Blog

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 15, 2026 CNC machining tolerances describe how far a machined dimension may deviate from the nominal value on the drawing. General tolerances such as ISO 2768 give a starting point, while critical features need explicit limits and an agreed inspection method. Typical machined

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 15, 2026 5-axis CNC machining moves the cutting tool and the workpiece along five axes at the same time, letting one setup machine complex geometry that would otherwise need multiple operations. It earns its cost when a part has angled features, contoured surfaces,

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 15, 2026 CNC turning rotates the workpiece against a fixed cutting tool and is the natural process for cylindrical parts; CNC milling rotates the cutting tool against a fixed workpiece and is the natural process for prismatic parts. If the design is built

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 14, 2026 Urethane casting pours liquid polyurethane into a silicone mold to produce small batches of plastic parts with molded-like quality. CNC machining cuts plastic parts from solid stock with tight tolerances and no tooling. For runs of 1 to 100 parts, the

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 14, 2026 Aluminum is lightweight, easy to machine, and low in cost, with good corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity. Stainless steel is stronger, harder, and more corrosion-resistant, but heavier, more expensive, and slower to machine. Choose aluminum for weight-sensitive, cost-sensitive, or thermally demanding

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 14, 2026 CNC machining cuts parts from solid blocks, while sheet metal fabrication cuts, bends, and joins flat sheets. Machining suits thick, complex, or highly toleranced parts; sheet metal suits enclosures, brackets, and panels where light weight and low material cost matter. Many

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 14, 2026 Extrusion pushes heated material through a die to create continuous profiles with a constant cross-section, while injection molding fills a closed mold to create discrete three-dimensional parts. If your part is a long profile, tube, or strip, extrusion fits; if it

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 14, 2026 Choose a medical device prototype manufacturer with experience in regulated industries, the right processes and materials, documented quality control, and clear communication. Confirm traceability, inspection, and documentation early, and validate prototypes against your regulatory plan. Medical prototyping carries higher stakes than

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 14, 2026 A good sheet metal fabrication service combines laser cutting, punching, bending, forming, and assembly under one roof, with the engineering support to review your drawings. Evaluate capability, tolerance control, inspection, communication, and pricing transparency. Request a DFM review before ordering, and

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 14, 2026 Low-volume manufacturing covers runs from a single part to a few thousand pieces using flexible processes such as CNC machining, 3D printing, and bridge tooling. Mass production uses dedicated molds and automated lines to reach hundreds of thousands of parts at

By 6CProto Engineering Team · Updated August 14, 2026 3D printing builds parts layer by layer from digital files, while CNC machining cuts them from solid material. Printing is faster for complex and organic shapes with no tooling; machining provides stronger, tighter-tolerance parts in production-grade materials. Most teams use both:

Marine hardware should be specified by exposure severity, material, coating system, and failure consequence rather than by a single salt spray hour target. Protected inland or occasional-splash components may need modest neutral salt spray validation, while continuously wet, offshore, or safety-critical hardware requires corrosion-resistant materials, robust finish systems, joint design