Practical knowledge

Guide

Answers for designers and buyers: what drives the price of a part, how to specify tolerances and surfaces, which material fits — from the day-to-day work of our machine shop.

5 min read

What does a turned part cost? What drives the price

Setup time, cycle time, material, tolerances and quantity: how the price of a CNC turned part is made up and where designers and buyers can save money.

6 min read

Specifying tolerances: ISO 2768 and fits explained

General tolerances to ISO 2768-1 with a table of permissible deviations, and fits such as H7 and h6 explained: which tolerance you need for what, and what it costs.

4 min read

Rz or Ra? Surface roughness explained

What Ra and Rz mean, how they relate, which roughness turning, milling and grinding achieve, and which surface finish your part really needs.

5 min read

1.4301 (304), 1.4305 (303) or 1.4404 (316L): which stainless steel for what?

The common stainless steels for turned and milled parts compared: corrosion resistance, machinability, weldability and price of 1.4301 (304), 1.4305 (303), 1.4404 (316L), 1.4571 and duplex 1.4462.

4 min read

How to prepare an enquiry for turned and milled parts

Which files and information a machine shop needs for a fast, accurate quote: STEP and drawing, material, quantity, tolerances, surface finish, coating and delivery date.