Bigger and Better
We’ve posted tips in the past regarding maximum part size, but since our moldable dimensions have continued to increase, we thought it was time for an update. Some of the figures that follow are simple and absolute; others may vary based on multiple factors. If your design seems to be approaching the limits, the best way to determine whether Proto Labs can mold it is to submit... Read More
Use a smart phone to share digital microscope images
This is an innovative design—a plastic mount that connects smart phones to microscopes to digitally capture and share scientific images. This is such an innovative idea, that Proto Labs made the co-founders, Andy Miller and Tess Bakke, winners of the Proto Labs Cool Idea! Competition. Miller and Bakke think SkyLight, will have a big impact on global healthcare and science education.... Read More
Tips on Clips Part 2: Make it Snappy
Plastic’s ability to flex without permanently deforming allows molded parts to incorporate a variety of snap fasteners other than the common hooked cantilever clip. These include: • annular (round) snaps • torsional snaps, which store return force by twisting rather than bending • compressive snaps, which work by compressing and then returning to hold the fastener in place. Annular... Read More
QuicKaddy Design is Latest Cool Idea! winner
A patent-pending hex key case design by mechanical engineer Matt Nestor is the latest recipient of the Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award. Proto Labs will provide Nestor with prototype parts he can use for demonstrations to major tool companies. The part will be used in the new magnetic QuicKaddy Hex Key case that Nestor designed, with slots in the front and back that allow the user to... Read More
Fast prototyping speeds development of breakthrough vision screening
PediaVision® is a medical device company that provides comprehensive vision assessment technology for use on adults and children as young as 6 months old. Their latest innovation, Spot, is a patent-pending device that can assess a child’s vision quickly (in less than 1 sec) and objectively, eliminating the subjective analysis that results from many of today’s vision screening... Read More
A closer look at injection molding
Periodically we will be showing you potential service providers and resources for your rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing needs. Here’s an interesting video from a Michigan company, PTI Engineered Plastics. PTI is a full-service thermoplastic injection molder supplying industry with products for prototype, short runs as well as low and high volume production. For... Read More
Tips on Clips
One of the many benefits of plastic resin is the ease with which it can be molded into complex shapes. This often allows a single part to replace two or more parts made of other materials. Among the complex features that can be molded into a plastic part are a variety of integrated snap connectors, which can also eliminate the need for still more parts, such as screws, or for secondary... Read More
Latest Cool Idea! Winner: RoughRider® Wheelchair
Proto Labs has chosen Whirlwind Wheelchair International as the latest recipient of its Cool Idea! Award. Proto Labs – a leading online and technology-enabled manufacturer of quick-turn prototype and short-run parts – will help the company launch its innovative RoughRider wheelchair to the U.S. market. The RoughRider was originally designed for those with disabilities in developing... Read More
Proto Labs’ latest Cool Idea! is a Rice University robotics project
Proto Labs announced the second recipient of its Cool Idea! Award Program. Rice University has been awarded prototyping and production services to help launch a group of robots designed for undergraduate engineering students. The robots, dubbed “r-one,” were developed by Professor James McLurkin and his students and will give students the opportunity to research multirobot engineering... Read More
Being Transparent
After years of experience in mixing colorant into resin pellets, Proto Labs engineers have developed a standard for the ratio of transparent colorant added to clear resins. This 1% ratio applies to all of the transparent colorants we stock, including: • Trans Red UN3012TR • Trans Amber UN2034TR • Trans Green UN6881TR • Trans Blue UN5016TR • Trans Grey UN7903TR (All of... Read More
Now that the open source concept has migrated from software to hardware, it's the right time for a hackable robot that can make "
Here I'm 3D printing a chess piece. This is the second chess piece I've been printing. Here it is in a picture:http://reprap.erik
Dr Adrian Bowyer of the RepRap project http://reprap.org shows us around his lab at Bath University.
From CAD to prototype
RedEye, a business unit of Stratasys, unveiled the world's first full scale custom motorcycle, created entirely from using rapid proto
