Comparing metals, glass, and plastics against each other is common when weighing the pros and cons of various materials. However, when most people do so they lump all plastics together into one category. The reality is that plastics vary widely in terms of function, form, and in details such as ...

Is your finished plastic part not what you expected? When trimming and edges look funky or are too jagged, the root cause is often an issue in the CNC routing process. Luckily, these issues can be avoided – if you know what to look for.

Vacuum forming is an efficient, accurate, and cost-effective method of creating plastic fabricated parts. One question we often get about vacuum forming is: what’s the difference between vacuum forming and pressure forming? The two are very similar, but there are a few key differences.

It’s incredibly frustrating when the vacuum forming process ends in a warped or wrinkled part. It wastes your materials, time, and effort. The best way to avoid disaster is to know the warning signs, and how to fix them.

In the world of product engineering, designing for manufacturability means understanding the needs of each individual project and adapting models, designs, and methods to best suit those needs. Like many aspects of the product development process, designing for manufacturability requires the ...

Kiss cutting is a key manufacturing operation. But what is it, and when do you use it?

A company that creates airport rescue fire trucks needed to cut truck weight in order to hit their acceleration goals, allowing fire fighters to get to crash sites as quickly as possible to save lives.

When designing large flat two-dimensional parts that still require high degrees of precision the first question after material selection you have to ask is: what is the best method for creating this part?

The thermoforming process involves so many variables that mistakes in the final thermoplastic product are common. Material characteristics, heating consistency, pressure levels, and moisture can all tweak the results of the process in unexpected ways. Because of these variables, troubleshooting the ...

Performance is critical for automotives – but so is comfort. A noisy vehicle isn’t just annoying – it can be dangerously distracting for the operator. This type of noise is called NVH, and can be mitigated with the use of automotive NVH foam.

This customer was a cab manufacturer supplying cabs to some of the top OEMs in the world in agriculture, construction, forestry, military, mining, rail, and specialty truck markets.

Closed cell sponge gaskets are critical parts that are used for a variety of applications where sealing is the primary goal. But how do they work? And what are their uses?

A medical company needed a better solution for a vital tool. This company produced Automated Endoscope Reprocessors (AERs), which require parts that can tolerate high temperatures, be sealed tight, and withstand frequent use.

Some materials are accompanied by an unchangeable color palette, muddled base colors, or an inability to maintain bright designs for long periods of time. Compared to these other materials, plastics and thermoplastics specifically offer an incredible amount of design potential.

Durometer is a critical measurement when creating parts. But what is it, exactly, and why is it so important?

For optically clear plastic parts, drape-forming is a superior solution. Here’s how it works, and why you should consider this method for your next project.

When it comes down to meeting the weight and deflection demands specified by an application, sometimes metals just don’t cut it. Thermoplastics can be the solution for the problem. Thermoplastics melt when heated and harden when cooled. This allows the forming of a broad range of specific shapes ...

Despite sounding like they popped out of a 1980s space thriller, the mechanics of thermoforming and vacuum forming are surprisingly simple. Utilizing highly regulated temperatures, plastics are heated and formed to the shape you desire.