Designing in a Vacuum: Creating CAD Without Knowing the Specific Machine or Press Size the Part Will Run On A CAD model can be geometrically perfect and still be impossible, or unnecessarily expensive, to manufacture if it is designed without considering the equipment that will produce it. Every manufacturi... Jul 1, 2026
Call Out Media-Blast vs As-Printed on the Drawing In additive manufacturing, surface finish requirements should never be left open to interpretation. A single component may contain cosmetic surfaces, sealing interfaces, functional features, and non-c... Jun 23, 2026
Plan Wire-EDM or Saw Tabs to Release Parts Cleanly One of the most overlooked decisions in metal additive manufacturing happens before the first layer is printed: determining how the part will be removed from the build plate. Many teams focus heavily ... Jun 15, 2026
Designing Captive Volumes That Trap Abrasive Media Complex internal geometries are one of the biggest advantages of additive manufacturing, but they also introduce unique post-processing challenges that are often overlooked during design. Enclosed cav... May 19, 2026
Large Flat Panels Without Ribs or Relief Large flat surfaces are one of the most challenging geometries in metal additive manufacturing. While they may appear simple in CAD, they are highly susceptible to warping, distortion, and internal st... May 5, 2026
Use Standard Hardware (Pins/Inserts) to Simplify Design One of the most common mistakes in additive design is trying to print every feature directly into the part, including threads, alignment pins, or wear surfaces. While this may seem efficient, it often... Apr 28, 2026
Over-Designing Threads Instead of Using Inserts Designing threads directly into 3D-printed parts may seem like a convenient solution, but it often leads to weak and unreliable connections. Additive processes struggle to produce high-quality interna... Apr 14, 2026
Design for Manufacturability: What’s New This Year Design for Manufacturability (DFM) has evolved from a reactive step into a core part of modern product development. In today’s fast-paced environment, manufacturability must be considered from the ver... Mar 31, 2026
DFM & DfAM Review: Our Checklist A structured Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) review is essential to ensuring that parts move efficiently from concept to production. Rather than identifying... Mar 24, 2026
CNC-Level Tolerances on As-Printed Faces One of the most common misconceptions in additive manufacturing is expecting CNC-level precision directly from as-printed surfaces. While metal AM offers incredible design freedom, it inherently produ... Mar 17, 2026
Conformal Cooling: When It Truly Makes Sense and When It Doesn’t Conformal cooling has become one of the most talked-about advantages of additive manufacturing in tooling, but its application should be driven by engineering need, not by trend. While the ability to ... Mar 17, 2026
Why 80% of Injection Problems Start with Cooling Design Cooling is often the least visible component of injection mold design, yet it has one of the largest impacts on production stability. While operators may adjust temperature, pressure, or cycle times t... Mar 10, 2026