Engineering Reference
Compact engineering reference tables and guides for die casting, CNC machining, materials and supplier qualification: alloy comparisons, tolerance charts, defect catalogues, checklists and automotive guides.
Engineering Reference
Quick-lookup tables and decision guides distilled from the knowledge base articles. Each page is written to be printed, pinned to a workstation, or used as a first-pass specification sheet.
Available references
The reference library covers alloy selection, tolerance and surface-finish specification, a casting-defect catalogue, CNC capability charts, material selection logic, an OEM supplier-audit checklist, a DFM checklist, and two automotive-focused guides (structural die casting and EV housing manufacturing).
Downloadable, spreadsheet-ready versions of every table are available from the Downloads section.
Aluminum Die Casting Alloy Comparison: A380, ADC12, A383, A360, A413, A356
Compare A380, ADC12, A383, A360, A413 and A356 aluminum casting alloys on composition, tensile strength, density and castability to select the right alloy for die casting.
Automotive Die Casting Guide: Specifying Structural Castings
Guide to specifying automotive structural die castings: IATF 16949, APQP/PPAP, vacuum HPDC, elongation after T7, crash load paths and Al-on-steel corrosion isolation.
Casting Defect Catalog: Causes, Identification and Correction
Casting defect catalog for die casting: cold shut, misrun, porosity, hot tear, solder, flash, blister, warpage, inclusion and erosion with cause, identification and correction.
CNC Tolerance Chart: Capability by Process and Feature
CNC machining tolerance chart by process: ISO 2768-m/f, standard ±0.125 mm shop capability, ±0.025 precision, ±0.0125 tight, and hole grades H7/H8 by ream and bore.
DFM Checklist: Design for Manufacture of Cast and Machined Parts
Design for manufacture checklist for cast and machined aluminium parts: wall thickness, draft, fillets, hole depth limits, tolerances, setups and standard tools.
Die Casting Tolerance Guide: NADCA Standards and Practical Limits
Die casting tolerances per NADCA for aluminum, zinc and magnesium: linear, parting-line and moving-die limits, plus draft angles and wall-thickness practical guidance for drawings.
EV Battery Housing Manufacturing Guide
Manufacturing guide for EV battery enclosures: pack vs structural pack (CTP/CTB), IP67 seal, thermal-runaway barrier, HV isolation, extrusion plus HPDC nodes and cooling plate.
Material Selection Guide: Die Cast Alloy Decision Logic
Material selection logic for die cast parts: compare aluminum, magnesium, zinc and engineering plastics on strength, weight, wall thickness, corrosion, service temperature, cost and plating.
OEM Supplier Audit Checklist for Casting and Machined Parts
OEM supplier audit checklist for casting and machined-part suppliers: QSA vs QPA, IATF 16949, machine tonnage, in-house machining, SPC/CMM, 8D/CAPA and molten-metal safety.
Surface Finish Guide: Ra Values, Processes and Specification
Surface roughness Ra values by process for die cast and machined parts: as-cast, milled, turned, ground, polished, bead blast and coating build-up, with how to specify finish.