Design Tips Library

When it comes to prototyping and production, injection moulding and 3D printing work perfectly in tandem. But which service is best for your part?

How to test your material to ensure it has the required level of hardness for your part, and if not, how to increase hardness in your part.

Address design change requests related to slot widths and wall thicknesses for injection molded parts

Parts turning to piles of rust? These materials can help you avoid the scourge of corrosion.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to plastics for medical parts. At the top of the list is safety, parts going inside the body and longevity. So, which is the best to choose for your application?

Break, shatter, and crack would make a great early rock song, but it’s not music to the ears of designers who want long-lasting plastic parts. Take a dive into the world of impact-resistant plastics.

Compare materials for stereolithography with one another and with injection-moulded plastics.

This design tip evaluates UV-resistant plastic options available for injection moulding, 3D printing, and CNC machining.

There’s an important but often overlooked material consideration when designing parts for plastic injection moulding. It’s called Tg, short for glass transition temperature or Tg.

Powder bed fusion (PBF) is an additive manufacturing, or 3d printing, technology that uses a heat source--typically a laser--to sinter or fuse atomised powder particles together.

No one likes to see their plastic parts melt. That’s why we offer up this design tip to help guide you through the myriad of material choices you can use for your application. From PEEK to PEI to LSR and beyond, you’ll get what you need to know ASAP.

We’ll dig deep into 6 key advantages which could make all the difference. From cost through its ease of machineability to keep your budgets on track, to the material properties that you need for your part, we’ll explain why aluminium is worth looking at for your next job.

In this blog we take a closer look at why PepsiCo turned to us for the production of promotional masks for the launch of the Black Panther film, how IEVA used 3D printing to develop parts for their Twin-C smart jewellery range and why fashion designer Zac Posen turned to this technology to design a dress for actress Nina Dobrev for the Met Gala.

Selecting the right material for CNC machining can make all the difference if you want to produce a functional part or prototype at a reasonable price.

3D printing can offer a wide range of advantages over more traditional manufacturing techniques. However, in general there are four major areas where it can come out in front of those processes: • Geometry • Flexibility • Speed • Cost

How does selective laser sintering (SLS) compare with relative newcome multi jet fusion (MJF).

An increasingly popular topic these days is how to make greener products and parts. Whilst we can’t give you a definitive answer, this design tip will look at different factors to consider when designing a greener part such as, material type and amount, embedded energy, life cycles, durability, weight and maintainability.

Maximize part quality, navigate design challenges using standardized tolerances on machined parts

Try these tips to optimise your design for STL—the common CAD format used in additive manufacturing

This tip looks at some reasons for choosing plastic over metal including, weight, finishes, strength, longevity, recyclability, cost.

The role that material compatibility, adhesion, friction, and wear play in design selection of moulded parts.

Improve part design in 3D printing by adhering to minimum feature sizes, avoiding warpage, and more

Thermoplastic vs. Thermoset

Consider these guidelines when designing for Multi Jet Fusion and selective laser sintering.

Navigate these challenges to improve design, shorten production time, reduce costs on injection moulded parts

8 ways to improve design, development, and function of medical products and devices

We’ve compiled six common machining issues to avoid to help you improve part design and reduce cost.

Family tooling can be used when the parts need to be of a similar size and geometry and be small enough to fit within the confines of a standard mould.

4 ways to improve part design through customisation, material considerations, iterative prototyping, and the use of digital manufacturing.

With a universe of metal and plastic options available, keep in mind your machined part’s function when choosing material.

Reinforce Parts With Support Features and Material Selection

Improve the appearance and performance of injection-moulded parts by eliminating cosmetic issues early.

A key consideration of a part’s overall function—whether it’s molded, fabricated, machined, or 3D printed—is the material it’s made from. So when designing plastic or metal parts, closely evaluate a material’s mechanical, physical, thermal, and electrical properties.

Learn how to improve dimensional accuracy, surface roughness, and mechanical properties on metal parts with high-requirement applications.

We offer liquid silicone rubber among our list of injection molding capabilities. Learn how to optimize LSR parts with 6 simple design considerations.

Use these design and material considerations to cut your machining costs.

How subtractive and additive manufacturing create the ideal equation for metal manufacturing

Material selection, hinge length, and degree of bend are all critical when designing 3D-printed parts with living hinges.

Learn how small changes to an injection moUlding design like wall thickness or material choice can lead to more durable parts that are free of cosmetic defects

Additive manufacturing is an excellent complement or alternative to machining when irregular, intricate, or smaller jigs and fixtures are needed

Consider three types of gate options and solve common gating problems like location & placement when designing parts for injection moulding at Protolabs.

Stretch your budget with these injection moulding design recommendations

Use PolyJet to combine elastomeric and rigid properties together for prototyping two-material components.

Create complex machined parts faster and more efficiently with a few quick tips.

When injection moulding a part, a knit line may present no problem, or can cause a serious structural problem. Take these steps to avoid knit lines.

Create engaging, efficient parts, plus reduce costs with these complex injection moulding design techniques.

Create functional prototypes and end-use production parts with HP’s 3D printing technology.

We offer liquid silicone rubber among our list of injection molding capabilities. Learn how to optimize LSR parts with 6 simple design considerations.

A combination of both plastic and metal, insert moulding can add strength and durability to parts

What are your material options when designing elastomeric parts for 3D printing and injection moulding?

Stretch your budget with these injection moulding design recommendations

Creating cost-effective assemblies often means lower part counts, flexible yet simple product designs, and a look at alternative manufacturing technologies.

If your part design requires undercuts, consider side-action cams, bumpoffs, inserts, and other complex injection molding techniques.

Consider hole depths, threading, wall thickness, and other machining capabilities to reduce production time and expense.

Moving Between 3D Printing and CNC Machining for Plastic Parts

Bridging the Gap Between Prototyping and Production

Common injection moulding plastic materials for Your Parts

Finding a Balance with Resin Colourants

Thermoplastic Glass Filling, Colourants, and Other Additives

Achieve consistent walls and features with slight adjustments to geometry and materials

Creating Complex Undercuts with Bumpoffs

Navigate the growing options available for adding threaded features to machined parts

Adding Text into Part Design

Sorting through Surface Finishes

Eliminating Side-Actions with Draft

Shut-offs are key features that help solve difficult tooling and design issues when creating injection-moulded parts.

Adding Crush Ribs to Moulded Parts

Cutting Corners on Injection-Moulded Parts

Proper Planning for Parting Lines Can Improve Part Cosmetics and Functionality

Designing for Overmoulding

5 Design Considerations for Multi-Cavity Moulds

6 Ways to Simplify Mould Modifications

How to Plan for Design Changes Without Breaking the Bank

Creating self-mating parts in injection moulding design

Optical LSR for Lighting Applications

Injection Mouding for Optical Applications

The Secret to Living Hinges That Fold Flat

How to Leverage Low-Volume Injection Moulding

Minimising Knit Lines

How to Solve Gating Problems in Moulding

Gate Considerations to Improve Mouldability

Creating Channels in Part Design

Using Ejector Pins Properly on Moulded Parts

Apply proper draft early and often to injection-moulded parts to save production time and money

How draft, radii, wall thickness and other design factors improve part manufacturability

Conquering Complexities: Mould-Making Techniques Make Complicated Features Possible

Designing Effective Clips for Moulded Parts

Using Side-Actions in Moulding Design

Building Better Bosses

Choosing Core and Cavity Placement for Moulded Parts

Reinforce Parts With Support Features and Material Selection

Turning to Lathe For Parts with Cylindrical Features

Incorporate a few design and material considerations to reduce your machining expenses

Functionality and File Formats for Moulding Design

Create Better Parts With Our Design Analysis

Use resin flow analysis to improve your part

Focus on the process, material selection, and part geometry when designing functional parts.

3D Printing Fully Functional Parts with Selective Laser Sintering

3D printing with stereolithography (SL) quickly, accurately creates complex prototypes.

Direct metal laser sintering brings unprecedented freedom to those willing to rethink traditional part design.

Getting Started with Metal Additive Manufacturing. Learn how metal additive creates complex, durable, lightweight metal parts

Additive manufacturing can reduce costs in prototyping and low-volume production, provided you know the rules

Solving undercut issues in design with side-actions, inserts, and shut-offs

3DP design for manufacturing (DFM) advisories help you avoid production delays and wasted iterations.

Vapour smoothing uses a chemical solution to smooth remove surface impurities from 3D-printed parts.

A great thing about 3D printed parts is they can be lightweighted while improving strength and durability. The secret is using an interior lattice structure

Overmoulding is a familiar feature when manufacturing injection moulded parts, but you can do the same thing with PolyJet 3D printing. Find out how.

Discover if CNC machining, 3D printing, or injection moulding is best for your plastic prototype.

Exploring the multiple ways you can lower your part costs at all stages when developing parts.