Podcasts
Tune in to our regular podcast series, The Digital Thread, to learn about all things manufacturing. We talk with today’s leading product innovators, hear from crafty veterans on trends affecting different industries, uncover issues disrupting supply chains, and much more.
BattleBot DUCK! Prepares for New Season
Perennial fan-favorite, DUCK!, is ready to take on foes large and small, this winter on The Discovery Channel’s popular program, BattleBots. Powered by Protolabs, the wily veteran of several seasons has some great new features in version 3.0. Explore how this defense-minded robot still manages to beat up on bigger, more aggressive bots. Guest: Hal Rucker, DUCK! designer and fabricator. Read full episode notes and transcription.
Finger Flyer Hoverboards
Sometimes the coolest inventions are right at your fingertips. The Finger Flyer Hoverboard is a fun toy, but it’s also a great teaching tool that explores aerodynamics. Find out how we helped manufacture this remote control-free quadcopter drone, and how a car ride turned a college student into an entrepreneur. Guest: Jake Parker, inventor of the Finger Flyer Hoverboard. Read full episode notes and transcription.
LUCI Next-gen Wheelchair
It’s a mystery as to why it has taken so long to create a device that makes power wheelchairs smart and sensor-based, but we have the first one now, and it’s called LUCI. In this podcast, we tell the family story behind LUCI and talk about the technology that will improve the safety of persons with disabilities across the globe. Guest: Jered Dean, LUCI’s cofounder and CTO. Read full episode notes and transcription.
New Trends in Injection Molding Production
Manufacturing processes are always improving, and that’s especially true of injection molding. In this podcast, we explore the new ways in which we're bringing a better customer experience through scientific molding techniques, careful quality control and reporting, and enhanced inspection to ensure your parts arrive looking and performing as designed. Read full episode notes and transcription.
GE Additive
Let’s say you need a huge part with tons of complexity. One of your best options to get it done right is 3D printing. Protolabs has some of the largest 3D printers on the planet, the GE Additive X Line series. Explore the history of large-format 3D printing and how to design your parts for best results on these machines. Read full episode notes and transcription.
Hubs Supply Network
Early in 2021, Protolabs announced the acquisition of online manufacturing platform, 3D Hubs, now just called Hubs. Get the backstory on the landmark merger of these two international manufacturers and find out how combining a service bureau and a supplier distribution network will forever change how manufacturing is done worldwide. Read full episode notes and transcription.
OVR Virtual Reality Headset
Virtual reality glasses and audio have created worlds both real and imagined for a wearer to explore. Another sense—smell—is the new frontier, and the benefits for individuals with PTSD, and others in specialized jobs, can be substantial. OVR Technology worked with us to create parts that led to its ION device, which presents users with smells that trigger memories that can lead to therapeutic benefits. Read full episode notes and transcription.
FOAMit Disinfectant System for COVID-19
The recent triple whammy of political, medical, and economic volatility has hit manufacturing hard. Some companies are finding novel ways to cope with supply chain and emergency parts issues. Our panels discuss supply chain diversity, onshoring, and more. Read full episode notes and transcription.
Breathe99 N95 Mask
With the emergence of COVID-19, people are taking a close look at available personal protective equipment. A new company called Breathe99 recently developed a face mask with 99% filtration and a sustainable filtration system that can help people safely navigate this new reality. Listen in as Breathe99 founder Max Bock-Aronson discusses the history of the B2 mask and the challenges of manufacturing it. Read full episode notes and transcription.