Industry Compass · Curated by ETS engineers
The rest of the internet, filtered by people who know.
The ETS Compass is your guide to navigating the complex world of plastics engineering and manufacturing: design resources, engineering tools, materials information, industry media and professional organizations, chosen because our own engineers use them.
Resource categories
Five directions. Pick one.
Each category page lists vetted external resources by subcategory.
Design resources
CAD tools, design guidelines and references for plastic part design, alongside the ETS checklists and calculators.
Open design →Materials resources
Material databases, suppliers and selection tools.
Open materials →Engineering resources
Technical references, calculators and tools.
Open engineering →Media resources
Industry publications, blogs, podcasts and videos worth your time.
Open media →Industry organizations
Professional associations, standards bodies and industry groups.
Open organizations →Featured
Start here.
Three resources we point engineers to first.
Material property screening
Filter plastic materials by category and manufacturer: mechanical, thermal and chemical characteristics in one place.
Open the screener DFThe design-for-manufacturing reference
Designing Plastic Parts for Assembly, 10th edition: design guidelines, best practices and case studies.
Read the forewords SPESociety of Plastics Engineers
The global professional organization advancing plastics and polymer knowledge. Paul A. Tres is an SPE Fellow.
Visit 4spe.orgNext step
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