Material and finish decide whether a part survives its environment. These notes cover grade selection, what a surface finish specification actually means, and why finish thickness has to appear on the drawing. 4 articles.
Hardness numbers, heat-treatment sequence and distortion: what to put on the drawing, and why the order of machining and treatment decides the tolerance.
6061, 6082 and 7075 machine, anodise and distort differently. How to match the alloy and its temper to the part, the finish and the tolerance it needs.
What Ra actually measures, which values are realistic from which process, and when a finish spec is wasted.
Corrosion, wear, appearance and cost: how to pick a finish for machined metal components.
Material and finish decisions are hard to reverse later, because they change the process, the tolerance and the inspection plan at the same time. Getting them right on paper is far cheaper than discovering the problem in service.
Tell us what the part has to survive. We will recommend a grade and a finish that meet it, rather than the most expensive option on the list.
