Manufacturing method guide

Start with the job.
Not the material.

Many brackets, covers, jigs, ducts and fixtures default to aluminium because it is familiar. Compare what the part actually needs—load, temperature, accuracy, finish, quantity and environment—before choosing the process.

Manufacturing quote

Process comparison

Six useful ways to make a part

Hover a card to see more. On a keyboard or touchscreen, focus or tap the card. Requirements decide the process; no single method wins every job.

CONSIDER A POLYMER WHEN

The part positions, protects, guides or carries moderate loads

Printed polymers can reduce mass, part count, lead time and machining cost while adding cable paths, clips, ducts and complex internal geometry.

KEEP METAL WHEN

Heat, stiffness, wear, precision or safety dominates

Metal remains appropriate for high sustained loads, tight bearing fits, sliding wear, elevated temperatures, food-contact qualification and safety-critical parts.

How it worksA heated nozzle lays thermoplastic roads layer by layer. Walls, skin and infill create the final structure.

Strengths: Low tooling cost, complex geometry, fast iteration, many engineering polymers and lightweight internal structure.
Limitations: Layer-direction weakness, visible layer lines, process-dependent tolerances and limited unsupported overhangs.
Applications: Brackets, guards, ducts, assembly aids, robot end effectors, housings and replacement parts.

Best when geometry or iteration speed matters more than a machined surface.

How it worksUV light cures thin cross-sections of liquid resin in a vat, building the part one layer at a time.

Strengths: Excellent small detail, smooth surfaces, fine text and features that are difficult for a nozzle to reproduce.
Limitations: Support marks, wash and cure steps, smaller work areas and resin-specific brittleness or ageing.
Applications: Presentation models, masters, miniature mechanisms, casting patterns and detailed enclosures.

Best when detail and appearance matter more than size or rugged impact resistance.

How it worksA focused beam follows vector paths, heating a narrow kerf through a flat sheet.

Strengths: Fast profiles, repeatable geometry, efficient nesting and no cutting force on delicate shapes.
Limitations: Primarily 2D, material and thickness limits, kerf compensation, edge heat and minimum feature rules.
Applications: Panels, gaskets, templates, signs, flat-pack assemblies, spacers and electronic enclosures.

Best when a part can be designed as a flat profile or folded/assembled from profiles.

How it worksThe laser modulates power while scanning lines or following vectors to alter or remove a shallow surface layer.

Strengths: Non-contact marking, variable imagery, fine lettering and repeatable serialisation without printing plates.
Limitations: Contrast depends on material, photographs require tonal conversion and some finishes need testing.
Applications: Control panels, QR codes, serial numbers, logos, diagrams, gifts and workshop labels.

Best when permanent information or decoration is needed on a compatible flat surface.

How it worksA rotating cutter removes material along programmed paths, usually from sheet or plate held on a flat bed.

Strengths: Real material properties, good planar accuracy, pockets, countersinks and larger formats than desktop printers.
Limitations: Internal corners inherit tool radius; clamping, chip removal, tool access and stock thickness constrain geometry.
Applications: Composite panels, plywood assemblies, plastic plates, jigs, fixtures and equipment panels.

Best when the part is plate-like but needs pockets or edge quality beyond laser capability.

How it worksRigid cutters remove material from metal stock on mills, lathes and related machine tools.

Strengths: Tight tolerances, predictable bulk properties, excellent threads and bearing fits, heat and wear resistance.
Limitations: Higher setup and stock cost, tool-access constraints, more waste and slower changes for one-off complex parts.
Applications: Shafts, precision interfaces, high-load mounts, hot-zone parts, wear components and safety-critical hardware.

Best when the requirements genuinely need metal—not only because the previous part was machined.

Start with the job.Not the material.

Six useful ways to make a part

The part positions, protects, guides or carries moderate loads

Heat, stiffness, wear, precision or safety dominates

Start with the job.
Not the material.