Product Catalog & Manufacturing Capabilities

A drawing rarely names a process. These are the four questions our engineers answer before quoting.

Geometry first. Rotational parts with tight concentricity go to CNC turning; prismatic parts with pockets and tapped holes go to milling. Thin-wall enclosures are usually cheaper as sheet metal than as a billet machined down to size. Internal cavities that no cutter can reach point to casting.

Then volume. For one to fifty pieces, machining from stock avoids tooling cost. Between a few hundred and a few thousand pieces, casting or forging plus secondary machining usually wins on material waste and cycle time. Dedicated tooling only pays back when the drawing is frozen and the annual call-off is stable.

Then material and finish. Stainless 304 and 316 suit wet or corrosive environments; 6061-T6 aluminum keeps weight and machining time low; 42CrMo and low-lead brass serve strength and fluid-contact applications. Anodizing, zinc-nickel plating, passivation and powder coating change both corrosion performance and the finished dimension, so they belong on the drawing rather than in an email.

Finally, verification. State the thread standard, the datum scheme, the inspection documents you need and the packing requirement. If the part is part of an assembly, send the mating part drawing too — most fit problems are found at the interface, not on the individual component. See the RFQ checklist for a copy-ready list.