Materials

Materials are selected around function, fitment, quantity, and risk.

Composite, polyurethane, additive, tooling, finishing, or a combination.

Material decisions

Choose the material path after the part role is clear.

These are review paths, not commodity material lists. Function, quantity, finish, and validation decide what belongs on the quote.

Lightweight, rigid, visible-surface components when geometry and finish are mature enough for tooling.

Composite parts where shape control and durability matter more than premium carbon appearance.

Good for: Covers, guards, panels, and practical shaped replacements.
Review focus: Layup route, surface requirement, stiffness, and repairability.
Risk note: Finish and trimming assumptions should be agreed before production.

Flexible, impact-resistant, or repeatable molded parts when printed plastics are not suitable.

Good for: Bushings, pads, inserts, protective parts, and small batches.
Review focus: Hardness target, sample age, use environment, and mold strategy.
Risk note: Old rubber-like samples may not represent the original hardness.

Functional plastics selected around heat, load, wear, UV, and fitment constraints.

Good for: Housings, brackets, guides, fixtures, and replacement components.
Review focus: Operating temperature, fastening, tolerance, and surface finish.
Risk note: Convenient material choices can fail when heat or load is underestimated.

Fast validation materials for form, fit, visual review, and route selection before final production.

Good for: Early housings, mockups, fit checks, and design iterations.
Review focus: What must be proven now versus what waits for final material.
Risk note: Prototype behavior should not be mistaken for production behavior.

Print routes for durable prototypes, fixtures, and low-risk functional parts.

Good for: Jigs, fixtures, complex geometry, and packaging checks.
Review focus: Wall thickness, tolerances, orientation, and finish expectations.
Risk note: Surface texture and tolerance vary by process and part geometry.

Mold and fixture paths for composite, polyurethane, and repeatable low-volume work.

Good for: Molds, patterns, production aids, and repeat fixtures.
Review focus: Quantity, undercuts, release strategy, and inspection points.
Risk note: Tooling cost only makes sense after geometry assumptions are stable.

Surface, trim, paint, assembly, or inspection decisions that affect the final part experience.

Good for: Visible trim, customer-facing parts, and production-ready handoff.
Review focus: Color, gloss, texture, tolerances, and handling marks.
Risk note: Late finish decisions can change time, cost, and manufacturing route.

Evaluation intake

Submit photos, CAD, drawings, or notes. ARKAN reviews the likely route before pricing or production.