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.
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.
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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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China CNC Machining Cost
The full 2026 price breakdown: machine-hour rates, real part price examples, material, finishing, freight and duty — what a China machining quote is actually made of.
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CNC Machining: China vs USA
An honest comparison on landed cost (including the 2026 tariff reality), lead time, and quality — plus a decision framework for when domestic sourcing wins and when China wins.
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Outsource CNC Machining to China
The step-by-step playbook: RFQ preparation, supplier vetting, landed-cost math, remote quality control with first article inspection, and shipping. Written for buyers who want factory-direct sourcing without the usual risks.
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What Is CNC Machining?
The plain-English starting point: how subtractive machining works, the main process types, the materials it cuts, the tolerances it holds, and where machined parts are actually used. If you are new to sourcing machined parts — or briefing a colleague who is — start here.
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Types of CNC Machining
3-, 4-, and 5-axis milling, turning, mill-turn, Swiss machining, EDM, and grinding, compared by the geometry each one handles best. The useful takeaway: most parts have one obviously right process, and choosing it early saves real money.
Read the guide →How Does CNC Machining Work?
Follow a part from CAD to CAM, setup, machining, inspection, and shipping — and see where cost and lead time actually build up along the way.
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What Is Precision Machining?
Tolerance bands from general to ultra-precision, what enables them, what drives cost up, and how to specify precision without over-tolerancing your parts.
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CNC Machining Materials
A six-factor selection framework (strength, weight, corrosion, temperature, machinability, cost), a full metal-and-plastic comparison table, and the five material mistakes we see most often in RFQs — like specifying 316 where 304 would do, or Delrin where moisture rules it out.
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6061 vs 7075 Aluminum
Strength, weldability, machinability, corrosion resistance, and cost compared — plus what happens when you substitute one alloy for the other.
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Nylon CNC Machining
PA6 vs PA66, cast vs extruded stock, moisture absorption and tolerance planning, nylon vs Delrin, and drawing tips for machined PA parts.
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CNC Machining Tolerances
ISO 2768 classes, GD&T basics, achievable tolerances by process, and the tolerance-cost relationship. The core lesson: tolerance only the features that need it, because every tightened callout is paid for in cycle time and inspection.
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DFM: CNC Design Guide
Corner radii, wall thickness, thread depth, tolerancing strategy, and the top 10 drawing mistakes we see in RFQs. This is the guide that pays for itself: most DFM fixes cost nothing at the design stage and hundreds of dollars at the machine.
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CNC Machining Cost
The five cost buckets behind every quote (material, setup, cycle time, finishing, inspection), the quantity-price curve, and the DFM levers that actually move unit cost. Read this before negotiating price — you will know which lever to pull instead.
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Lead Time & MOQ
Where lead time actually goes between PO and delivery, why small batches cost more per part, what MOQ really means from a machine shop, and the specific moves that shorten delivery: standard materials, relaxed cosmetic callouts, and consolidated orders.
Read the guide →Anodizing Aluminum
Type I/II/III per MIL-A-8625, process steps, dye colors, dimensional effects, masking, and how to write the drawing callout.
Read the guide →Hard Coat Anodizing
Type III hardcoat: thickness, hardness, when to specify it, dimensional planning, color limits, and drawing callout examples.
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First Article Inspection (FAI)
What an FAI report contains, when one is required, how AS9102 formats it, and how FAI differs from a C of C or full inspection.
Read the guide →Head-to-Head
Process & Finish Comparisons
Engineer's comparisons of the decisions that come up on real RFQs — process against process, finish against finish.
CNC Machining vs 3D Printing
An engineer's comparison of the two processes on tolerance, strength, materials, cost, and lead time — plus the hybrid route (print to validate, machine to produce) that most real product programs end up using.
Read the comparison →Anodizing vs Powder Coating
Durability, thickness, tolerances, corrosion behavior, and cost — how to pick the right finish for machined aluminum parts.
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Milling vs Turning
How each CNC process works, which part geometries fit each, cost and tolerance differences, and when mill-turn wins.
Read the comparison →Have a Part Ready to Quote?
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