What is Laser Welding and How Does it Work?

Laser welding is the method of using a high-powered laser beam to melt and bond materials such as metals or thermoplastics to create a weld. Thin materials can be welded with lasers because it uses such a concentrated heat source. The concentrated heat source enables thin materials to experience a high welding speed of meters […]

What is Arc Welding?

Arc Welding Definition and Process Types Arc welding is one of many fusion welding processes used to join metals. It uses an electric arc to create intense heat to melt and join metals. A power source generates an electric arc between a consumable or non-consumable electrode and base metal.  Arc welders can use either direct […]

What is Spot Welding?

Spot welding is a type of electric resistance weld that uses resistance to weld two or more metal sheets together using pressure and heat to the weld part. The spot welding process uses two copper alloy electrodes to focus the welding current into a small area and hold the sheets together. This process involves pressure […]

What is Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)?

Methods and Definition Non-destructive testing (NDT) is also known as non-destructive examination (NDE), non-destructive evaluation (NDE), and non-destructive (NDI). This process involves a large variety of techniques used by various industries to evaluate the properties of a part, material, product, system, or weld without impacting the original piece. Non-Destructive Testing Methods The following are NDT […]

What is Welding? Processes, Definitions and Types of Welds

Definition, Processes, and Types of Welds Welding is the process that combines materials such as metals, thermoplastics, and/or wood by using heat or pressure to melt the parts together. Allowing them to cool enables fusion. Different materials require unique processes and techniques. There are some materials that are considered unweldable. While not a term in […]

What is Additive Manufacturing? Definition and Processes

Additive manufacturing (AM) is also known as 3D printing. It is a transformational approach to industrial production that uses a computer-controlled process to generate three-dimensional objects through the process of adding materials layer-by-layer. How Does Additive Manufacturing Work? Additive manufacturing works by using a computer-aided design (CAD) or 3D object scanner that directs hardware to […]

Designing for Sheet Metal Fabrication: The Complete Guide

Why Sheet Metal? Sheet metal can be used for a wide variety of applications. Sheet metal can be extremely advantageous depending on the type of application. Sheet metal has a much lower material cost than machining does. Instead of beginning with a chunk of material and having the majority of that cut away by a […]

5 Things to Know About Part Tolerances for CNC Machining

Enrich your knowledge about tolerances for CNC machining, through learning about implications when tightening the range and the ways your existing tolerance range relies on various factors. 1. Tolerances are the allowable range for a dimension, usually expressed as “+/-’’. The designer determines this based on the fit, form, and function of the part. If […]

Metal Fabrication Guide: The Complete Guide to Manufacturing Metal Parts

Rocks are all around us. They are the ground that we walk on and the building blocks of our homes and organizations. Every metal is derived from the minerals and ores that are located in the ground. Luckily for civilization today we have the technology to extract the raw materials found in the earth’s crust and process them into a variety of alloys. Alloys are a combination of metals or metals that are combined with other elements.