Resources · Free
The instruments. Free, and built by people who use them.
Calculators, databases and checklists distilled from four decades of plastic-part programs. No login, no email wall. When a result surprises you, ChatETS or a senior engineer can tell you why.
Calculators
Run the numbers before the mold does.
Closed-form engineering, in your browser. Use them for first-pass sizing; the datasheet and your service temperature govern the final design.
Snap-fit calculator
Cantilever snap geometry versus allowable strain: deflection, assembly force and retention for your resin.
Calculate →LHLiving-hinge calculator
Hinge thickness, length and bend radius for polypropylene and other hinge-capable resins.
Calculate →PXBeam, contact, fatigue & more
164+ verified calculation modules across 24+ engineering domains, routed from a plain-language question.
Explore the engine →Material intelligence
Find the resin. Then find out how it fails.
Search by trade name or screen by family and manufacturer. Neutral: ETS sells no resin.
Plastic tradenames database
Decode a trade name to its polymer family and manufacturer, fast.
Search tradenames →MSMaterial screener
Filter materials by category and manufacturer across commodity, engineering and high-performance families.
Screen materials →AIAsk about a grade
Creep, chemical resistance, heat and the failure mode each family is known for, with sources cited.
Ask ChatETS →Design aids
The questions a senior engineer asks first.
Checklists and references that turn a vague part into a reviewable design.
Pre-tooling risk checklist
The screen we run before every design review: wall, draft, ribs, bosses, gates, undercuts.
Get it →DCPreliminary design checklist
Capture operating conditions, environment and requirements. Print it or submit it for review.
Open checklist →AZEngineering acronyms
Searchable glossary of plastics and engineering abbreviations.
Browse →PDProduct development guide
Step-by-step path from concept to production for a plastic product.
Read →ICIndustry Compass
Curated external resources: design, materials, engineering, media and organizations.
Explore →BKDesigning Plastic Parts for Assembly
The 10th-edition reference behind every ETS tool and seminar.
Forewords →Next step
When the calculator says yes but your gut says no.
A fixed-price design review puts a senior engineer on the whole part, not one feature.
- NDA on request
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- Fixed price where applicable
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