Process Comparisons

6061-T6 is the weldable, corrosion-resistant, easily anodized workhorse; 7075-T6 is roughly 85% stronger in tension but is not practically weldable and corrodes more readily.

CNC machining cuts a part out of certified wrought stock and holds tight tolerances; 3D printing builds it up layer by layer and charges nothing for geometric complexity.

Casting melts metal and lets the mold define the shape, so almost any geometry is possible; forging deforms solid metal, so the grain follows the part and fatigue strength is higher.

Injection molding pays for a steel tool up front and then makes parts for pennies; 3D printing has no tooling cost at all but a unit price that never falls with volume.

Investment casting works in almost any alloy, including steel and superalloys, with modest tooling; die casting is limited to low-melting alloys but is far faster per part once the die exists.

MIG feeds a consumable wire continuously and lays metal down fast; TIG uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode with separate filler, trading speed for control and weld appearance.

Powder coating bakes a thick, tough, solvent-free film onto conductive parts; wet paint gives thinner films, unlimited color matching, and works on substrates that cannot go in an oven.

Sand casting has almost no tooling cost and no size limit but a rough surface and loose tolerances; die casting inverts every one of those trade-offs.