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Past 'Tech Tips' posts

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A person inspecting a high-precision aluminum mold in a workshop
Tech Tips
January 17, 2024

What is Short Run Injection Molding? Benefits and Use Cases

Understand what benefits short run injection molding can provide to product teams, such as reducing time to market and development costs.
By Lucas Tofteland
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Array of 3D printed parts with intricate details on a blue lit background.
Tech Tips
January 12, 2024

FDM vs. SLA: Comparing Filament and Resin 3D Printers

See how these two 3D printing technologies stack up for prototype parts. Understanding the advantages of each will help accelerate design.
By Chloe Vollaro
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injection molding living hinge diagram
Tech Tips
August 17, 2023

MJF vs. SLS: A Comparison of Polyamide 3D Printing Technologies

A look at the key differences between Multi Jet Fusion and selective laser sintering and how to determine the optimal process for your application.
By Protolabs
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Sheet Metal manufacturing
Tech Tips
August 2, 2023

3 Ways to Accelerate Sheet Metal Part Production

Explore how to accelerate lead times for your sheet metal parts with these design tips.
By Protolabs
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CNC anodized parts
Tech Tips
July 17, 2023

Comparing Type II and Type III Anodizing for Machined Parts

Which anodizing type is best for your machined parts? Explore the differences.
By Protolabs
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Green plastic part
Tech Tips
February 7, 2023

Understanding Injection Molding Tolerances

Why is tolerancing critical in the molding process? It ensures your parts are made accurately and function properly.
By Protolabs
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Green plastic part
Tech Tips
January 23, 2023

How to Avoid Flash on Injection-Molded Parts

Flash in never desirable in injection-molded parts. Find out how to design to avoid it.
By Protolabs
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Sheet Metal Parts
Tech Tips
December 14, 2022

Avoiding Sheet Metal Hardware Headaches

Design strong sheet metal parts that incorporate hardware while maintaining structural integrity
By Protolabs
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tolerance example unlidded
Tech Tips
October 12, 2022

Working with Sheet Metal Tolerances

Precision in sheet metal parts is possible, but it takes knowing some important design guidelines to get the parts you want. Fundamental to that is understanding tolerance.
By Protolabs
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3D Printed Parts
Tech Tips
October 4, 2022

3D Printing Part Orientation: How it Affects Strength, Accuracy, and Surface Finish

Part orientation is an important but often overlooked design requirement of 3D printing, especially for stereolithography (SLA). Let’s examine the factors that should be considered.
By Protolabs
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Sample of swirling effect from a nylon material with yellow colorant.
Tech Tips
September 22, 2022

Avoiding Flow Lines in Molded Parts

For most molded parts, visible flow lines are undesirable. The good news is there are ways to avoid them, both in design and the way that the parts are manufactured.
By Protolabs
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Metal part
Tech Tips
September 13, 2022

Designing Sheet Metal Notches, Tabs, and Slots

Notches and tabs are two sheet metal design strategies that can help you in more ways than you might initially think. Designing them properly is key.
By Protolabs
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