The Upload

There are many varieties of strong, durable nylon. Find out the right one for your application.

Both plastics are among the most used materials, but key differentiators dictate their application.

ABS and polypropylene (PP) are strong contenders for many projects, but what are the differences?

Elastomers and silicone, molding and printing: so many choices these days to make your medical parts

Keep patients safe! Find out what materials can withstand an autoclave’s blistering heat and steam.

Aluminum is a common and popular metal that’s found everywhere and used in a stunningly wide range of parts and products: automotive parts, aerospace components, boat and marine gear, consumer electronics including smart phones, industrial machinery parts, HVAC systems, the list goes on.

Choosing the best translucent material for your molded parts isn’t always crystal clear. There are quite a few things to think about before making your final choice of materials and design.

Making nylon parts stronger isn’t difficult. All it takes is the addition of glass to your base material. Explore the pros and cons of glass-filled nylon.

Choosing to use ABS, polycarbonate (PC), or combining them is a popular way to get strong machined, printed, or molded parts. There are a lot of similarities, but also some significant differences that might help you find just the right one for your parts.

Hey! Who’s a fan of organic chemistry? [crickets] OK, you may not have liked studying it, but without those chains of carbon-based molecules life would be rough. So here at Protolabs we’re all about paying our respects to those special groups of bonded atoms called polymers.

Thermoplastic elastomers come in a variety of formulations, and each is unique in its own way. That makes picking the right one an important task among many when you are designing your parts.

1018 and 4140 steel are two popular material choices. Here are factors to consider when choosing between the two.