What is Material Requirement Planning (MRP)?

MRP (Material Requirement Planning) is an inventory management concept used to optimize inventory and minimize risks. MRP was developed in the 1960s, and has continued evolving. The concepts are used today by every manufacturing business.

Direct vs. Indirect Procurement

Direct procurement is the purchase of things used to make or manufacture something a customer will buy, while indirect procurement is the purchase of goods and services that aren’t directly related to the production process.

How Lead Time Affects the Supply Chain

There are 5 aspects of effective supply chain management: 1 - Planning 2 - Sourcing 3- Manufacturing 4- Delivery 5 - Returns. Lead Time for the Company = Procurement Time + Manufacturing Time + Shipping Time. Manufacturing lead times impact each of these.

Countersink vs. Counterbore Holes in Machining

The difference between countersink and counterbore holes is the shape of the top of the hole. Countersink holes have a cone-shape, while counterbore holes have a cylindrical shape.

What is CNC Milling?

CNC milling is a machining process that uses computerized controls and rotating cutting tools to produce a custom-designed part or product. This process is used for machining a wide range of materials, and can manufacture a variety of precision parts.

Heat Treating Aluminum Parts: Benefits and Methods

Heat treating is a process used to alter the physical and mechanical properties of metals. Heat treating aluminum parts is a common practice to increase the strength, hardness, and ductility of the metal.

What’s the Difference Between CNC Milling & CNC Turning?

CNC machining is a process to machine precision parts. Most people will refer to any type of CNC operation as simply CNC machining. But, not all CNC processes and machines are the same. There are quite a few different types of CNC machines that are used for various operations.

3D Printing for Rapid Prototyping

Rapid prototyping is a sped up fabrication of the part while maintaining accuracy. Where the prototype design is a close match the proposed finished product, it’s called a high fidelity prototype. A low fidelity prototype has marked difference between the prototype and the final product.

Inventory Management Techniques and Concepts

Inventory management is a system that tracks inventory—raw materials, unfinished goods, and finished goods—from start to finish. Proper inventory management is necessary if you want to scale a business and reach sustainable long term growth.

Precision Oil and Gas Parts Manufacturing

Given the harsh environments and high pressures, components must be manufactured to extremely tight tolerances and exact specifications. This guarantees that parts fit and function as intended, minimizing the risk of leaks, mechanical failures, and other issues.

The Melting Point of Metals

The melting point of different metals helps you choose the right metal to manufacture components for high-temperature applications. There’s another temperature at which the metal doesn’t turn into a liquid, but it starts to deform and lose the majority of its strength.

Understanding Yield Strength and Tensile Strength

Two key properties that engineers and manufacturers must consider are yield strength and tensile strength. These measure a material’s behavior under stress and its ability to withstand deformation or failure.

What is A2 Steel?

A2 steel is a versatile and robust material. It’s known for its unique combination of strength, toughness, and wear resistance.

Compare Brass Grades: 353 vs 360

Brass 353, also referred to as clock brass, is often used to fabricate small components with precise measurements, such as clock and watch parts, because of its excellent machinability. Brass 360 is known as free cutting brass, this alloy is the most common type of brass.

What Is a Multi-Echelon Inventory System?

Multi-echelon inventory optimization aligns supply and demand across multiple levels of the supply chain. This differs from single level inventory optimization, which focuses on the inventory at one point in the supply chain.

Hard Metals vs. Soft Metals for CNC Machining

One of the most important properties of a metal is the hardness. The hardness or softness of a metal affects how strong it is, how much weight it can bear, how easy it is to machine, and how resistant to wear it is.