Knowledge Hub
Reference charts and decision guides from the KGL engineering desk: tolerance grades, surface finish values, process selection, and the shop-side controls behind the numbers we quote. Written by the engineers who run the process.
CNC DFM Checklist: 15 Rules to Check Before You Send a Drawing
A DFM checklist you can run before sending a drawing: five geometry rules, five tolerance and datum rules, five material and RFQ rules, each with the cost logic behind it.
dfm · design · cost · checklist · quoting
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GD&T Basics for Machined Parts: Datums, Position, and What Actually Gets Measured
The GD&T that matters on machined part drawings: datum selection, position versus coordinate dimensions, the callouts buyers most often specify, and how inspection verifies each one.
gd-and-t · tolerance · quality · inspection
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Tight-Tolerance Machining: The Five Steps Behind a 0.005 mm Result
The five step process behind a 0.005 mm quote, with the numbers we hold on the floor: warm-up, datums, finishing strategy, temperature control, and the inspection plan.
tolerance · quality · 0.005-mm · process
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6061 vs 7075 vs Titanium: An Alloy Selection Guide for Machined Parts
Side-by-side numbers for 6061, 7075, and Ti-6Al-4V, machining notes from the floor, and a decision table by part class.
materials · aluminum · titanium · selection
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Anodizing vs Chem Film vs Electroless Nickel: Choosing a Finish for Machined Parts
What each finish actually does, how much dimension each one adds, where conductivity survives, and how the choice shows up on the quote.
surface-treatment · anodizing · electroless-nickel · finishing
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Stainless Steel 304 vs 316 vs 17-4PH: A Machining Perspective
What the composition numbers mean at the cutting edge, how work hardening changes the process, and a decision table by service environment.
materials · stainless-steel · 17-4ph · selection
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CNC Machining Cost Factors: What Actually Drives the Price
A quote decomposed into its drivers, a worked example of setup amortization, and the design choices that cut cost without touching function.
cost · quoting · dfm · process-selection
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CNC Machining Tolerance Chart: IT Grades and What It Takes to Hold 0.005 mm
IT grades, process capability by material, and the measurement controls behind a plus or minus 0.005 mm commitment. A chart you can check against your drawing.
tolerance · quality · reference · gd-and-t
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Surface Roughness Ra Chart: What Ra 0.4 to Ra 3.2 Means and What Each Finish Costs
A practical Ra chart for machined parts: application mapping from Ra 3.2 down to Ra 0.4, process capability by material, and how shops actually verify finish.
surface-finish · ra · quality · reference
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5-Axis vs 3-Axis CNC Machining: Cost, Setups, and When the Upgrade Pays
Five-axis does not always cost more. Setup count, tolerance stacking, and geometry decide it. A practical decision chart from a shop that runs both every day.
5-axis · 3-axis · cost · process-selection
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