Include Target Quantities and Annual Volumes in Your RFQ A well-prepared Request for Quote (RFQ) is one of the most important steps in any manufacturing project. However, many RFQs omit one critical piece of information: expected production volume. Without ... Mar 5, 2026 Industrial Applications & Use Cases
Pilot Mold Cavities: Printed Inserts to Validate Geometry Fast One of the biggest challenges in injection molding development is validating complex mold geometries before committing to expensive tooling. Traditional mold manufacturing requires significant time an... Mar 5, 2026 Industrial Applications & Use Cases
How We Choose: CNC vs Casting vs Metal AM Selecting the right manufacturing process is one of the most critical decisions in product development. Engineers often evaluate parts purely from a design perspective, but the optimal process depends... Mar 5, 2026 Industrial Applications & Use Cases
Myth: 3D Printing Replaces Molds for Production Additive manufacturing has revolutionized product development, but it does not universally replace traditional molding processes. Each manufacturing method has distinct strengths depending on producti... Feb 25, 2026 Industrial Applications & Use Cases
Sending Only an STL (No STEP/Drawing) STL files are useful for additive manufacturing because they represent printable geometry, but they lack critical engineering information. Unlike STEP files or technical drawings, STL meshes do not in... Feb 25, 2026 Repeatability and Process Control
Leak-Tight Printing: Build Direction Influences Porosity Paths In metal additive manufacturing, build orientation does far more than influence surface finish or support structures, it directly affects internal porosity and leak integrity. Because parts are formed... Feb 25, 2026 Design for Additive Manufacturing
Why Draft Angles Matter for Powder Removal in Internal Cavities Powder removal is one of the most overlooked aspects of designing internal channels and cavities for metal additive manufacturing. Unlike traditional machining, powder bed fusion leaves unused powder ... Feb 18, 2026 Design for Additive Manufacturing
How Hot Isostatic Pressing Improves Final Density in Metal AM Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) is one of the most powerful post-processing techniques available for metal additive manufacturing. By applying high temperature and isostatic gas pressure simultaneously, ... Feb 18, 2026 Post-Processing & Reliability
Small Parts Still Need Thermal Management One of the most persistent misconceptions in metal additive manufacturing is that thermal management only matters for large parts. In reality, small geometries can be even more vulnerable to thermal d... Feb 18, 2026 Additive Manufacturing Fundamentals
ZERO-LEAK MANIFOLDS: Optimized Sealing in 3D Printed Systems In the aerospace and energy sectors, the integrity of fuel and fluid manifolds is critical. Leaks not only compromise performance but can lead to safety hazards, increased maintenance, and system fail... Feb 13, 2026 Post-Processing & Reliability
FIXATION POINTS: Why Less Is Often More At first glance, adding multiple fixation or mounting points to a part might seem like a safe strategy to ensure structural stability. But in mechanical design, over-constraining a part can actually b... Feb 13, 2026 Design for Additive Manufacturing
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY IN AM: Why Ultra-Low Expansion Matters In additive manufacturing, controlling dimensional accuracy during the build process is critical, especially in high-performance applications where tolerances are tight and reliability is non-negotiab... Feb 13, 2026 Materials & Metal Powders