Blogs

Compare 4140 and 8620 steel for shafts, gears, and splines—hardness, machinability, and cost. Get a material and process recommendation from RPS.

Learn how drawing symbols, GD&T, and tolerances drive CNC machining cost and inspection. Get a drawing review and DFM recommendation from RPS.

Learn when hard coat anodizing makes sense, how it changes dimensions, and which alloys work best. Get a DFM and coating recommendation from RPS.

Learn how to select automotive fasteners by load, vibration, corrosion, and assembly method. Get a DFM and fastener-strategy recommendation from RPS.

Learn what insert molding is, when to use it over assembly or overmolding, and how to avoid defects. Get a DFM and process recommendation from RPS.

Learn how to CNC machine ABS without melting or warping, plus when to switch to molding or 3D printing. Get a DFM and process recommendation from RPS.

Compare 3-axis, 4-axis, and 5-axis CNC machining by geometry, tolerance, and total cost. Get a DFM and axis-strategy recommendation from RPS.

Learn when surface grinding beats CNC milling—flatness, parallelism, materials, wheel selection, and cost. Get a DFM and process recommendation from RPS.

Learn when to use boring vs drilling, reaming, and honing for precision holes—tolerance, tooling, materials, and cost. Get a DFM review from RPS.

A complete engineering guide to moving from prototype to production—DFM, process selection, tooling break-even, pilot runs, and quality control. Get an RPS review.

Master O-ring groove design—compression, gland fill, materials, CNC limits, and tolerance control for reliable, manufacturable seals. Get a DFM review from RPS.

Learn how to select grooving tools based on groove geometry, material, and tolerance — not tool category alone. Covers OD/ID/face grooving, insert selection, and troubleshooting chatter and tool breakage.

Types of titanium alloys: CP titanium, alpha, alpha-beta (Ti-6Al-4V) & beta — machinability, cost structure, industry selection & CNC machining guide.

Injection molding wall thickness: cooling time, sink marks, warpage, cost impact, material ranges, ribs vs thick walls & DFM checklist guide.

Alodine (chromate conversion coating) preserves conductivity and dimensional accuracy on aluminum parts. Learn when to choose it over anodizing, Type I vs Type II, and how to specify MIL-DTL-5541 correctly.