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Practical guides, written by the people who make the parts

Application guides, checklists and explainers for engineers and buyers — published with a named technical reviewer and a last-updated date as each one is completed.

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ReferenceGuides for engineers and buyers

Published guides

Written by the people who make the parts

Practical engineering guidance, not sales copy. Each guide answers one question an engineer or buyer actually asks before sending a drawing.

Tool holdersWhen a custom tool holder is justifiedA custom holder is worth it when the geometry of your operation — reach, clearance, interface or combined operations — makes every catalogue holder a compromise. It is rarely worth it purely to save money on a standard size. The test is whether the constraint is geometric or commercial.Read the guide6 minPrecision componentsWhat a good RFQ drawing includesA quotable drawing states the revision, the material and condition, the dimensions that control function with their tolerances, the surface finish, any heat treatment or coating, the quantity now and expected, and the date you need it. Anything missing becomes an assumption, and assumptions are priced defensively.Read the guide7 minFixturesJig versus fixture, and why the distinction mattersA jig guides the cutting tool as well as holding the work. A fixture holds and locates the work but does not guide the tool — the machine does that. On modern CNC equipment most of what people call jigs are fixtures, and treating one as the other leads to designs that cost more than they need to.Read the guide6 minReverse engineeringWhat can be recreated from a sampleGeometry recovers well from a sample, even a worn one, because worn surfaces can usually be reconstructed from the surfaces that did not wear. Material and heat treatment do not recover from measurement alone — they have to be tested or inferred from function, and the difference should be stated openly rather than assumed.Read the guide7 minProductivityHow to measure setup time honestlySetup time is the interval between the last good part of one job and the first good part of the next. Measuring from 'machine stops' to 'machine starts' flatters the number and hides the part that usually costs the most: everything that happens before the operator reaches the machine.Read the guide6 minSpecial purpose machinesWhen a special purpose machine makes business senseA special purpose machine is justified when one operation repeats at high enough volume, for long enough, that a dedicated machine costs less over its life than doing the work on general-purpose equipment. The decision turns on the stability of the requirement as much as on the volume.Read the guide7 min
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In preparation

These guides are being written and technically reviewed before publication. If one of them would answer a question you have now, ask it directly and you will get an engineer's answer rather than a wait.

  • Tool holders: VTL holder selection inputs · causes of holder runout · imported holder replacement checklist
  • Precision components: shaft, bush and sleeve tolerance basics · prototype to repeat production · choosing between machining and grinding routes
  • Fixtures: datum and clamping considerations · fixture-driven cycle-time reduction · inspection fixture planning
  • Reverse engineering: risks when the material is unknown · the obsolete-parts workflow · sample to approved drawing
  • Productivity: tooling symptoms that reduce throughput · establishing a cycle-time baseline · evaluating the economics of localisation
  • Special purpose machines: defining acceptance criteria · semi-automatic versus automatic · preparing an SPM requirement brief

Related pages

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The questions engineers and buyers ask before sending a drawing. If yours is not here, ask it directly — you will get an engineer's answer, not a brochure.

Still have a question?

Talk to Anita M.N, Managing Partner, or send the drawing and let the review answer it.

+91 98455 17597Send a drawing for review
How do I choose the right tool holder?

Start from the machine interface, the tool and the operation; then reach and clearance; then rigidity and runout. Each product page lists the inputs for that family.

What should an RFQ drawing include?

Revision, material, critical tolerances and fits, surface finish, heat treatment or coating, quantity and any inspection requirement.

When is reverse engineering appropriate?

When no drawing exists or can be obtained, the sample allows functional surfaces to be measured or reconstructed, and the part is mechanical.

How can setup time be reduced?

Measure where the time actually goes, then remove steps with pre-set holders, quick-locating fixtures and combined tools — trialled and measured.

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Share what you are trying to make or fix. Our engineering team reviews every enquiry and responds with the questions that matter, a feasibility view and next steps.

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Prefer to talk?

Call or WhatsApp Anita M.N, Managing Partner.

+91 98455 17597WhatsApp uscare@cmta.in