naval brass, for its excellent corrosion resistance and subsequent use in marine components. For turned and milled parts, brass is an attractive alternative with many admirable qualities, not the least of which is its good looks.&nbsp;<img border="0" width="570" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc1NjczODg4Mzk1LTE2NzU2NzM4ODgzOTQuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" alt="Brass part" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Look closely at this machined brass flange to see its broken-edge finish. Parts with broken edges have radii or chamfers machined into them to avoid sharp, edges, softening their appearance.&nbsp;&nbsp;CopperFinally on our corrosion-resistant hit parade, copper grade&mdash;C101. It ranks among the planet&#39;s most electrically&mdash;and thermally&mdash;conductive materials. Copper overlaps to some extent with brass in terms of its various applications, but is generally more formable, less machinable, and a bit more expensive. It&#39;s a great choice for high-performance heat exchangers and electronic or electrical applications (EMI shielding, for instance). And thanks to its anti-microbial properties, copper is enjoying increased use in hospital equipment.&nbsp;<img border="0" width="570" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc1NjczODg4NDQxLTE2NzU2NzM4ODg0NDEuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" alt="Copper Part" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Copper offers an aesthetically pleasing product that can corrode over time, but in a different way. Over time, carbon and oxygen molecules attach to the copper to form a layer of copper carbonate, or patina, an attractive and protective blue-green surface. &nbsp;Seen enough? It should be evident now that we have plenty of corrosion-resistant metals to choose for your next project. And there is no shortage of ways to quickly convert these metals into precision parts, whether it&rsquo;s via CNC turning, milling or metal 3D printing.&nbsp;Before we let you go, it&#39;s also worth noting there are a host of engineering-grade polymers available that might fit your needs, and rust-prone metals such as low-carbon steels and EN8 alloy can be made more weatherproof with the proper surface treatment. Please be aware that such treatments might also be necessary on some of the metals just discussed. Aluminium, for instance, typically needs anodising, just as stainless steel materials should be passivated for improved corrosion resistance.&nbsp;Also, we encourage you to check out the extensive listing of <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/materials/comparison-guide/?category=metal&utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-0223&utm_content=wevolver-corrosive-metals-dt-0223" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">material data sheets</a> available on our website for additional details. They can offer you even more details about the corrosion-resistant metals listed above. If you have any questions, drop us a line. Our applications engineers are always available to help at +44 (0) 1952 683047 or <a href="mailto:customerservice@protolabs.co.uk" target="_blank">customerservice@protolabs.co.uk</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://explore.protolabs.com/design-tips-registration/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-0223&utm_content=wevolver-design-tip-subscribe-banner-0223" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img border="0" width="602" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc1NjczODg4NTQzLTE2NzU2NzM4ODg1NDMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></a>

Copper offers an aesthetically pleasing product that can corrode over time, but in a different way. Over time, carbon and oxygen molecules attach to the copper to form a layer of copper carbonate, or patina, an attractive and protective blue-green surface.

Parts turning to piles of rust? These materials can help you avoid the scourge of corrosion.  

Finding the right corrosion-resistant metals

A material that goes by many names, Delrin is a ubiquitous plastic used for a wide variety of products across many industries, from automotive and healthcare, to consumer and electronics. The material is particularly common for mechanical parts, such as gears, fittings, and bearings, due to its excellent strength and durability, as well as outdoor applications, thanks to its water resistance and thermal properties.In this article, we’ll dive further into the material that is Delrin, looking at its origins, composition, and material properties, as well as explain how it is manufactured and used for different applications.<h2 dir="ltr">What is Delrin?</h2>Delrin is the brand name for polyoxymethylene (POM), an engineering-grade thermoplastic with a variety of applications. The plastic material is also commonly known as acetal, polyacetal, or polytrioxane. [1]The polymer POM was first discovered in the 1920s by German chemist Hermann Staudinger and physicist Gustav Mie, proving to be a game-changing revelation in the world of materials and plastics. Despite the big discovery, however, POM was not commercialized for several decades. [2] It was chemical giant DuPont that succeeded in this mission: first synthesizing the thermoplastic in the early 1950s, patenting the material in 1956, and then starting to mass produce it under the Delrin brand name in 1960. [1]In general, Delrin is known for its excellent strength, dimensional stability, temperature resistance, and low friction. This combination of properties, along with good processability have made it a popular option for injection molding, machining, and (more recently) 3D printing. The polymer is broadly used across many industries and has found a particular niche as a metal replacement thanks to its good strength-to-weight ratio, wear resistance, and tensile strength.From a chemical standpoint, Delrin has a chemical formula of (CH2O)n. It is an acetal homopolymer, meaning it contains only one type of monomer, units of which are connected by chemical bonds. Notably, Delrin is described by DuPont as “one of the most crystalline engineering thermoplastics available,” which imparts superior mechanical properties. [3]&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc0NzkxMjU0NzQyLWRlbHJpbi5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" width="624" height="405" class="fr-fic fr-dii" alt="POM chemical symbol">Delrin, or polyoxymethylene (POM), is an engineering-grade thermoplastic that has been in commercial production since the 1960s.<h2 dir="ltr">What are Delrin material properties?</h2>In the briefest of terms, Delrin is known for its excellent mechanical and thermal properties, as well as good chemical resistance, low moisture absorption, and electrical insulation. Compared to acetal copolymers, the acetal homopolymer displays a number of superior properties, including better tensile strength, fatigue endurance, impact strength, creep resistance, and stiffness. According to DuPont, these properties unlock opportunities for “thinner, lighter-weight parts” as well as for metal replacement applications that require excellent resistance and durability. [4] Let’s take a closer look at the properties of Delrin, starting with mechanical properties.&nbsp;Delrin mechanical properties<ul><li dir="ltr">Delrin has a high tensile strength of 10,000 psi at room temperature with no yield point.</li><li dir="ltr">It also has high stiffness, with a 410,000 psi stiff flexural modulus.</li><li dir="ltr">Delrin’s elongation at break is 10 to 40%.</li><li dir="ltr">The material displays high fatigue resistance, withstanding cyclic compressive and tensile stressing of 5,000 psi.</li><li dir="ltr">Low friction is also a key property. Delrin’s coefficient of friction against steel is 0.1-0.3. The material’s low friction is highly consistent regardless of thermal conditions, loads, and other factors.</li><li dir="ltr">Excellent creep resistance, impact resistance, and abrasion resistance.</li><li dir="ltr">Delrin has low water absorption and is thus suitable for humid or wet environments.&nbsp;</li></ul>Delrin thermal properties<ul><li dir="ltr">Delrin has good temperature resistance, with an operating range of -40 °C to 90 °C.</li><li dir="ltr">At elevated temperatures of up to 90 °C, Delrin maintains its high strength and exhibits a tensile strength of 2,000 psi and flexural modulus of 180,000.</li><li dir="ltr">Delrin only loses 20% of its impact resistance at extreme cold temperatures of -40 °C compared to room temperature. [5]</li><li dir="ltr">Delrin does not succumb to significant brittleness increases at cold temperatures.</li><li dir="ltr">In water, Delrin can safely withstand temperatures of up to 65 °C without performance compromises.</li></ul>Delrin chemical properties<ul><li dir="ltr">Delrin displays strong resistance to organic solvents and neutral chemicals.&nbsp;</li><li dir="ltr">The material’s chemical resistance is strongest at temperatures below 70 °C.</li><li dir="ltr">Delrin is also highly resistant to discoloration.</li><li dir="ltr">Certain newer grades of Delrin have improved <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/uv-resistant-materials-a-beginner-s-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UV resistance</a>.</li></ul>Delrin electrical properties<ul><li dir="ltr">Delrin is an excellent insulator and maintains good dielectric properties across a wide temperature range, as well as in moist or wet conditions. &nbsp;</li><li dir="ltr">Delrin has low dissipation factors, making it a highly efficient insulating material.&nbsp;</li><li dir="ltr">Delrin is flammable, with a UL94 flammability rating of HB (horizontal burning).</li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">How to manufacture Delrin products?</h2>Most products made from Delrin are produced using injection molding or machining. Below are some best practices for each production method.<h3 dir="ltr">Injection molding Delrin</h3>Injection molding is a well established manufacturing process used to mass produce parts. The process consists of melting thermoplastic pellets and injecting the melted material into a mold. The process is performed under pressure to ensure that the mold is properly filled. Once the mold has been injected, the plastic rapidly cools resulting in a solid product. Injection molding is known for producing high tolerance parts with high quality surface finishes. High repeatability and cost per unit for large production volumes are two other benefits of the production process.DuPont’s Delrin resins are highly suitable for injection molding and are compatible with conventional molding machines and standard practices. There are, however, some specific settings and practices that ensure injection molded parts are of the highest quality. When injection molding Delrin, the lowest back pressure should be maintained, while hold pressure should be set between a range of 60 to 110 MPa depending on the Delrin grade used.&nbsp;In terms of temperatures, Delrin requires a temperature of 215±5 °C (the material’s melting point is 175 °C), though some tougher Delrin grades require a lower temperature of 205±5 °C. The mold temperature for standard Delrin should be kept within the range of 80 to 100 °C, though higher precision parts can benefit from higher mold temperatures of up to 120 °C. Drying is only required in certain circumstances when injection molding Delrin, including if moisture content exceeds 0.2% or if the material has not been properly stored. [6]Recommended reading: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/tips-to-reduce-injection-moulding-costs" target="_blank">Tips to reduce injection molding costs</a><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjc0NzkxMzI5OTc1LWNuY19tYWNoaW5pbmcuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="624" height="459" class="fr-fic fr-dii" alt="Injection molding plastic">Injection molding is among the most common production methods used for Delrin.<h3 dir="ltr">CNC machining Delrin</h3>CNC machining is a high-precision subtractive production method that uses cutting and milling tools to remove material from a blank based on a CAD model. CNC machining is commonly used in the manufacture of custom parts or small to medium-sized production runs. Both metals and various polymers, including Delrin, can be machined, resulting in high-quality parts with tight tolerances.&nbsp;Delrin is a highly machinable thermoplastic with good dimensional stability. This means parts can be made with tight tolerances of +/-0.005 and without significant risk of deformation during the machining process. As a thermoplastic, Delrin does eventually start to soften and melt when heated well above 90 °C, so it’s important to use a cooling method throughout the machining process. Air-based coolants are the best option when machining Delrin and help to achieve superior surface finishes.&nbsp;Another thing to note when machining Delrin is that the manufacturer should use dedicated tools: using the same tools for metals or other plastics and Delrin can lead to contamination and production issues. A slow feed rate and fast cutting speed are recognized as the optimal combination for machining Delrin. In general, the material is one of the best thermoplastics for machining. [7]Recommended reading: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/5-design-guidelines-for-common-machining-parts" target="_blank">5 design guidelines for common machining parts</a><h2 dir="ltr">Can you 3D print Delrin?</h2>While injection molding and machining are the dominant manufacturing methods used to make Delrin parts, the thermoplastic material can also be 3D printed. When talking about 3D printing, it’s perhaps a bit more helpful to discuss POM filaments, Delrin being a brand name. There are a number of POM-based filaments suitable for FDM 3D printing, including Gizmo Dorks Acetal filament and a HobbyKing POM filament. It’s admittedly not one of the most common 3D printing materials, and it does present certain challenges. For that reason, there are a greater number of POM copolymer (as opposed to homopolymer acetal) filaments, which have been engineered for better printability.When 3D printing POM, there are certain best practices that should be followed. For starters, POM requires a heated build plate to ensure good first layer adhesion. Gizmo Dorks recommends a heated bed plate between 100 °C and 130 °C. Even then, adhesion can be tricky, so using an additional build plate surface, such as a cellulose platform or even a wood-based platform, can help increase grip. Tape and other adhesive surfaces can also be used to improve adhesion.POM requires a printing temperature between 210 and 220 °C, and parts can benefit from a heated print chamber. This helps to improve inter-layer bonding and <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/what-causes-3d-print-warping-and-how-to-prevent-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduces the risk of warping</a>. It is also important to 3D print POM in a well-ventilated area and to keep the printing temperature below 230 °C to avoid any formaldehyde emissions, which are dangerous to inhale. [8]Recommended reading: <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-most-popular-3d-printing-materials-in-fdm-and-their-properties" target="_blank">The most popular 3D printing materials in FDM and their properties</a><h2 dir="ltr">Industrial applications for Delrin plastic</h2>The unique combination of Delrin’s properties have made the material a go-to option for a variety of applications. In particular, the material’s strength and durability are ideal for the production of mechanical parts. Manufacturers supply Delrin components to multiple industries, including automotive, aerospace, consumer, electrical, food services, healthcare, and industrial.&nbsp;Common mechanical applications for Delrin include gears, screws, bushings, bearings, conveyor belts, fittings, door systems, and more. The material is also used in the production of safety restraints thanks to its durability and tensile strength. Its excellent dielectric constant also has benefits for the production of electrical enclosures, connectors, and other insulating electrical parts. Furthermore, the material’s resistance to moisture is perfect for parts that are exposed to humidity and water, such as kitchen appliances.&nbsp;In the medical sphere, Delrin is used for many applications, including metered dose inhalers, auto-injector pens, tubing clamps, and various other medical instruments. Delrin’s rigidity and ability to be sterilized using autoclave are behind its adoption in the highly stringent field. [9] There are also FDA certified grades of Delrin which are suitable for use in the food industry. In fact, a number of DuPont’s POM-H resin grades have been certified for potable water and food contact and are in use for applications including food packaging, filtration parts, food processing systems, tanks, and more.<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Key takeaways</h2><ul><li dir="ltr">Delrin is the DuPont brand name for polyoxymethylene (POM), an acetal homopolymer thermoplastic.</li><li dir="ltr">The material has various applications across the automotive, medical, electrical, consumer, and industrial sectors.</li><li dir="ltr">Delrin is known for its low friction, low moisture absorption, high strength, dimensional stability, and thermal resistance.</li><li dir="ltr">Delrin can operate at temperatures in the range of -40 °C to 90 °C.</li><li dir="ltr">The engineering thermoplastic is most often injection molded or CNC machined. 3D printing is possible, but presents certain challenges, such as adhesion.</li><li dir="ltr">Common applications for Delrin are gears, screws, bearings, electrical enclosures, medical devices, food packaging, and more.</li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">References</h2>[1] <a href="https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encyclopedia/Polyoxymethylene.html" target="_blank">https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encyclopedia/Polyoxymethylene.html</a>[2]&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ptonline.com/articles/tracing-the-history-of-polymeric-materials-part-8" style="background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">https://www.ptonline.com/articles/tracing-the-history-of-polymeric-materials-part-8</a>&nbsp;[3] <a href="https://www.dupont.com/knowledge/whitepaper-delrin-advantages.html" target="_blank">https://www.dupont.com/knowledge/whitepaper-delrin-advantages.html</a>&nbsp;[4] <a href="https://www.dupont.com/delrin.html" target="_blank">https://www.dupont.com/delrin.html</a>&nbsp;[5] <a href="https://www.piedmontplastics.com/blog/delrin-plastic-sheet" target="_blank">https://www.piedmontplastics.com/blog/delrin-plastic-sheet</a>&nbsp;[6] <a data-lf-fd-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" href="https://www.dupont.com/content/dam/dupont/amer/us/en/mobility/public/documents/en/Delrin%20Molding%20Guide.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.dupont.com/content/dam/dupont/amer/us/en/mobility/public/documents/en/Delrin%20Molding%20Guide.pdf</a>&nbsp;[7] <a href="https://waykenrm.com/blogs/a-basic-guide-about-machining-in-delrin/" target="_blank">https://waykenrm.com/blogs/a-basic-guide-about-machining-in-delrin/</a>&nbsp;[8]&nbsp;<a href="https://gizmodorks.com/acetal-3d-printer-filament/" style="background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">https://gizmodorks.com/acetal-3d-printer-filament/</a>&nbsp;[9]&nbsp;<a href="https://www.distrupol.com/delrin-medical.html" style="background-color: transparent;" target="_blank">https://www.distrupol.com/delrin-medical.html</a>&nbsp;

Delrin is the DuPont brand name for POM, an acetal homopolymer

Here’s what you need to know about Delrin, a high-performance POM thermoplastic with exceptional strength, durability, and temperature resistance. 

Delrin material properties, applications, and more

A single automobile has about 30,000 parts, counting every part down to the smallest screws. Therefore, the process of developing an automobile would be a voluminous task, which could even take thousands of people a couple of years. From automotive project initiation to mass production, every automotive company follows its own R&amp;D procedures, which generally comprises market research, vehicle concept design, engineering design, prototype testing and production ramp-up.&nbsp;<h2>Market Demand</h2>The design of interiors and exteriors as a link of automotive design, is an important part of automobile engineering data, and consists of front end, door panel, roof, instrument panel system, side trim etc. A large number of prototypes will be needed during the development process for structural testing, material testing, road testing, etc. The figure below is the R&amp;D flowchart of an automotive company (P0-P9). RPWORLD provides rapid tooling service that applies to injection molding parts made of thermoplastic materials in chart stage P4-P7.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY5MjkyNTc0MTU0LTE2NjkyOTI1NzQxNTQucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Rapid Tooling Introduction&nbsp;Ranging from a few parts to thousands of parts, the part quantity needed from an automobile company is varied at different development stages. Even more, most of the molds are one-off requirement, and the followings should be met: real materials (close or similar to materials used in mass production), high dimensional accuracy, and maximum reduction of 3D features. Therefore, RPWORLD launches rapid tooling service in responsive to the automotive customers&rsquo; requirements.&nbsp;Based on traditional tooling, RPWORLD&rsquo;s rapid tooling is simplified as the following:<ol><li>Adopt cold runners, one mold for one part or multiple parts,&nbsp;reducing slightly the production efficiency;</li><li>Materials of mold core is P20/#45/aluminium alloy,&nbsp;which will not be thermally treated, and even can be produced directly on mold base to create the one-piece part;</li><li>Use manual inserts and sliders as much as possible,&nbsp;replacing automatic slider;</li><li>Utilize the top-out system or manual demolding;</li><li>The cooling system is designed according to the specific product and as simply&nbsp;and practically as possible;</li><li>Combining with multiple processes, engineers take full advantages of each process. For example, conducting CNC machining, and manual removal of gate and burrs after injection molding process for those high precision parts; Implementing painting finishing for those parts of high-quality surface treatment.</li></ol><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY5MjkyNzM3OTU0LTBlNzE0ZTFhMTIzYWRlNWVkZDA3ZjZmMjQyNDA5ZGRkLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>Comparison of Rapid Tooling with Other Processes</h2>There are variety of choices of manufacturing processes for different customers and different stages of product development. In general, the processes are 3D Printing, CNC Machining, Urethane Casting, RIM, Rapid Tooling and Production Molding, etc.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY5MjkyNzkyNzIzLTE2NjkyOTI3OTI3MjMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><ul><li>It is suitable for small size products. Because the machine for large size parts is costly and lower in parts quantity.</li><li>The accuracy of 3D printed parts is average. Perhaps there&rsquo;s severe shrinkage on dimensions, and surface quality is average. The high-quality finishing on 3D printed parts is costly.</li><li>The material of 3D printed parts is limited. Take FDM for instance, which offers more material choice, but the material is not highly compacted and the material properties in the XYZ directions are anisotropic, resulting in a far difference in actual product performance.</li></ul><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1669292937776-1669292937776.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1669292961454-1669292961454.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1669292997502-1669292997502.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1669293026186-1669293026186.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Traditional Tooling:&nbsp;Compared with rapid tooling, the traditional tooling is more precision, better on surface quality. But it applies only for high-volume production.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1669293087154-1669293087154.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>Rapid Molding Application </h2>Many international companies have launched rapid molding, which is slightly different from ours. 3D printed mold is currently popular internationally, which offers quick turnaround times, but has more restrictions. Take the ABS injection molded molds of a manufacturing supplier for instance, the lead time of mold is only one week and the cost is less, but the products are required to be small size, simple structure, lower precision and larger demolding angle (greater than 5&deg; is recommended). The die life is within 20 times, and surface quality is poor. This type of mold is mostly applied to medical devices and instrumentation industries, only available for the application of material testing, and fast lead time should be met. It is rarely used in automotive interiors &amp; exteriors.There are also international companies that offer molds made of aluminum alloy. We all have the close turnaround times, but surface treatment of RPWORLD is finer than that of other companies.&nbsp;The reason probably is that they have made subtraction such as no water-cooling system in mold and less polishing on the mold surface. In addition, RPWORLD&rsquo;s molds of aluminum alloy is more financially effective. The part of reason is that the labor costs of developed countries are higher, contributing to higher cost on their products.RPWORLD also provides rapid tooling made of #45/P20 materials, the lead time is around 3-4 weeks, and the cost is close to aluminum alloy molds. But aluminum alloy mold is not applicable for every situation, and is not cost-effective for the products of complex geometry structure. For example, too much ribs on interiors and exteriors will cause overload for EDM; The low modulus of elasticity of aluminum alloy material makes the mold rigidity insufficient and brings problems to the injection molding production, especially for the large-size products; The poor welding performance of aluminum alloy will greatly increase the project risks if the mold is required to be modified in future.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1669293122018-9894a4c9001fab1423ffdbd4e936f19e.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

A single automobile has about 30,000 parts, counting every part down to the smallest screws. Therefore, the process of developing an automobile would be a voluminous task, which could even take thousands of people a couple of years.

Rapid Tooling in Development of Automotive Interiors & Exteriors

Products design is a challenging work. Designer must take every aspect into consideration, including product structure, materials selection, final applications, and even the competitors&rsquo; products. There is one more crucial factor&mdash;the requirements of manufacturing process for part design. You might wonder why does manufacturing process set boundaries on part design, and why don&rsquo;t manufacturers just change it to other processes? But in fact, to transfer your design into a solid part with less time &amp; cost-efficiency, you will have to think about the manufacturing process in designing.This article explores the requirements of CNC machining process for part design and talks about 5 tips to machine parts with lower cost, high efficiency, high quality, under the conditions of meeting needs of product functions, appearance and reliability.&nbsp;<h2>1. Loosen Part Tolerance</h2>The tighter tolerance of the part, the higher cost of the part. This is the same for machining parts. See the chart below, as the increasement of requirements on part precision, more precision manufacturing processes are required, which followed by lower production efficiency and rising production cost.&nbsp;It can be concluded that it&rsquo;s better to avoid tight tolerance. The looser tolerance of the parts, the easier the part can be machined. How to change to loose tolerance? You can start from two sides.a. The product geometry: there are many ways to avoid the part tight tolerance, like designing reasonable gaps, simplifying product assembly relationships, using positioning features, combining points or lines with surface instead of combining surfaces.b. The part surface: the surface which has fewer precision requirements and lower quality should not be designed to the surface with high precision and high roughness. In addition, surfaces that do not need to be processed should not be designed as machined surface.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2Nzg1NTU2MjIzLTE4YzZmNGZkNGQzYWFmZDc4N2Y5MTA1M2Q1MWIzM2M1LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The relationship between the cost and tolerance of machining parts&nbsp;<h2>2. Simplify Products and Part Structure</h2>By reasonably splitting and combining products, the structure of products and parts is simplified, so that the whole product is easy to be machined, following by the improved processing quality and reduced production cost. When designing the machining parts, it&rsquo;s not enough to consider from the view of a single part, but it&rsquo;s better to consider from the overall perspective of the product, considering the feasibility, production efficiency and machining cost of every part in machining. Through the reasonable splitting and combining of products, simplifying products and parts structure, the entire products will be easily machined with high quality and lower production cost. In original design, the complex geometry structure is time-consuming in machining, while the simple-structure part in optimal design reduces processing cost and raises production efficiency.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2Nzg1NjU0OTQzLTE2NjY3ODU2NTQ5NDMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>3. Reduce the Manufacturing Difficulty</h2>There&rsquo;s no doubt that it is difficult to machine the inner surface than the outer surface. Therefore, the parts should be reasonably designed to reduce the machining difficulty. See the original design as shown below, it&#39;s difficult to machine an interior annular groove. While in optimal design, it&rsquo;s easy to machine the outside surface of the part and does not impact application.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2Nzg1Njk3NTI1LTE2NjY3ODU2OTc1MjUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>4. Make Dimensions that are Easy to be Measured</h2>When marking the parts drawings of machined parts, the marked dimensions should be easy to measure. See the original design in shown below, the dimension datum is side A, which is not easily to be measured; while in the optimized design, the dimension datum is side B, which is convenient for measurement.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2Nzg1NzYyMjkxLTE2NjY3ODU3NjIyOTEucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>5. Try to Avoid CNC Machining Process</h2>Yes, you can understand the meaning by words. CNC machining is relatively costly and time-consuming in production and doesn&rsquo;t allow for the extreme complex-geometry parts. In the increasing industries, CNC machining has been replacing by more manufacturing processes, such as injection molding, stamping, die casting, etc. Therefore, a product designer has to ask a question that is it possible to use other manufacturing processes instead of CNC machining.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2Nzg1Nzk4NTE2LTE2NjY3ODU3OTg1MTUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

This article explores the requirements of CNC machining process for part design and talks about 5 tips to machine parts with lower cost, high efficiency, high quality, under the conditions of meeting needs of product functions, appearance and reliability.

5 Design Guidelines for Common Machining Parts

Every January,&nbsp;CES in Las Vegas&nbsp;showcases the latest innovations in consumer electronics. As the largest annual consumer electronics show in the world, it is an over-the-top display of gadgets and gizmos and dramatically illustrates how various electronic chips, boards, circuitry, and connections are at the heart of all of these products.But a heart cannot survive without a body, and those bodies&mdash;smartphones, laptops, tablets, wireless ear buds, various IoT devices, and a variety of other electronic devices&mdash;consist of cases, consoles, buttons, lenses, fixtures, internal plates, housings, and other components. These items are typically made of plastic, indeed plastic dominates, though you&rsquo;ll also find occasional sheet metal parts (see sidebar).This design tip looks at how to improve the parts and products you may be designing for the <a data-udi="umb://document/5a6a0c1117544e92ad1e9cd3a1d0706f" href="https://www.protolabs.co.uk/industries/consumer-electronics/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-1122&utm_content=wevolver-consumer-electronics-toolkit-dt-1122" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Consumer Electronics">consumer and computer electronics sector.</a> We look at:<ul><li>how customisation can help products stand out in the marketplace, address consumer needs, and, in some cases, lower production costs</li><li>common materials to consider and why</li><li>various prototyping approaches during development</li><li>how to rapidly move from early product development to market delivery with the help of digital manufacturing resources</li></ul><h3> </h3><h3>A Customised Approach</h3>As designers and engineers, you can purchase commodity&mdash;off-the-shelf components. The problem with this approach is that the big differentiator among commodity products is price, making you a runner in a profit-sapping race to the bottom. Even if the design and technology of your device or product is uncommon, it can become lost within a sea of other lookalike products, with only a sticker slapped on the outside to differentiate your innovative solution from your competitor&rsquo;s.Customisation is a way out of the commodity trap, allowing development of differentiated products that perform better, run faster, last longer, slash assembly cost, and are easier to use. And they&rsquo;ll stand out in the crowd. Externals&mdash;the interface between the product and the user&mdash;help brand your product and proclaim its uniqueness. Apple, for example, has made this a key part of its marketing strategy, paying close attention to every aspect of its products, including look and feel. Consumers, whether we like it or not, often choose appearance&mdash;in other words, form over function. <img alt="consumer electronics prototype illustration" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1666359846989-1666359846989.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Manufacturing for consumer electronics parts takes many forms, shapes, and sizes, including this tiny component for wireless headphones, seen in various stages of development: An early CAD model version, left, a prototype that includes modifications recommended by our design for manufacturability (DFM) analysis, centre, and the final production part, which incorporates further design refinement Obviously, developing a customised component takes more design effort than simply choosing one from a catalogue. There are, however, ways to gain the benefits of customisation while simplifying the development, minimising delay, and controlling cost. This is true of plastic components, both moulded and machined..Custom design lets you combine multiple components into a single moulded or machined part. This eliminates potential points of failure and simplifies assembly. Components can be designed for better spacing or more compact layout. Connectors can be placed exactly where needed, eliminating steps in assembly. Customisable panels can reduce tooling costs and allow customer-specific solutions.Of course another method to use, at least at this early prototyping phase, is industrial-grade 3D printing (additive manufacturing), which can help eliminate all together the need for multiple components.That said, if you are using injection moulding, two methods for customising when designing for moulding that designers often use, are&nbsp;insert moulding and overmoulding&nbsp;processes.Insert moulding allows small metal features&mdash;connectors, mounts, crush limiters, or fine threads that could not be easily machined into a moulded part&mdash;to be incorporated into plastic parts, enhancing design flexibility. These can protect panels, doors, or mounts from damage during service calls. Insert moulding can also add strength and durability to parts. An example of insert moulding in use? Although more of a commercial than consumer electronics example, government contractor Harris Corporation recently used insert moulding to make customisable plastic fixtures for circuit boards, which led to lower production costs.&nbsp;Overmoulding&mdash;the ability to layer one resin onto another&mdash;is a prime example of combining what would otherwise be multiple parts into one. It is frequently used for cosmetic effect or to apply a soft material onto a harder one for handgrips or impact dampening. Triax Technologies recently used overmoulding for plastic housing for an IoT-enabled wearable device.In addition, finishing or post-processing options are yet another way to customise or differentiate yourself from your competitor, using custom-colour matching to brand your product for example, or part marking, or texturing, or other processes. <h3>Material Considerations for Consumer Electronics Manufacturing</h3>Material selection is an important consideration because using the right material can help reduce costs, add durability to parts, improve ergonomics, and offer other functional benefits. As mentioned, plastic dominates this sector. Along these lines, the type of plastic or material is a key consideration. General-purpose resins like ABS and polycarbonate (PC) are durable and economical and ideal for a variety of components like cases and consoles. Our households are run by products full of ABS, PC, and ABS/PC blends. Other resins offer specialised characteristics.<ul><li>Transparent materials like polycarbonate, acrylic, polystyrene, or liquid silicone rubber (LSR) are ideal for lenses and screens.</li><li>Engineering-grade resins can be made more heat tolerant or conductive by adding glass fibre or ceramic powders.</li><li>Electrically conductive materials can provide grounding or shielding within the housing itself.</li><li>Pliable materials like elastomers, LSR, polypropylene, or polyethylene are ideal for grips, buttons, or shock-protecting bumpers.</li></ul>Beyond plastic, aluminium is a popular option in this industry. This material can be machined or formed through sheet metal fabrication to create housings, brackets, or other metal parts that require high strength and low weight. We offer a <a data-udi="umb://document/4d9db293978f46109e63376d0b1adcad" href="https://www.protolabs.co.uk/materials/comparison-guide/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-1122&utm_content=wevolver-consumer-electronics-toolkit-dt-1122" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Comparison Guide">material comparison guide</a> as a helpful tool. <img alt="cnc milling a custom part" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1666359938963-1666359938963.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Plastic milling is a popular choice for consumer electronics manufacturing, as seen in this four-up milled stock example&nbsp; <h3>Prototyping for Consumer Electronics</h3>Prototyping will account for much of the time and effort needed to custom design a part, but it also provides much of the benefit. Prototyping enables you to perfect your design and test assembly. It also lets you try different materials to get exactly the functionality you want.Industrial-grade 3D printing (additive manufacturing) is often used for functional prototyping, though designers will usually switch to injection moulding for later prototypes and eventually for production because of cost. CNC machining as a prototyping method may not offer as wide a choice of materials as moulding or tell you as much about manufacturability, but machining does allow you to produce a small number of &nbsp;prototypes quickly and at low cost.In later stages of prototyping, injection moulding gives you a wider choice of resins, tells you whether a design is manufacturable, and is economical for producing a larger number of pieces for testing or production.Multi-cavity and family moulds&nbsp;are excellent ways to accelerate iterative development. They are proven methods used to increase efficiency once you begin moulding prototypes or start production. Multi-cavity moulds can produce identical parts with each injection cycle, but can be modified by part size, complexity, and additional tooling costs. This can speed up production while reducing costs. Family moulds can produce a number of different parts using the same resin in a single shot but success depends on similar shapes and sizes. And if you have not finalised your choice of material, these same moulds can, in many cases, be used to produce a part or family of parts in several different resins for comparative testing, though this may not work for resins with significantly different shrink rates. <h3>Using the Resources of a Digital Manufacturer</h3>In today&rsquo;s competitive markets, time is money. Product development must be both quick and thorough, and this is particularly true of electronic products, which typically require extensive testing. As a digital manufacturer, we can help shorten and simplify every step of the development process.<ul><li>ProtoQuote, our online, interactive quoting system, turns your CAD model into a quote with immediate design analysis and feedback for most manufacturing processes. This can be repeated as often as necessary to achieve your ideal design.</li><li>You can discuss your projects and expectations with our in-house application engineers to help achieve your goals.</li><li>Once you place an order, moulded or machined parts can be delivered in as little as one day.</li><li>Domestic production eliminates shipping delays, allowing you to start evaluating prototypes quickly.</li><li>Multiple technologies give you plenty of options. For example, at Protolabs, we offer four manufacturing methods: 3D printing (with six additive manufacturing options), CNC machining and injection moulding. This enables designers to move from prototyping to low-volume production quickly and with a single supplier.</li><li>Once you finalise your design, we can begin several different production options, including:<ul><li>Quick-turn bridge tooling (bridge production) of moulded parts that can help you confirm that a part can actually be moulded, and/or that you can take to market while the &ldquo;official&rdquo; production tools for ultra-high volume are being made</li><li>On-demand manufacturing for low-volume production of end-use moulded parts (thousands or even tens of thousands of parts)</li><li>On-demand production for mass part customisation. This on-demand approach is especially important in the consumer electronics sector, which has moved heavily into&nbsp;mass customisation&nbsp;of products. The ability to produce this mass customization is yet another benefit of partnering with a digital manufacturer, which provides manufacturing speed and low-volume production, enabling you to streamline your supply chain by procuring parts on demand, without minimum order quantities (MOQs).</li></ul></li></ul>You can eliminate a lot of steps when you submit your CAD model to ProtoQuote, our automated quoting system. The system evaluates your design and will highlight areas that are not manufacturable or that don&rsquo;t comply with best practices. Designers tell us that our system provides quite accurate pricing and, in addition, our system includes mould-fill analysis. Be aware that ProtoQuote &ldquo;knows&rdquo; a great deal about manufacturing but nothing about your project. The system can point out problems like undercuts, sharp corners, and thick walls. It can make decisions based on the materials you choose. But it doesn&rsquo;t know how the part will be used, what it will be connected to, or whether it will be subjected to extreme temperatures, rough handling, UV radiation, or chemicals.Accordingly, if you do use our quoting system, let it serve as your partner. Let the system know, via your CAD model, what you think will work. The system will point out ways to improve the manufacturability and quality of your design; you can make changes and resubmit at no cost. Once you and ProtoQuote agree on a design, place your order and test the resulting prototype.Manufacturing is a partnership. While Protolabs offers the opportunity to design and receive feedback automatically, Protolabs also wants to understand your product and help you find success within our manufacturing capabilities. Reach out at any time to our in-house applications engineers, we are here to help. As partners, we&rsquo;ll point out areas of risk and guide you through options to address this risk. They also are available to consult about cost trade-offs associated with the recommended design changes.Transitioning part geometry from one manufacturing process to another, typically machining to injection moulding, isn&rsquo;t always simple. Machining can tolerate sharp corners, no draft, and thin and thick cross sections; these can be problems in injection moulding. Our quoting system and our applications engineers can help prevent problems at each step of the process.As always, for additional help, feel free to contact a Protolabs applications engineer at +44 (0) 1952 683047 or <a href="mailto:customerservice@protolabs.co.uk" target="_blank" title="customerservice@protolabs.co.uk">customerservice@protolabs.co.uk</a>. To get your next design project started today, simply upload a 3D CAD model for an <a data-udi="umb://document/2418480db5fb4830bb61ceb63d208e0b" href="https://www.protolabs.co.uk/ecom/get-a-quote/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-1122&utm_content=wevolver-consumer-electronics-toolkit-dt-1122" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Get A Quote">interactive quote</a> within hours. <hr>Get a free design cube <a href="https://get.protolabs.co.uk/design-cube/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-1122&utm_content=wevolver-consumer-electronics-toolkit-dt-1122" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.<div data-description="4 ways to improve part design through customisation, material considerations, iterative prototyping, and the use of digital manufacturing." data-title="Manufacturing Tool Kit for Consumer Electronics " data-url="https://www.protolabs.co.uk/resources/design-tips/manufacturing-tool-kit-for-consumer-electronics/"><a tabindex="0" target="_blank"></a><a tabindex="0" target="_blank"></a><a tabindex="0" target="_blank"></a></div> <a href="https://get.protolabs.co.uk/design-tips-registration/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-0822&utm_content=wevolver-design-tip-subscribe-banner-0922" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://get.protolabs.co.uk/design-tips-registration/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-design-tip-1122&utm_content=wevolver-design-tip-subscribe-banner-1122" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwMjk3OTIzMzcxLTE2NjAyOTc5MjMzNzEucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></a>

4 ways to improve part design through customisation, material considerations, iterative prototyping with multi-cavity tooling, and the use of digital manufacturing resources

Manufacturing Tool Kit for Consumer Electronics

<h2><style type="text/css" id="isPasted"></style><style type="text/css"></style>Client Background</h2>Ross Robotics is a privately owned UK company specializing in modular robotics. The company was formed in 2015 and has successfully developed the technologies underpinning the modular robotics platform. These technologies are applicable both to robotics and beyond, and are protected by over 30 granted patents.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2MzQ3ODE0NTE5LTEwMGJmYWZlZTgzMmM5ZmFmOWFkYTYxMzFiYTZiNTMyLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The modular robotic platform addresses many of the issues faced when designing and developing robots to perform sophisticated tasks in challenging environments. Where conventionally a product is developed from concept to finished exploitable item via a number of iterative steps, modularity uses generic building blocks which can be recombined. By using proven system elements linked by robust modular systems engineering, the product integration process becomes a product-assembly process. Cost, complexity and business-risk are dramatically reduced. Many tasks hitherto considered to be out of the reach of robotization are now achievable and much of the cost and jeopardy of ownership is removed.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2MzQ3ODI2MDYxLTQ0ZWNjMmZjMTY5NjBmZDMyZmE1NzQ3M2FhOTk2OGI0LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2><style type="text/css" id="isPasted"></style><style type="text/css"></style>Project Background</h2>Ross Robotics is currently finalizing development of the Scale 2.0 robot platform, which are currently being used in the nuclear industry and are being adapted for use in oil &amp; gas and in intensive agriculture. Early in 2009, the company came to RPWORLD for assistance in developing customized products. The product characteristics are a complex structure, the requirement for real/solid colour, and materials that have specific mechanical performance characteristics. The parts initially produced as prototypes will also be used as finished product. The demand per batch is dozens of sets with a design that can require modifications to respond to changing market needs.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2MzQ3ODYxNzExLTZhNjRhYjA5MDM1MzUwNGE1Njc3OTgyN2YxZmZmYTYwLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2MzQ3OTA2MDU4LTE2NjYzNDc5MDYwNTgucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>RPWORLD Solution</h2>1. PROCESS SELECTION：Combine SLA, urethane casting and CNC milling. Due to product structure constraints, CNC machining is not a viable option as the cost for a typical batch would be over $100,000 and most of the parts need to be redesigned. Moreover, the process is not suitable for small batch requirements.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY2MzQ3OTY3MDE1LTA3OThiYjJiMjRhMGIwOGYyMjM1NmJmZmRiMmJkOTFlLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1666348131397-1666348131397.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1666348182425-1666348182425.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">4. COLOR ADJUSTMENT： All the colors are adjusted according to Pantone color code, with solid color.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1666348209291-3988b7ddc26b4e4ff35510bdc3c571e7.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1666348231439-1666348231439.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">POSTSCRIPT NOTE We completed this project through cooperation with SIEMENS, who provided software support. RPWORLD provided hardware (housings and other components) support.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1666348256138-252b8a9ff6937b80e7b3e964a275bf98.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">TESTIMONIALSWe have been working with RPWORLD since 2009. This continuity means that there is a two-way understanding of how both companies operate, both at the technology level and at the organizational level, therefore few surprises about lead-times, quality and results are very consistent. Turn around of projects is very fast and few technical challenges are considered impossible. This is crucial for a small, innovative technology company. RPWORLD has itself grown and changed in these nine years and now has the ability to scale production (for example tool-making and plastics injection) as requirements evolve. This is a valuable factor when planning future development work.Philip Norman Co-Founder, Ross Robotics<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1666348311282-350dfe3880ba8534248667426222d738.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

Ross Robotics is currently finalizing development of the Scale 2.0 robot platform, which are currently being used in the nuclear industry and are being adapted for use in oil & gas and in intensive agriculture. The company came to RPWORLD for assistance in developing customized products.

Robot Case From Concept to Reality

<h2>Background</h2>The client is a well-known automotive company. They developed a new headlights, and then come to RPWORLD for high quality aesthetic model. The mold is used for appearance reviewing and lighting testing, which sets high process standard for after treatment. what&rsquo;s more, the lead time for this project is 20 calender days.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY1NzQyNjg1OTE4LTgyNWJlMzczOWM0NmZhNzZlZWQxMGY2NTkxZTMyMzI0LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>Challenges</h2> &bull;&nbsp;Tight schedule &bull;&nbsp;High quality and multiple after treatment requirements &bull;&nbsp;Functional lighting. The high beam, low beam, turn light and driving lamp should be lighted in any combination or single way. &bull;&nbsp;The design was not final freezed, we should adjust the assembly manually if any interference or unexpected problems occurs. &bull;&nbsp;The headlight shell was oversized with a complex structure, which has to be split first and then glue them together. It is easy to cause bubbles and other defects. &bull; Two or three different surface effect are required to show on several parts, which needs high standard on the combination of different manufacturing solutions and after treatment processes.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY1NzQyNzIyNjMzLTE2NjU3NDI3MjI2MzMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>PRODUCTION</h2>Detailed production schedule was prepared for production and quality control.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY1NzQyNzQzNDk4LTlhYzJmNTQ3ZTBlYzU0NjNiZmJlNGUzY2FmMzNkN2Y0LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665743045817-1665743045817.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <h2>After Treatment</h2>Polishing on PMMA parts: &bull;&nbsp;The headlight and led shell are made from PMMA material. &bull;&nbsp;The headlight shell was produced by split and glue solution with PMMA material, it will cause bubbles and other defects if we did not glue well. &bull;&nbsp;To reach good transparency effect, we polished the PMMA parts with 600#，800#，1200#，1500#，1800#，2200# sand paper step by step. &bull; The led shell have many details on surface, the polish work is important to make sure the appearance.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665743078128-79f26a3642248397c2ba334763470bee.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">&bull; The headlight shell was polished by our senior manual technicians, who has over 15 years experience in this industry. And they did well on the part.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665743147072-e4ed38c93ba44135e0e8286ae93c434b.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665743156008-40f405e5c38f5ff8e9de973202549b94.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665743189810-1665743189810.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665743216381-1665743216381.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 id="isPasted"> Final Assembly</h2>After all products are finished, the next important step is the final assembly. &bull; All the parts are under safekeeping and assembled in the dust-free workshop, protecting it from scratches and other defects.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665743291827-2b2e2096a8d15aa811d3e078fe711dcb.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <h2><style type="text/css" id="isPasted"></style><style type="text/css"></style>Quality Inspection, Packing And Delivery</h2> &bull; QA department inspected the well-assembled parts, including product quantity, appearance effect, function test and so on. All is good to delivery. &bull; We are strictly on packing to prevent damage. Also, we cooperated with famous expressing companies such, DHL, UPS, etc. for safe and prompt delivery.&nbsp;<blockquote><style type="text/css" id="isPasted"></style><style type="text/css"></style>Testimonials To RPWORLD Team: Thank you very much for all your effort to support LAMP Project. It&#39;s hard to imagine that such kind of high quality products was finished in such a short time even with complicated processes, you guys are amazing and we appreciate for all your brilliant work. Again, please forward our thanks to all your engineering and production team. We are looking forward to cooperating with you. &mdash; Innovation Project Manager </blockquote>

The client is a well-known automotive company. They developed a new headlights, and then come to RPWORLD for high quality aesthetic model. The mold is used for appearance reviewing and lighting testing, which sets high process standard for after treatment. what’s more, the lead time is 20 days.

Aesthetic Model of Automobile Lamp

As the high-mix, low-volume manufacturing supplier of more than a decade experience, we&rsquo;d like to share design tips which will make your parts easy for machining. In return, you will get parts with short lead time, high precision and higher quality! The structure of the part to be CNC machined should be easy for the tools to cut in and out correctly. This is to cut the tools changing times, improve the working efficiency, and reduce the manufacturing cost.&nbsp;<h2>1. Enough space for tools </h2>In original design, the hole is too close to the vertical wall of the part, which interferes the drill chuck. Only the non-standard extended tool can be used, but the rigidity of the tool is poor. While in optimal design, the space is bigger, where standard tool can be used to ensure the manufacturing precision.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665054005252-5031e5a438f7e85bd559a941957548d5.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>2. Undercut of gear shaping </h2>When gear shaping, leave undercut, so that the big gear can hobbing or shaping, and the small gear can shaping.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665054023788-2438dfaeab0fd12e88bf2ce12d7f489b.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>3. Tools back-off in planing </h2>When planing, there must be enough space for the tools back-off at the front end of the plane, so that the tools can be moved.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665054051065-f9156bf526a081fddaffcc0933ca0916.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>4. Grinding undercut </h2>When grinding, the transition part between the surfaces should save the grinding undercut to facilitate the tools working.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665054069913-240eb3b90b027568d2c801147b6bd50a.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

As the high-mix, low-volume manufacturing supplier of more than a decade experience, we’d like to share design tips which will make your parts easy for machining. In return, you will get parts with short lead time, high precision and higher quality!

Design Tips to Make Your CNC Machined Part Facilitate Tools Working

Do you know how to increase manufacturing efficiency for your CNC parts? There are 4 design tips about clamp in CNC Machining. The parts should be easy to clamp, that is, accurate positioning and tight clamping. Therefore, the clamping time will be cut and manufacturing efficiency and quality can be increased.&nbsp;1. The part is designed to facilitate clamp&nbsp;As shown in the figure, the bearing cap needs to be manufactured. In original design, if it is clamped at A, the general claw is not long enough, and it is not easy to clamp at B. In optimized design, B, the original circular conical surface is changed to the cylindrical surface C, which is easy for clamping. Or adding a cylindrical surface D for easy clamping.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjY0NDUxNTA2MjY5LTVjNDE3MGZlMGUxYmVmY2I2ZjEwMmNkNzU4NjEwNGQwLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>2. Adding flanges or holes </h2>In the original design, it is not easy to clamp the large flat workpiece, while in the optimized design, a tightened flange or hole is added for tight clamping by screws and pressing plates, and for easy lifting and carrying.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1664451821086-8b56680d3ab4eaace47fec678c212bd4.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>3. Adding boss configurations </h2>When planning larger parts, they are usually clamped directly on the workbench. In order keep the manufacturing surface horizontal to facilitate clamping and positioning, a boss can be added to the part. And if necessary, it can be cut off after finishing. As shown in the picture, there is no boss in the original design, and the part is hard to clamp and position, while in the optimized design, the boss is added to the part for accurately position and clamp.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1664451840863-c0f2aef125bcd9a1a1c429735da0cb4c.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>4. Increasing the contact area of clamping </h2>In the original design, when the part was clamped on the three-jaw chuck, the part and the claw were contacted in points, which is unstable. In the optimal design, the contact surface of the workpiece and the claw was increased by adding a cylindrical surface. This is easy to set up and improve the steadiness of the clamping.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1664451872435-b6a488b8c56acb441834efa9fc444af2.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

Do you know how to increase manufacturing efficiency for your CNC parts? There are 4 design tips about clamp in CNC Machining. 

4 Design Tips to Improve Manufacturing Efficiency for Your CNC Parts

<h2>1. Commonly used clip shapes </h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1663244355456-1fea68cb87f6dfdbbe8ca1fac5436ad9.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>2. Factors to be considered before clips are designed </h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1663244444625-qgqgq.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>3. 6 <a href="https://www.rpworld.com/resources/blog/design-tips-for-clips.html" target="_blank">Design tips for clips</a> </h2><h3>1. Reasonable lengths 2.&nbsp;To avoid stress concentration&nbsp;by adding&nbsp;round corners or fillets at the base of the clips </h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1663244465285-05c7e963ae028116896429efd7da2bce.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3>3. Clips shall be evenly distributed 4.&nbsp;Use positioning columns&nbsp;to assist the clip assembly </h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1663244479655-6f8860530a21429b5299981ca96ebf8f.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3>5. Well-designed clips should not increase mold complexity 6.&nbsp;Well-designed clips shall be easy for mold modification&nbsp;</h3>

The client asked for a design with no screws, so clips are chosen. However, the clip hook was broken during drop testing, what should we do?

Design tips for Clips

<h2>1. The standardization of parts and avoiding custom parts has many advantages as below：</h2><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYyNjQ1Mjc5MDc1LTEucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYyNjQ1MjkwNDI4LTIucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYyNjQ1MzAyNjUzLTMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>2. How to realize the standardization of the parts?&nbsp;</h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1662645540229-edge2edge-media-qHhJkxare7A-unsplash.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by Edge2Edge Media on UnsplashFirstly, the enterprise shall start a standard library for frequently used parts and Priority List of the parts, then start to implement the standardized strategy of different products within the enterprise. It shall be encouraged to opt for parts in standard library during product development and the used parts shall be reused. parts in the same product can also be standardized. &nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1662645605091-fly-d-CWBZahi-fxs-unsplash.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by FLY:D on UnsplashSecondly, hardware parts shall opt for standardized parts from suppliers, such as screws, studs and conductive foams etc, because the custom parts will greatly increase time and costs. &ldquo;Never design parts that you are unable to find in the product catalogue&rdquo;David Anderson said on the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Conference in 2001. It indicates that we should purchase ready-made(also off-the-shelf) standardized parts from suppliers, rather than make custom parts. &nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1662645666993-bjorn-agerbeek-mLzNKw0_Vfs-unsplash.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Photo by Bjorn Agerbeek on UnsplashCurrently there are some enterprises, which have already started their own 3D database of standard parts. Their designers can take some data from it while making a design, which will do good to the implementation of its Standardization Strategy.&nbsp;

Never design parts that you are unable to find in the product catalogue. - David Anderson

The Standardization of Parts

<h2>1. Parts shall not be either too small or too heavy, too slippery or too viscious </h2>Parts shall be of proper dimensions so that operators or robot arms can catch them and assemble them easily, not too small or too heavy. The easier the parts can be picked up, the smoother the assembly will be, the higher the efficiency will be. Or else, special auxiliary tools are needed to assist to pick up the parts, then the assembly efficiency will be lowered down increasingly.&nbsp;<h2>2. Design a special trait for easy catch </h2>If the parts are very hard to be picked up due to their dimensions, then additional traits can be added on the parts while designing, like edgefold etc. In the graphic below, the parts are too thin to be caught and assembled in the original design. In the improved design, an edgefold was added so that the parts were much easier to be picked up and assembled.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1661477601862-c89bfb85fa833d5cd69e6238113cc4e9.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>3. Parts shall have no sharp edges or angles </h2>Special attentions shall be paid to following issues. First, parts shall have no sharp edges or angles, or else, they may do harm to operators or consumers. Second, sharp edges or angles may damage the other products&rsquo; appearance or important parts. Thus, product designers shall change the sharp edges or angles to be rounded when they design parts.&nbsp;

During assembly, operators often complained that some parts are difficult to be picked up, either too small of too heavy. Consequently, assembly efficiency was lowered down. How can designers figure out a better idea so that operators can pick up the parts easily? Here are some advice as below.

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