How to Machine Composites Without Delamination: CNC Milling, PCD Tooling & Five-Axis
Trimming a cured carbon fiber or fiberglass panel is a different problem than cutting the dry fabric it was laid up from.…
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MNT guides and support articles on CNC routers, fiber lasers, machining centers and digital cutting machines — setup tips, applications and buying advice.
Five Axis vs Three Axis CNC Router: When the Fifth Axis Pays Back
The question isn’t whether a five axis router can do more than a three axis one — it obviously can. The question…
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Tube Laser Cutting Design Tips for Metal Fabrication
Draft design tips for holes, miters, notches, bevels and welded tube assemblies.
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How to Cut Composites Without Delamination: Carbon Fiber, Prepreg and Fiberglass
A frayed edge on dry carbon fabric and true delamination on a cured laminate are different failures with different causes — but…
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Composite Shops: Ply Cutting and Kitting Workflow
Composite shops chasing faster cutting usually solve the wrong problem. The time a layup technician spends hunting for the right ply, in…
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Laser Cutting vs Die Cutting: Which Process Fits Your Material
Converters cutting foam, rubber, gaskets, textiles and packaging material usually inherit whichever process their shop started with — and stick with it…
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How to Choose a Digital Cutting Table: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Buy
A digital cutting table looks like one machine category from a spec sheet, but the differences between models matter more than the…
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Oscillating Knife vs Rotary Knife vs Drag Knife: Which Tool for Which Material
Three knife types show up on digital cutting machines, and they are not interchangeable. Pick the wrong one for your material and…
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Oscillating Knife Blade Selection Chart by Material & Thickness
The wrong blade doesn’t fail loudly. It fails as a torn edge on fabric, a melted-looking cut on foam, or a chipped…
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Nesting Software and Panel Yield: Where the Money Actually Is
Nesting software decides how parts sit on a sheet before the machine ever touches it. A few percentage points of layout efficiency,…
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Feeds and Speeds for Aluminum: Why Going Slower Breaks Cutters
Feeds and speeds for aluminum fail in a way that looks backwards to most operators. A cutter that snaps in 6061 is…
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Die-Less vs Die-Cutting for Cardboard: Which Should You Choose?
Die-less digital cutting vs traditional die-cutting for cardboard — which wins on samples, cost, speed and flexibility, and where each method fits.
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