The Protomatic blog, “Precisely Speaking,” is where you’ll get useful information on all aspects of precision CNC machining.
Legal Note: Blogs represent the current status of the company capabilities at the time of publishing. Historical blogs may not represent the current capability of the company. Content subject to verification (Typographical error(s) may occur).
Protomatic ISO and Cyber Security Goals for 2
3/3/2017
A lot of companies simply do not have the time to evaluate their supplier base. Unfortunately, this means there is little or limited communication between quality and management teams. To bridge that gap, Protomatic brings you these newsletters on a monthly basis.
Manufacturing job shops typically interpret a material specification of “ALUMINUM 6061-T6” as allowing 6061-T6, -T651 or -T6511. All of these are acceptable tempers, and are permitted for most applications. But, from years of experience, this is not necessarily the best interpretation.
While there is a wide array of metal coatings and finishes available, the following overview highlights many of the options that are most commonly used by design engineers.
Using the proper finishing process is critical to any CNC machined part. Of course, one major benefit is the parts just look better. When parts are unfinished, the often look incomplete. The right finish conveys a perception of higher quality, which customers certainly appreciate.
Technically small parts are hard to make. As you get smaller, challenges arise. Deburring, machine accuracy and tool quality are just some of the problems that are experienced when making small part features.
Customer-provided CAD math data is critically important to manufacturing. It expedites quotations, and is used in the CAM programs to create the CNC program used to manufacture parts, and the CMM program to inspect them.
One of the most critical aspects in choosing CNC machine shop is the method it uses to inspect the parts they produce. It is important that you understand the different methods used by CNC shops and what they mean to product performance and quality.
Inspecting parts is a crucial stage in the manufacturing process. In order to maintain a quality level of Life-Saving Precision, Protomatic takes specific steps to ensure that the parts produced meet rigorous standards.
Stock markets are fickle at best, and industry is currently uncertain about political leadership and direction. The result is that investors are acting in a reactionary manner.
When it comes to manufacturing technically difficult parts, all suppliers aren’t the same. Far from it. The tipping point is which supplier has the right tool to make a part with the quality and consistency required. Sure, price is important.
