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The Digital Thread

Your blog feed for manufacturing resources, in-depth features, and industry news.

Past 'Tech Tips' posts

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Prototyping
Tech Tips
11/07/2024

How to prototype like a pro: Get your product to market faster!

Overcoming the challenges of prototyping to bring your product to market.
By Protolabs
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scientific moulding
Tech Tips
23/05/2024

How to Design a Part to Ensure a High-Quality Product

Every product designer and engineer dreams of creating parts that are free from defects first time round. In this blog, you'll learn how. Find out more
By Protolabs
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Quality Inspection
Tech Tips
16/05/2024

How to Manufacture Parts with Manufacturing Variations

As with any industry, no matter how meticulous a processes is, it can still be subject to variations, and manufacturing is no different. Learn more.
By Protolabs
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A person inspecting a high-precision aluminium mould in a workshop
Tech Tips
11/04/2024

What is Short Run Injection Moulding? Benefits and Use Cases

Understand what benefits short run injection moulding can provide to product teams, such as reducing time to market and development costs.
By Lucas Tofteland
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different colour jigs for manufacturing equipment
Tech Tips
28/03/2024

The Difference Between Jigs and Fixtures

Understand the differences between two terms often confused with one another—jigs and fixtures.
By Tony Holtz
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Sustainable mobility
Industry Spotlight
26/03/2024

The Route to Success: Critical Factors for Achieving Sustainable Mobility

Sustainable Mobility can be defined in many ways. Is it a concept for transforming how we transport from an ecological standpoint or Is it taking into account the accessibility of travel? In this blog, we explore key areas that play a crucial role in defining sustainable mobility.
By Protolabs
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CAD drawing of Parker Hannifin
Tech Tips
22/02/2024

How Does an Engineering Drawing Differ from CAD?

Regardless of which drawing method you use, it's almost impossible to perfect it first time around. This is where DFM and DFAM come in...
By Protolabs
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Luer Lock Design

Navigating From Additive Manufacturing to Injection Moulding

Designers can benefit from integrating 3D printing and injection moulding for an end-to-end product life cycle from prototyping to production.
By Gus Breiland/Eric Utley
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3D Printed Parts
Tech Tips
08/02/2024

3D Printing Part Orientation: How it Affects Strength, Accuracy, and Surface Finish

Part orientation is an important but often overlooked design requirement of 3D printing, especially for stereolithography (SLA). Let’s examine the factors that should be considered.
By Protolabs
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3D printed leather surface finish
Tech Tips
31/01/2024

Getting to grips with structured surface textures

Traditional manufacturing methods often impose limitations on achieving intricate patterns and complex designs. However, advanced 3D printing technologies have opened up new possibilities for design engineers.
By Protolabs
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Green plastic part
Tech Tips
25/01/2024

Understanding Injection Moulding Tolerances

Why is tolerancing critical in the moulding process? It ensures your parts are made accurately and function properly.
By Protolabs
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anodised part
Tech Tips
13/11/2023

Anodising vs. Electroplating: How to choose the right finish for your parts

Anodising or electroplating? Which finish is right for your part?
By Protolabs
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