The Upload

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Manufacturing process

Leveraging EDM to Rapidly Scale Metal Additive Manufacturing

Posted On November 28, 2022 By Protolabs
New EDM technology rapidly removes printed parts from build plates, reducing cost and lead time.
An engineer checks settings on his CNC mill prior to machining a part.

How to Accelerate New Product Introductions (NPI) with Digital Manufacturing

Posted On November 7, 2022 By Gurvinder Singh
Properly conceived new product introductions can mean the difference between success or failure.
3D print cad design

5 Ways 3D Printing Enriches Product Design

Posted On November 1, 2022 By Eric Utley
3D printing offers a wealth of opportunities to iterate rapid prototypes for testing and more.
Man writing on clear surface

Accelerating Hardware Prototyping for Startups and Small Companies

Posted On September 27, 2022 By Protolabs
Doing the right things in the prototyping phase is a bit more complex than it looks at first glance. Hardware requires special rules to get the results you need.
Finishing Options for Sheet Metal Parts

Benefits and Considerations for Sheet Metal Part Finishing

Posted On April 7, 2022 By Amanda Tierney
Finishing options for sheet metal vary depending on your needs. For instance, are you looking for an aesthetically pleasing part, a part that needs to withstand environmental challenges and wear, or are you testing overall functionality?
parts finishing department for 3d printing

How to Improve 3D Printing Surface Finish Quality

Posted On February 19, 2022 By Rachel Hunt
It’s no secret that 3D printing processes don’t produce injection molding-quality surface finishes right off the printer, but there is good news. Technologies exist to help, and there are new developments all the time.
sheet metal part being cut on laser cutting machine

Designs We Love: Sheet Metal

Posted On February 11, 2022 By Scott Trecartin
If you’ve worked with us in the past for your sheet metal parts, you know that we’re all about efficiency–getting your quick-turn parts to you…well, quickly. There are a handful of design best practices our customers can keep top of mind to ensure a smooth process from design upload to the moment you have your finished part in hand. Here are some sheet metal design elements and features we love to see.
designer looking at injection molding feedback

Designs We Love: Injection Molding

Posted On February 11, 2022 By Gus Breiland
There are a lot of design elements we love seeing in models destined to become injection-molded parts. Sometimes, we get models that just nail it. You can tell the designer/engineer has an excellent sense of what you can and can’t do with the process, and it all starts with solid knowledge of how injection molding works.
cnc milling and cnc turning processes manufacturing metal parts

Designs We Love: CNC Machining

Posted On February 11, 2022 By Dan Robinson
We can tell instantly when someone has been thinking carefully about machining in their designs. When we see that process understanding, we know we can produce that part quickly and efficiently, which works out great for both us and our customer.
metal 3d printed part with internal radii

Designs We Love: 3D Printing

Posted On February 11, 2022 By Eric Utley
A lot of people think that you can create virtually any shape your mind can imagine using 3D printing technology. OK, so that’s sort of right, but not entirely. The hard part is coming up with aesthetically beautiful designs that also are functional for your application, structurally sound to achieve longevity, and are modeled to address the limitations of the medium.