Do you have a great idea but are not sure where to begin? Then check out the Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award program. Over the past years, this program has helped innovators take their idea to manufacturing, then on to market. Make Parts Fast has covered … [Read more...] about Jump start your innovation with the Cool Idea Awards program
Machining / Milling
Selecting the right materials for your parts
There are more than 85,000 commercial options for plastic materials listed in materials databases, and within those, there are 45 polymer families which can be broadly classified into two categories: thermosets and thermoplastics. Proto Labs … [Read more...] about Selecting the right materials for your parts
Going from design, to testing, to market–fast
Whether for in home use or in thousands of industrial processes, water touches almost everything we do largely because, as Mark Peterman, CEO of OndaVia, Inc. pointed out, it is the universal solvent. This characteristic is both a blessing and a … [Read more...] about Going from design, to testing, to market–fast
Subtractive Rapid Prototyping, More Precise than ever before
There is no disputing the value of a great product prototype. Producing your design in 3-D, testing its functionality and ensuring that the required manufacturing processes will work can save considerable time and expense. While the industry is … [Read more...] about Subtractive Rapid Prototyping, More Precise than ever before
More materials available for Proto Labs Firstcut Machining Service
Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE: PRLB), a leading online and technology-enabled quick-turn manufacturer, announces the availability of several additional metals through its Firstcut CNC machining service. Beginning today, customers can upload their 3D CAD … [Read more...] about More materials available for Proto Labs Firstcut Machining Service
Will 3D printing truly be disruptive? Not necessarily
If you’ve read the blogs and comments made by many who follow this industry, you are familiar with the claim that professional grade 3D printers will replace traditional manufacturing technology (CNC-based milling, machining, stamping, and so on), in … [Read more...] about Will 3D printing truly be disruptive? Not necessarily
Proto Labs’ Cool Idea! Winner SOLOSHOT lets you star in your own film
Sports enthusiasts around the globe have long enlisted friends, family and even strangers to serve as amateur videographers. But even if you’re able to convince someone to invest the time and energy to help out, usable footage is never a guarantee. … [Read more...] about Proto Labs’ Cool Idea! Winner SOLOSHOT lets you star in your own film
Additive “printing” of metal
Sciaky, Inc. is a provider of an innovative form of additive manufacturing. Its Direct Manufacturing (DM) technology achieves near net-shape parts using state-of-the art electron beam welding. Its equipment produces production parts and functional … [Read more...] about Additive “printing” of metal
Subtractive Manufacturing: What You Need to Know
Not everyone thinks that subtractive manufacturing has a place in the Additive Manufacturing arena. After all, subtractive manufacturing is really CNC machining—a process that removes material from a larger piece of material through standard … [Read more...] about Subtractive Manufacturing: What You Need to Know
Proto Labs Names Cool Idea! Honorable Mentions
Proto Labs, a leading quick-turn manufacturer of CNC machined and injection molded custom parts for prototyping and short-run production, has announced two Honorable Mention award recipients as part of its Cool Idea! award program. The d-TSSU™, … [Read more...] about Proto Labs Names Cool Idea! Honorable Mentions