Can’t Find These 3 Popular Materials? Talk to Your Contract Manufacturing Partner
It’s no secret that material shortages are impacting the contract manufacturing industry. The pandemic exacerbated existing supply chain issues, affecting material cost and availability, and now Russia’s war on Ukraine has added a new layer of complexity. Soaring oil prices are pushing global shipping and delivery rates to historic highs, and materials exported in large […]
What Makes Reata Engineering an Engineer-Friendly Precision Machine Shop
We’re just going to say it: We love engineers. We like talking to engineers about their parts—preferably early in the production cycle—so we can discuss your vision and help you turn it into reality. We enjoy working collaboratively, and engineers are always welcome in our precision machine shop. But our interest in your work isn’t […]
How a Happy Manufacturing Team Makes for Happy Customers
One misconception about modern manufacturing is that automation has taken work away from skilled people. That’s certainly not the case at Reata Engineering! We integrate the most cutting-edge and advanced technologies to bring efficiency to the shop floor, and we’re always looking for driven people to join our team. People—not just advanced equipment and capabilities—make […]
DFM Tip: 5 Best Practices for Revision Control in Contract Manufacturing
As experts in prototype machining services, we know revisions are a natural and expected part of manufacturing. While we anticipate most designs needing some tweaks throughout development, it’s helpful to have a system in place that streamlines this process—and excellent revision control is a must. Here at Reata Engineering, we view our customers as partners, […]
A Single-Source Precision Machining Solution for Assemblies
Here at Reata Engineering, we pride ourselves on “making the complex simple for you.” We have the knowledge and expertise to see your product from conception to distribution, and we excel as your single-source solution for subassemblies and assemblies. Some of our past subassembly and assembly projects include: A plant maintenance product for the commercial […]
Could Your Part Benefit From 5-Axis Machining?
5-axis machining has been a real game-changer in manufacturing. This versatile technology minimizes the number of operations required to manufacture a part. With the ability to access a workpiece from any direction with just one setup, contract manufacturing providers can machine complex parts quickly and cost-effectively, bringing to life intricate designs that were once only […]
DFM Tip: 3 Ways to Improve Your Prints and Get Better CNC Machined Parts
Our goal at Reata Engineering is to produce the highest quality parts in the fastest and most cost-effective manner possible. There are so many steps involved to manufacture each part—and as the saying goes, the devil is in the details. This principle applies to every aspect of the contract manufacturing process, including the prints customers […]
Best Practices for Achieving Color Consistency in Anodized Parts
When you need a high-quality part or assembly, every last detail matters—including, of course, the color. But did you know that a finishing process like anodization doesn’t always produce a consistent color every time? If you select black or clear anodize, you probably won’t run into this problem. But once you introduce other colors to […]
DFM Tip: How to Handle Flatness and Parallelism Specifications in Your Print
When you request prototype or production machining services, it’s essential to call out the part specifications accurately in your print. Inaccurate information could result in a part that doesn’t function as intended or extend your lead time as you and your contract manufacturer go back and forth to get the details right. Parallelism and flatness […]
DFM Tip: Clarify Cosmetic Surfaces to Reduce Cost and Lead Time for Contract Manufacturing
When you send your contract manufacturing partner the print for your CNC machined part, don’t forget to include detailed notes about cosmetic surfaces. Prints typically contain sufficient information to ensure that parts are machined to exact dimensional specifications. But all too often, cosmetic surface requirements are nowhere to be found. At Reata Engineering, we assume […]