The Digital Thread

In this blog we explore how additive manufacturing is moving beyond prototyping into mainstream manufacturing and how it is solving issues in many industries that other production processes cannot.

Getting a new medical device from concept through approval and to manufacture to the deadlines that you and your team expect is a real challenge. Yet something that the recent pandemic has taught us is that it is possible to innovate and achieve production quickly when it is really needed.

Consumer electronics continues to be as fast paced as always, and with so much happening, are you up to date on the key trends shaping the future of product development and manufacturing in the industry? Don’t worry, we’ve done the hard work for you and compiled 7 key trends driving the future of consumer electronics manufacturing.

Digital manufacturing and other smart technologies promise to transform the maritime sector, but new expertise and skilled personnel are needed first, found a survey by the IMarEST and Protolabs

3D printing is making major inroads into customising medical implants for individuals. It allows implant manufacturers and sometimes even hospitals to create complex geometries and patient specific solutions that saves the surgeon time and improves a patient’s outcome.

Major dental work traditionally takes days of time and effort but as technology evolves even complex treatment is possible in just a few hours thanks to digital technology.

Stereolithography advantages and disadvantages

Rapid Prototyping for every stage of product development

Our new consultative design service addresses design feedback and gets your parts ready for manufacturability within our automated system.

The Aerospace industry in no stranger to innovation, but with challenges of the pandemic and ongoing needs to address carbon emissions it has been left with some difficult challenges. Reflecting on a Protolabs research project two years ago, how is the industry shaping up now?

While CNC Milling has been around for more than 50 years, the technology is moving on and recent advances see automation of the entire process, from design right through to finished part. Such advances make it a technology that is readily available to all, for high or low volume quantities, prototyping to final parts and with lead times of as short as a day.

As the world’s leading digital manufacturer, we have added Aluminium 5083-H111 (3.3547 or AlMg4.5Mn0.7) to our range of over 40 stocked metal and plastic materials for our fast turnaround CNC service. The material is widely used in extreme environments with its high magnesium content making it highly resistant to saltwater and industrial chemicals.