Etching is a critical step performed before the anodization of aluminum or aluminum alloys, to improve the quality of the final treatment. Etching removes any surface contaminants or oxides from th……

Ductility is a material property that describes the deformation under tensile stress by inelastic stretching, after the yield point and up to fracture. Ductility is measured either by the percentag……

Engraving is the method of carving a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass ar……

"Plastic fabrication" is the step in the design and manufacturing process when a selected shaping or molding method turns raw polymer materials into finished products. The end goal in the plastic m……

Black anodizing refers to the process of anodizing an aluminum part and then dying it black using a suitable dye. This must not be confused with black oxide coating which is unsuitable for aluminum……

Surface roughness, also known as surface finish or surface texture, is a critical feature that can distinguish a rough looking prototype from a polished finished product. In this article, we’ll exp……

Prototypes are integral to product development, moving a product from initial ideation to fabrication. This article will break the product development process down into five general stages and disc……

Laser engraving involves making deep permanent marks on a metal surface. The incision occurs by focusing a laser beam onto the metal surface in a specified pattern, thus removing some materials thr……