Is SLA The Right 3D Printing Solution For You?
3D printing in plastic began more than 35 years ago with the invention of stereolithography (SLA). Although there have been many developments in additive manufacturing since then, SLA is still a popular process for rapid prototyping. First let’s take a look at how the technology works, and then see why it may be a good option […]
Understanding Surface Roughness for Product Development
Surface roughness is often described by the term Ra but many of our clients are unsure about what this means, how it’s measured and why it’s important to their product’s designs. So here we’d like to remove any mystery so you’re better able to specify exactly the type of surface roughness you want and need […]
What are the Top Passivation Techniques?
What Does Passivation Mean? Passivation means to alter the chemical structure of a metal at or just below the surface, so that it’s more stable and doesn’t want to react with other elements in an undesirable way. There are several different manufacturing processes that we routinely use to passivate the surface of a part. The […]
How 3D Printing Can Preserve And Restore The Past
3D scanning in combination with 3D printing now makes it possible to create all sorts of physical objects. This technology has become so advanced that it helps to preserve or restore historic artifacts that no longer exist. Let’s take a closer look at how 3D printing is currently being used to help protect and even recreate the vanishing […]
7 Techniques For Finishing A Metal Surface
All metal prototyping and CNC machined components will leave behind a pattern of characteristic scratches on the workpiece. These are caused by the type of cutting tool, how sharp it is and the material it’s made from. In some cases these scratches can be ignored but usually to make a truly “finished” part one or more […]
The Top 4 Benefits of Low-Volume Manufacturing
The world of product design continues to undergo some fundamental and even revolutionary changes. Product lifespans are getting shorter and so is the expected time to market. As a result, product developers are moving away from mass production and towards the world of low-volume manufacturing. What Is Low-Volume Manufacturing? Low-volume manufacturing involves the production of 50 to 100,000 parts, acting […]
