The Digital Thread

Learn about the various types of 3D printing technologies available for rapid prototyping and production parts and how to choose the best one for you.

Discover what yield strength is, why it matters for engineers, and how it’s measured. Compare materials and see how yield strength impacts real-world design.

Discover tool steel types, properties, and applications in manufacturing. Learn how to choose the right grade for durability, wear resistance, and precision.

Speed to market is key in product design. Here we break down how digital manufacturing achieves this with tips on sourcing the right digital supplier.

Industry leaders are embracing lean manufacturing. It cuts down on waste, improves efficiency, and keeps businesses competitive. Learn about the core principles and how it applies to your business.

Compare the features of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machinery and how they influence part quality. Find out how to get the most out of CNC machining and how technological developments affect the performance of your designs.

Tips for getting fast injection-moulded parts and get to market faster

Often, injection moulding is considered the most cost-effective production option for SKUs with estimated annual usage in the low-thousands for volume. It comes down to economies of scale—you just set up once to run tens or hundreds of thousands of parts. The highest volumes often bring you the lowest per unit price tags. But, the production setting also typically carries something else with it if you’re thoughtful—cost control, and lots of it.

Consider materials along with manufacturing processes for medical device prototyping.

Adding to Protolabs’ available technologies for rapid prototyping and on-demand production, Carbon’s suite of software, hardware, and materials provides another production method for end-use parts.

3D printing offers a wealth of opportunities to iterate rapid prototypes for testing and more.

Explore the variables involved in calculating the cost of 3D-printed parts when using metal additive manufacturing technologies.