A look at the equipment, the team and the testing we can now do in-house. In this article we walk through the decisions our team makes every week, with the trade-offs explained in plain language.

Start with the operating conditions

Before comparing datasheets, write down what the part actually has to survive: the load, the speed, the temperature range, the chemicals it touches and how long it needs to last. Most material problems we see trace back to one of these being underestimated.

• Peak and continuous load, not just the average

• Temperature at the contact surface, not the room

• Exposure to oils, coolants, cleaning agents or UV

• Required service life and inspection interval

Compare the numbers that matter

Tensile strength gets the attention, but for moving parts wear rate, friction and dimensional stability usually decide the outcome. Look at the full picture and ask your supplier for test data at your operating temperature.

Talk to us early

The cheapest time to change a material or a tolerance is before tooling is ordered. Send us a drawing and we’ll come back with a recommendation, a price and a lead time within two working days.