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Article

How much does CNC machining cost?

As a buyer of machined components, cost is probably never far from your mind. In this blog, we break down what a CNC machining quote should cover to help you compare quotes between suppliers in the UK.

Article

Understanding manufacturing lead times: How to get your CNC machined parts faster

Discover essential tips for optimising lead times in precision machining, including effective design practices and alternative buying methods. Learn how Penta Precision can streamline your CNC machining projects for faster delivery and improved efficiency.

Designing better enclosures collection

Article

Electronic enclosure design for machining

Video

Manufacturing an enclosure using a pyramid fixture on a 5-axis CNC machine

Guide

Which manufacturing method is best for enclosures?

Guide

How to design a waterproof enclosure for machining

Guide

Custom enclosures: from design to manufacture

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Article

How to design a heatsink for manufacture

If you're designing an electronic product, particularly one with a plastic housing, there's a good chance you'll need a heatsink. This blog will take you through the key design considerations to achieve the best efficiency and value for money.

Article

2022 - A year in review

2022 was a big year for Penta: our first full year in our new premises, new team members, new machines and new customers, all while continuing to deliver the exemplary service that we have become known for.

Article

What to know before buying machined components

You place a lot of trust in your suppliers, and usually there is a lot riding on everything going as expected. Here's our spooky take on breakdowns that can happen in that relationship.

Article

Penta wins business growth award

We are over the moon to have been awarded the Business Growth Award 2022 at the Central South Business Awards. The award recognises outstanding vision and leadership through significant and sustained growth.

Article

Is the cost of your machined components increasing?

If you outsource CNC machining, you are probably seeing component prices rise. For buyers that are focussed on getting best value for money, an environment where prices are rocketing can make your job very hard indeed.

Article

2021 - A year in review

2021 has marked a year of change at Penta. From new employees to new locations, our focus for the year has been the same as ever – providing an exemplary service for customers.

Article

How to beat the rise in raw material prices

Engineering raw material prices have rocketed and it's causing chaos. Uncertainty over availability means it's difficult to get quotes for materials, and difficult to get quotes for manufacturing. The timeframe in which a quote remains valid is shortening significantly. We're feeling the effects, and we know our customers are too.

Article

Are badly specified engineering tolerances pushing up your costs?

It can be a tricky balancing act to specify components in industries where there is a need for volume but also for safety, competition is high, or the market is commoditised. Designers and product development teams facing these challenges understand that precision machining tolerances must be detailed. And the datum must be precise. If they get any of this wrong, they risk compromising the product's fit, form and function.

Article

Specifying the right aluminium grade and plastic type for medical devices

You love the brushed aluminium finish on your top-of-the-range designer laptop. And you want the same finish for the high-end medical device you're specifying. But this may not be as easy as you think. The aluminium grade you want may not be readily available. Or the finishing may require special techniques.

Download

Stainless Steel: Tables of technical properties

Download

International alloy designations and chemical composition limits for wrought aluminum and wrought aluminum alloys

Download

Why make it in brass

Download

Machining of aluminum and aluminum alloys (ASM handbook)

Download

General tolerances – DIN ISO 2768

Article

Who's at fault? Your CNC machining supplier or your drawings?

You're having difficulties with a precision component for a critical medical device. The part won't fit the assembly. Or the finish isn't right. Or the quality/consistency is hit and miss. Or any number of other issues. But your existing supplier – who perhaps has been reliable up until now – is pushing back: they did "exactly as instructed", they protest. They followed your drawings/CAD models "to the letter". So what went wrong? And how can it be fixed quickly and cost-effectively? You want a second opinion – is the issue with the supplier, the drawings or both?

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