The Digital Thread

The aerospace industry reduces the weight of aircraft, while keeping manufacturing costs down.

The automotive industry is demanding the rapid production of parts to speed up product development.

3D printing and CNC machining - do they compete with or complement each other?

How best to prepare for the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

As product development speeds up, the design rules are changing. Nowhere is this more apparent when looking at the industrial 3D printing process of direct metal laser sintering.

3D printing is now combined with CNC machining in a multi-tasking tool system now offered by Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies.

The 3D printing process, stereolithography, builds parts with detailed features and smooth surfaces— making it suitable for microfluidic fabrication.

Industrial 3D printing creates functional plastic parts quickly, but often times the parts can benefit from secondary operations that improve on cosmetic appearance and functionality.