Buyer's Guides
Straight answers for engineers, quality managers and buyers sourcing welded parts and equipment, written by the shop that does the work.
- AWS D17.1 ExplainedA plain-English guide to the aerospace fusion welding specification, covering what it governs, weld classes, how it compares with other codes, and what to ask a supplier.
- Choosing a Sanitary WelderA practical checklist for pharmaceutical, food and supplement buyers, covering the questions that separate true sanitary fabricators from general welding shops.
- Hastelloy vs 316LA practical comparison for engineers specifying corrosion-resistant parts, covering where 316L fails, what C-276 buys you, the alloys in between, and what each costs to weld.
- Passivation vs ElectropolishingWhat each process does to a stainless surface, when a sanitary or pharmaceutical spec calls for one or both, and how to put them on a drawing correctly.
- Titanium Weld ColorWhat weld color reveals about shielding and contamination on titanium, which colors specifications typically accept, and how to fix the causes of discoloration.
- 304 vs 316 StainlessWhat molybdenum actually buys you, when 304 is the right call, why welded parts often need the L grades, and the point at which you should move past 316 entirely.
- Heat Tint & Back PurgingWhat the colors next to a stainless weld mean for corrosion resistance, how back purging prevents them, and the right and wrong ways to remove discoloration.
- Stamping Secondary OpsA buyer's view of secondary operations on stampings, the real cost of keeping welding in house, and how to write a weld requirement a supplier can quote and hit.
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