Materials

eMachineShop offers a wide variety of materials

eMachineShop offers Aluminum, Steel, Stainless steel, Copper, Sheet metal, Brass, Bronze, Wood, Nylon, Acetal, Polycarbonate, Polystyrene, Acrylic, Plastic, Fiber Glass, Model wax And many more - download the software for the complete list. You can also request special materials.

Deciding on the best material for your part can be a challenge. Generally it is best to look at the properties of each material. For example, if price is the only factor, choose the lowest cost material. If price and hardness are most important, select the material that has the best combination of those two values.

Material Selection Tips

• Metals allow for parts of higher tolerance than plastics.
• Plastics can warp over time due to moisture absorption.
  
• Designing custom parts with sheetmetal is generally lower cost than machining plate or rod.
  
• Sheetmetal parts can be formed into numerous shapes and can take simple or complex bends.
• By volume, plastics are usually much less expensive than metals.