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

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

There’s a lot of think about when it comes to plastics for medical parts. At the top of the list are safety and, for parts going inside the body, 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.

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

There’s an important but often overlooked material consideration when designing parts for plastic injection molding. 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 atomized 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.

Choose from standard and Mold-Tech finishes for several texturing options to improve the surface finish of plastic molded parts.

Understanding what values such as K-factor, bend allowance/deduction, and outside setbacks mean and how they work helps avoid common sheet metal design mistakes and might just streamline your development process.

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

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

Finishing options for machining, sheet metal fabrication projects protect parts, improve function

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

4 ways to improve product development and design for aerospace and defense companies.

Consider these design ideas to help you cut costs on your next sheet metal fabrication project.

Get reduced costs, quick-turnaround, and finishing options from a single supplier with CNC machining

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

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

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.

We’ve compiled the most typical sheet metal design issues to help you avoid delays and added costs.

4 ways to improve part design through customization, 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.

Get tips on how to design for Carbon, and how the technology stacks up against stereolithography and Multi Jet Fusion.

Designing sheet metal parts requires you to think of them and their features as flat, formable objects. Doing that is key to manufacturability.

When designing plastic or metal parts, your material’s mechanical, physical, thermal, and electrical properties are often critical.

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

Consider hardware material, placement, and other specifications to help optimize sheet metal parts.

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.

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

Threading for injection-molded plastic parts is complex—use these design tips to navigate the process seamlessly.

Secondary operations for commercial-grade 3D printing can improve form and function of additive manufactured parts after build is complete

Consider three types of gate options and the location or placement of those gates when designing parts for injection molding.

The proper design and position of ejector pins can help minimize their effect on your injection-molded parts.

Consider material and finishing options along with design elements like bends, reliefs, holes, and slots when developing sheet metal components.

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

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

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

Overmolding can be used to add a second molded part to an existing part, such as a grip, handle, or cover.

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

Optical liquid silicone rubber is replacing glass in many optical and lighting applications. LSR can also help simplify design and molding challenges.

Learn more about adding threaded features to machined parts, and how to display these features in CAD programs and Protolabs’ quoting system.

Focus on the process, material selection, and part geometry when designing functional metal and thermoplastic parts for additive manufacturing

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

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

Selective laser sintering is a 3D printing method that builds durable plastic parts for prototyping and low-volume production.

Stereolithography, a staple of 3D printing, can deliver complex prototypes quickly and accurately.

Creating Complex Undercuts with Bumpoffs

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.

Stretch your budget with these injection molding design recommendations

Look at material selection, geometry, and surface finish when manufacturing plastic parts with processes like 3D printing and machining.

Bridging the Gap Between Prototyping and Production

Understand how thermoplastics and thermosets compare when exposed to high temperatures.

Learn about the key characteristics of common injection molding materials and recommended applications.

Finding a Balance with Resin Colorants

See how glass fibers, colorants, and other additives can enhance injection-molded parts, as well as the affect of colorants on the molding process and part design.

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

Adding Text into Part Design

Consider these tips for identifying the right surface finishes when designing molded parts.

Incorporating Shut-offs in Injection Molding Design

Adding Crush Ribs to Molded Parts

Cutting Corners on Injection-Molded Parts

Proper Planning for Parting Lines Can Improve Part Cosmetics and Functionality

When moving from single- to multi-cavity tooling, parts might behave differently. Plan accordingly.

6 Ways to Simplify Mold Modifications

How to Plan for Design Changes Without Breaking the Bank

Creating self-mating parts in injection molding design

Learn more about thermoplastic components for lighting and optics

Designing Living Hinges that Fold Flat

Use on-demand manufacturing to reduce costs, provide critical inspections, tame demand volatility.

Minimizing Knit Lines

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

How to Solve Gating Problems in Molding

Gate Considerations to Improve Moldability

Creating Channels in Part Design

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

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

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

Conquering Complexities: Mold-Making Techniques Make Complicated Features Possible

Designing Effective Clips for Molded Parts

Using Side-Actions in Molding Design

Building Better Bosses

Choosing Core and Cavity Placement for Molded Parts

Reinforce Parts With Support Features and Material Selection

For parts that have cylindrical features, using a lathe may be your best option.

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

Enhance your prototyping and product development efforts with this design program and file format primer.

Create Better Parts With Our Design Analysis

Flow analysis helps determine gate placement, locate knit lines and identify areas where gas trappings can occur.

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

Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) produces complex, durable, lightweight metal parts. Depending on the design, DMLS can be a reliable way to manufacture metal parts.

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