How Measuring Our Performance against Manufacturing Industry Benchmarks Keeps Us Competitive
Reata Engineering is committed to continuous improvement and puts in significant effort to stay at the forefront of the manufacturing industry. Our team members regularly attend industry conferences to learn about innovations that could enhance our capabilities and increase our capacity. As an active member of many professional associations, we’re known as the shop that […]
How 3D Printing Technology Improves Our Contract Manufacturing Services
Here at Reata Engineering, all of our engineers have a 3D printer on their desk一sometimes more than one! After purchasing our first 3D printer in 2011, it didn’t take long to see the potential for leveraging 3D printing technology to improve our contract manufacturing services. Now, we can confidently say that implementing 3D printers at […]
Choosing the Right Aluminum Plating Method
At Reata Engineering, our quality process encompasses every manufacturing stage, from design to product fulfillment. After we manufacture, assemble, and test customers’ parts, we often send them out for plating, a finishing service we subcontract to trusted vendors. We closely manage these vendor relationships to ensure that our customers get optimal results. When finishing is […]
What 5-Axis Machining Capabilities Tell You about a Machine Shop
Regardless of whether your project requires multi-axis machining capabilities, it’s in your best interest to work with a precision machine shop that has them. By investing in advanced technologies such as 5-axis machining, shops demonstrate core qualities that benefit all customers. Sophistication 5-axis machines make it exponentially easier to manufacture complex parts. With equipment like […]
Decoding Machinist Speak: Measurement Conventions
If you’re a product developer working with precision machine shops for the first time, you may notice the measurements that shops use aren’t what you might expect. While a shop’s system may seem a bit confusing initially, there’s a method to the madness—we promise! While precision machine shops often manufacture parts for large-scale industrial applications, […]
6 Benefits of Electropolishing for Stainless Steel Parts
Selecting the right finishing treatment for precision machined parts can be overwhelming—there are so many options to choose from, each with their own unique characteristics. Today, we’re demystifying a lesser-known but ideal treatment for many stainless steel parts: electropolishing. Electropolishing is an excellent choice for certain aerospace and medical applications. Although the technique isn’t new, […]
4 Ways Reata’s Automation Solutions Benefit Customers
At Reata Engineering, we never shy away from future-facing technologies that help us do more for our customers. In fact, we embrace such advancements with open arms. That’s why we’ve just invested $2 million into new equipment with automated features that will expand our complex CNC machining capabilities. How Reata Engineering Is Growing through Automation […]
Why True Position Is a Precision Machine Shop’s Best Friend
In an ideal world, manufacturers could make parts perfectly all the time. Every customer would have an unlimited budget for materials and labor, and every machine would perform flawlessly under all conditions, repeatedly producing precise replicas of a part made exactly to specifications. In the real world of complex CNC machining, however, slight variations in […]
Considerations for Plating Precision Machined Parts
Plating options such as anodize, chromate conversion coating, and passivation are popular choices for many precision machined parts, offering benefits such as corrosion resistance, increased durability, and enhanced electrical insulation or conductivity. However, when it comes to plating, many contract machining customers are unaware of the full range of options available or what each process […]
How to Convey Intent in Precision Machining Designs
Many factors are involved in precision machining—the design, raw materials, machines, and methodology are just a few. One factor that’s extremely important but sometimes overlooked is a customer’s intent. At Reata Engineering, we care deeply about your intent for a part because, ultimately, it helps ensure the success of your project. If your part doesn’t […]