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The Digital Thread

Your blog feed for manufacturing resources, in-depth features, and industry news.

Latest Posts

ABS material
Material Science
07/11/2024

In and Out - ABS Injection Moulding

This blogs deep dives into ABS injection moulding. Easy to work with, with a quality surface finish and relatively low purchase cost are just some of the reasons ABS is so popular for mass production. Continue reading to find out more.
By Protolabs
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Designing a 3DP CAD Model
3D CAD
07/11/2024

Turning CAD Models into 3D Printed Parts

How to evaluate build direction, support structures, radii placement and wall thickness to optimise you design for 3D Printing
By Eric Utley
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leveraging ODM for margin improvment

Streamlining and Winning in the Prototyping-to-Production Transition

Often, injection moulding is considered the most cost-effective production option for SKUs with estimated annual usage in the low-thousands for volume. It comes down to economies of scale—you just set up once to run tens or hundreds of thousands of parts. The highest volumes often bring you the lowest per unit price tags. But, the production setting also typically carries something else with it if you’re thoughtful—cost control, and lots of it.
By Protolabs
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medical device prototyping
Materials Matchup
24/10/2024

PEEK, PEI, LSR, and Other Material Options for Medical Prototyping

Consider materials along with manufacturing processes for medical device prototyping.
By Protolabs
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Approved Vendor List
Supply Chain
17/10/2024

Checking the Boxes on Your Approved Vendor List

10 reasons why Protolabs should be on your Approved Vendor List (AVL).
By Protolabs
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carbon bone drill

The Carbon Platform

Adding to Protolabs’ available technologies for rapid prototyping and on-demand production, Carbon’s suite of software, hardware, and materials provides another production method for end-use parts.
By Steve Wishau
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3D print cad design
3D Printing
03/10/2024

5 Ways 3D Printing Enriches Product Design

3D printing offers a wealth of opportunities to iterate rapid prototypes for testing and more.
By Protolabs
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CNC Recycled Materials
Material Science
26/09/2024

From Scrap to Success

Introducing recycled materials for CNC machining at Protolabs
By Protolabs
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The Energy, oil and gas sector, 7 key questions from these industries answered.
Industry Spotlight
20/09/2024

7 Key Questions from the Energy, Oil, and Gas Sectors Answered

This blog highlights key questions in the energy, oil, and gas sectors, emphasizing the importance of advanced manufacturing solutions.
By Protolabs
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3D-printed parts
MFG 360
19/09/2024

Metal 3D Printing Service Cost Explained

Explore the variables involved in calculating the cost of 3D-printed parts when using metal additive manufacturing technologies.
By Protolabs
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Shopfloor machines

Batch Production and Batch Manufacturing:

This blog answers your questions about batch production. When is it suitable? What are the advantages? And more,
By Protolabs
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Protolabs x IMarEST Survey 2024
Thought leadership
05/09/2024

Protolabs x IMarEST Survey 2024: Manufacturing in the Maritime industry

A lack of expertise and skilled personnel is holding the maritime industry back, according to a new survey by the IMarEST and Protolabs – but solving it could open up a wealth of opportunity.
By Protolabs, IMarEST
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