Tracking

Search results for "material properties"

Article

Injection Molding Used in Medical Devices

Injection molding for medical devices can use plastics, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), silicones, metals, or composite materials. There are many types of injection moldable plastics, but medical device designers often choose polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or polyetheretherketone (PEEK), depending on the application. Silicone elastomers also offer a choice of materials and combine chemical stability with support for […]

Article

TPR vs. TPE: Similarities and Differences

Thermoplastic rubbers (TPR) and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) are copolymers, or blends of polymers, that have the properties of both thermoplastic and elastomeric materials.  Thermoplastic rubber and thermoplastic elastomer are sometimes used interchangeably, but it’s important to understand that TPEs and TPRs are not one and the same. This article discusses the similarities and differences between […]

Article

Types of Springs and their Applications: An Overview

Springs are common in all kinds of machines — from consumer products to heavy industrial equipment. Take apart anything that involves a mechanism, and chances are, you’ll find a spring inside. Springs are storage devices for mechanical energy, analogous to the electrical storage capacity of batteries. The earliest spring-driven clocks appeared in the 1400s. Fast-forward […]

Article

Fillets: When to Use ‘Em, When to Lose ‘Em

Fillets are one of those mysterious design features for which there seem to be no clearly defined rules. Either a part is entirely devoid of fillets, and most or all edges are well-defined, or the part’s designer decided to take the opposite route, and every single edge and corner is rounded with some size of […]

Article

A Guide to Rivet Types and Their Common Uses

Rivets are a versatile and low-cost method for fastening two components together. They’re typically used to attach sheet and structural members, and in some cases only require access to one side of the joint to install. Rivets are low-cost and come in a range of different materials like aluminum, stainless steel, and copper. This article […]

Article

A Basic Introduction to CNC Turning

CNC turning services offer a widespread technology for manufacturing cylindrical parts from various materials. Unlike CNC milling, CNC turning rotates the workpiece and introduces a stationary tool into the workpiece. Advanced CNC turning centers take this further by adding milling functionality to the machine to produce highly complex parts like those in the image below: […]