Thermal expansion is easy to compute and easy to forget. Learn to calculate free growth (ΔL = αL·ΔT) and restrained stress (σ = E·α·ΔT) with worked examples and a table of common α values.
6061, 7075, 2024, and 5052 aluminum behave very differently. Compare strength, weldability, corrosion, and formability with a side-by-side table and a fast selection shortcut.
Why Surface Finish Matters Surface finish (or surface roughness) describes the texture of a machined surface. It affects sealing, wear, fatigue life, coating adhesion, and appearance. If you’re designing parts that mate, seal, or slide against each other, you need to specify surface finish on your drawing. Common Surface Finish Values Ra (µin) Ra (µm) … Read more
What is Machinability? Machinability is how easy (or difficult) a metal is to cut with standard machining operations — turning, milling, drilling. It’s expressed as a percentage relative to AISI 1212 steel, which is the baseline at 100%. Higher percentage = easier to machine = lower cost. If you’re selecting a material and you have … Read more
What is Galvanic Corrosion? When two dissimilar metals are in electrical contact in the presence of an electrolyte (water, salt spray, humidity), the more reactive metal corrodes faster than it would on its own. This is galvanic corrosion — and it’s one of the most common (and preventable) failure modes in mechanical design. The further … Read more