Resources
Engineering guides for designing, specifying, and sourcing CNC machined parts — written from the shop floor, not a marketing desk.
Engineering Guides
CNC Machining Knowledge Base
These CNC machining guides are the practical references our own engineers use when reviewing drawings and quotes: what drives cost, how to choose materials and tolerances, which process fits your geometry, and how lead time and MOQ really work. They are written from the shop floor, not a marketing desk — no fluff, no vendor pitch, just the decision logic. Use them before you send the RFQ — or send the files and get the same feedback with your quote.
GD&T Symbols Explained
True position and MMC bonus tolerance, flatness, parallelism, perpendicularity, runout vs concentricity, profile, and datums — each symbol explained for machined parts.
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How to Vet a Chinese CNC Shop
Verify certifications, audit equipment and inspection over live video, gate production behind first article inspection, and spot trading-company red flags.
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IP Protection & NDA for China
NNN agreements vs plain NDAs, practical protection steps (split suppliers, own tooling, limit drawings), and the mistakes that leak your design.
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PEEK vs Delrin
Strength, service temperature, chemical resistance, machinability, cost, wear, and water absorption — PEEK vs Delrin (acetal) compared for machined plastic parts.
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Medical Device Machining
Medical-grade alloys (316L, Ti-6Al-4V ELI, PEEK, cobalt-chrome), surface finish Ra targets, ISO 13485 vs 21 CFR 820, and why medical parts cost more.
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Aerospace Machined Parts
Materials (6061/7075, Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel 718, 17-4), tolerance bands, AS9100D/NADCAP/ITAR certifications, cost, and lead times — for aerospace components.
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Electropolishing vs Passivation
What each process does, surface roughness, corrosion resistance, specs (ASTM B912 vs A967/AMS 2700), cost, and which industries need which — for stainless machined parts.
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Black Oxide vs Zinc Plating
Corrosion resistance, cost, dimensional change, appearance, and hydrogen embrittlement — black oxide, zinc plating, and black zinc compared for machined steel parts.
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Shipping & Tariffs from China
Freight costs, transit times, FOB vs DDP, the 2026 tariff reality, and how customs clears your parts — everything between order placed and parts on your dock.
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Inconel vs Titanium
Density, strength, service temperature, corrosion, machinability, and cost — Inconel 718, Inconel 625, and Ti-6Al-4V compared with real data for machined parts.
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Titanium vs Steel
Density, strength, strength-to-weight, stiffness, machinability, corrosion, and cost — Ti-6Al-4V, Grade 2, 4140, 1018, and 316 compared with real data for machined parts.
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Steel vs Aluminum
Strength, stiffness, weight, machinability, corrosion, and real cost — 1018, 4140, and 304 stainless versus 6061 and 7075, with grade data.
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Density, strength, strength-to-weight, machinability, corrosion, and cost — Grade 5, Grade 2, 6061, and 7075 compared with real data for machined parts.
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Brass vs Bronze vs Copper
Composition, machinability ratings, conductivity, strength, corrosion behavior, and cost — how to pick the right copper alloy for your machined parts.
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5-Axis vs 3-Axis CNC
3+2 vs simultaneous, done-in-one economics, and the accuracy argument — plus a three-question test to pick the right process for your part.
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Get an Accurate CNC Quote
The complete RFQ package, why supplier prices diverge 3×, quantity-break strategy, and the red flags that predict a bad order.
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6061 vs 6063 Aluminum
Strength, machinability, extrudability, and anodizing — why machined parts want 6061 and extrusions want 6063, with the numbers to prove it.
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AS9100 vs ISO 9001
What AS9100 actually adds, AS9102 FAI, who requires it, and when ISO 9001 is enough — a buyer’s guide to machining supplier certification.
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GD&T Basics for Machined Parts
The 14 symbols explained, feature control frames, datums, MMC bonus tolerance, and why true position beats ± tolerancing — from the shop side.
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Delrin vs Nylon
Moisture absorption, strength, machinability, wear, temperature, and cost — the engineering-plastics decision, plus where PEEK fits.
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Passivation of Stainless Steel
What passivation actually does, ASTM A967 and AMS 2700 methods, nitric vs citric, and the verification tests that prove it worked — written for machined parts.
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Surface Finish Chart (Ra)
Ra values in μm and μin, N1–N12 grades, what each process achieves, and what finer finishes cost — plus how to specify finish on drawings without overpaying.
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6061 vs 5052 Aluminum
Strength, machinability, bending, welding, corrosion, anodizing, and 2026 prices — the machining alloy vs the forming alloy, and how to specify the right one.
Read the guide →304 vs 316 Stainless Steel
Composition, corrosion resistance (PREN), machinability, and the 2026 price gap — plus the selection rules for when 304 is enough and when you must pay for 316 or 316L.
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