News & Insights

  Ask the Plastics Professionals at AIP Precision Machining!   Do you know why AIP Precision Machining includes stress-relieving and annealing plastics as part of our machining process? We’ve talked about this a bit in our plastic machining guides (like our polymer machining brief on RADEL, but this post serves as a more thorough explanation of annealing does to improve your machined parts.   What’s the purpose of stress relieving and... Read More

  How Aluminum Got Dethroned by Thermoplastics in Aerospace   Cup holders. Magazines. Suit cases. Aircraft engines. Here’s a riddle, what do these items all have in common? If you’re an aircraft operator, the answer is obvious: they all add weight, making them a drain on your fuel costs.   If weight is one of the main operating costs of an aircraft, then it’s no surprise that airlines want to... Read More

An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining   RADEL is a PPSU (or Polyphenylsulfone) widely considered to be the highest-performing of Solvay’s sulfone polymers. It’s no surprise then that we’ve regularly machined RADEL at AIP Precision Machining over the past three decades.   With superior impact strength and outstanding resistance to stress cracking, RADEL offers exceptional hydrolytic stability and toughness across a wide temperature range, making it a favorite of the... Read More

An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining   AIP Precision Machining has worked with many thermoplastics over the past three decades, including TORLON: a PAI, or polyamide-imide, engineered by Solvay Specialty Polymers.   Due to its reliable performance at severe levels of temperature and stress, TORLON is ideal for critical mechanical and structural components of jet engines, automotive transmissions, oil recovery, off-road vehicles and heavy-duty equipment.   AIP has over 35... Read More

There’s no doubt that plastics have become more and more popular in modern medicine. Short lead times are essential in this industry, and both 3D additive manufacturing and CNC machining provide fast production times. When is your medical application better suited for 3D printing, though, and when does precision plastic machining have the upper hand in plastic manufacturing?   There are a few key differences and similarities between these types... Read More