Rapid Prototyping Glossary M | Attwood Product Development

Machine envelope

The full work volume or motion range available on a manufacturing machine.

Machine tool

A powered machine used to remove, shape or process material with controlled precision, such as a mill, lathe, grinder or machining centre.

Machine vision inspection

Automated inspection using cameras and software to assess dimensions, presence, orientation or cosmetic criteria.

Machined-from-solid

A part produced by removing material from billet or plate rather than by moulding or casting.

Machining allowance

Extra stock intentionally left for a later finishing cut.

Machining centre

A highly automated CNC machine, usually with an automatic tool changer, capable of performing multiple operations in one set-up.

Magnetic tumble finishing

A fine-finishing process that uses magnetically driven media to deburr and polish small features.

Manifold

In a hot runner system, the heated distribution block that channels molten polymer from the machine nozzle to multiple hot-runner nozzles. Manifold design affects thermal balance and pressure loss.

Manual data input

MDI; direct entry of single CNC commands or short blocks at the machine control, usually for set-up or quick operations.

Master pattern

The original model used to create a silicone tool, casting mould or copied surface.

Material data sheet

A supplier document giving nominal mechanical, thermal and processing information for a material.

Material extrusion

The generic additive category that includes filament and pellet extrusion processes such as FDM and FFF.

Material jetting

An additive category that deposits droplets of build material, usually cured immediately by UV light.

Material removal rate

MRR; the volume of material removed per unit time in machining.

Material shrinkage

The dimensional reduction that occurs as a material cools, cures or sinters.

Materials

The metals, plastics, composites or other stock materials selected for machining, each with its own machinability, stability and finishing behaviour.

Matte finish

A low-gloss non-reflective surface appearance.

Maximum wall thickness

The thickest recommended section before sinks, voids, long cycles or other issues become likely.

MDI

Manual data input; a machine mode that allows an operator to enter and run individual commands directly at the control.

Mechanical polishing

Surface refinement using abrasive papers, compounds, wheels or belts.

Mechanical properties

Properties such as stiffness, strength, hardness and impact performance that describe how a material behaves under load.

Media blasting

A general term for blasting with selected media to clean, texture or finish a surface.

Media tumbling

A finishing process that deburrs and smooths parts by agitating them with abrasive media in a tumbler or vibratory bowl.

Melt cushion

Another term for cushion: the residual melt volume left ahead of the screw after injection to maintain packing control and shot consistency.

Melt temperature

The actual temperature of the molten polymer as processed, which may differ from barrel set temperatures. It is a key parameter for viscosity, fill behaviour and part properties.

Mesh repair

Correcting holes, non-manifold edges or inverted normals in digital geometry before slicing or machining.

Metal binder jetting

A binder-jet additive process for metal powders that typically requires debinding and sintering.

Metal injection moulding

MIM; a process combining powder metallurgy with injection moulding to make small complex metal parts.

Metering system

A dosing system that delivers one or more materials at controlled ratios, especially important in reaction injection moulding and dispensing equipment.

Metrology

The science and practice of measurement.

Micro injection moulding

A highly specialised injection-moulding process for producing tiny precision parts with very low shot volumes and very fine mould features.

Micro milling

CNC milling of very small features using miniature cutters.

Microblasting

A fine blasting process used on delicate features or small precision components.

Microfluidic prototyping

The rapid fabrication of small fluid channels and devices, often using transparent polymers or printed moulds.

Micrometer

A precision measuring instrument used to check external, internal or depth dimensions to fine resolution.

Milling

A machining process in which a rotating cutter removes material from a stationary or moving workpiece.

MIM

Abbreviation for metal injection moulding.

Mineral-filled nylon

Nylon compounded with mineral filler to improve dimensional stability, stiffness and sometimes surface feel.

Minimum feature size

The smallest hole, wall, text or other detail a process can reliably create.

Minimum quantity lubrication

MQL; a near-dry lubrication method delivering a small mist or metered amount of lubricant to the cutting zone.

Mirror polish

A highly reflective surface finish produced by extensive polishing.

Mixing head

The component in a reaction injection moulding machine where reactive liquid streams are accurately mixed immediately before injection.

MJF

Abbreviation for Multi Jet Fusion.

MJF Nylon

A general commercial shorthand for the polyamide powder grades most commonly used in Multi Jet Fusion, especially PA 12-based materials.

Modular tooling

Tooling designed with interchangeable inserts or components to support fast changes and lower cost.

Mold-Tech

A serialised mould-texturing system used to specify standard commercial textures on mould cavities; sometimes written MoldTech.

Mould base

The standard plate set that supports cavity inserts, guide components, ejectors and related tooling hardware.

Mould flow analysis

Simulation used to predict how molten polymer fills, packs and cools inside a tool.

Mould release

An agent or feature that helps a moulded or cast part separate cleanly from the tool.

Mould release agent

A chemical applied to tool surfaces to help release parts that would otherwise stick. It can be useful during troubleshooting, though excessive use may affect painting, bonding or texture replication.

Mould temperature

The operating temperature of the mould tool, usually controlled through water or oil circuits. It affects surface finish, shrinkage, cycle time, crystallinity and warpage.

Mould temperature controller

An external unit that circulates heated or cooled fluid through the tool to regulate mould temperature; often abbreviated to MTC in shop-floor use.

Mould texture

A deliberate surface texture on a mould that transfers to the finished part.

Mould trial

A test run of a tool used to validate filling, ejection, dimensions and part quality.

Moulding shrinkage

Dimensional change in a moulded part as the material cools and stabilises.

Moving platen

The platen attached to the moving half of the clamping unit. It opens the mould and supports the ejector-side tool half during the cycle.

MQL

Minimum quantity lubrication; a low-consumption lubrication technique used as an alternative to flood coolant.

MRR

Abbreviation for material removal rate.

MSLA

Masked stereolithography; a vat-photopolymer method using an LCD mask and UV backlight.

MT-11010

A Mold-Tech texture code associated with a fine dull matte mould finish and modest draft requirements.

MT-11020

A Mold-Tech texture code associated with a coarser matte mould finish; often cited as visually similar to SPI D-3 or VDI 33.

MT-11030

A Mold-Tech texture code associated with a relatively coarse matte mould texture requiring increased draft.

Multi Jet Fusion

MJF; a powder-bed polymer process that uses fusing and detailing agents before thermal fusion.

Multi Jet Modelling

MJM; an older term associated with wax or photopolymer jetting processes.

Multi-cavity mould

A mould containing more than one cavity of the same part so several identical mouldings are produced in each cycle. It is used to raise output and reduce unit cost at volume.

Multi-cavity tool

A mould with more than one cavity producing multiple parts per cycle.