The Digital Thread

Choosing the best translucent material for your moulded parts isn’t always crystal clear. There are quite a few things to think about before making your final choice of materials and design.

These hard, versatile materials are perfect for use in projects that require high resistance to wear, abrasion, and chemicals.

Could recycled injection moulding materials work for your part? This blog compares recycled materials to their traditional counterparts.

ABS and polypropylene (PP) are strong contenders for many projects, but what are the differences?

We're often asked what's the best material for selective laser sintering (SLS)? Learn more about the elements which might influence your choice of material for SLS.

Slide bearings are a critical component in many engineering applications, they provide a smooth, low-friction surface that allows parts to move back and forth multiple times, with a long service life. This blog covers materials to consider for slide bearings.

This blog looks at common materials used in robotics and their benefits and applications.

Material science constantly pushes the boundaries of what is possible in product development, but what materials are making an impact in the space industry? We've compiled a list of cutting edge materials used for space applications to help you make the right decision for your project.

Consider cost, part performance when choosing PEEK or PEI (Ultem) Plastics for CNC machining or injection moulding your parts.

Aluminium is a common and popular metal that’s found everywhere and used in a stunningly wide range of parts and products: automotive parts, aerospace components, boat and marine gear, consumer electronics including smart phones, industrial machinery parts, HVAC systems, the list goes on. In this blog we look at why aluminium is so commonly used, why there are so many aluminium alloys, and take a brief glimpse at the main alloys we use at Protolabs.

Light weight and strength help aluminium and titanium excel for 3D-printed and machined parts.

Tensile strength testing for 3D printing materials determines how a material will behave under load.