In the context of all the buzz around 3D printing, the term “injection molding” may sound like a ho-hum and low-tech term. However, depending upon your design requirements, there is an important place for both processes and 3D printing (additive manufacturing) is not poised to take over injection molding any time soon. Although 3D printing […]
Additive manufacturing: To do or not to DIY 3D printing
As 3D printers become more ubiquitous and less costly, the idea of DIY 3D printing or additive manufacturing — for product development, prototyping and manufacturing — becomes increasingly attractive. Images and videos abound of shiny and sophisticated 21st-century industrial machinery creating a solid product from thin layers upon thin layers of material in succession bringing […]
Key design considerations for sheet metal enclosures
Even the simplest of electronic products need to be enclosed somehow. Additionally, having a basic understanding of how electronics enclosures are fabricated can go a long way to a more successful overall design and positive end-user experience. While there are electronic products that are more suitable for plastic enclosures, sheet metal electronic enclosures have the […]
Industry 4.0: Interweaving manufacturing and technology for a Smart Factory
(Adapted from the white paper, Data Digital Threads and Industry 4.0) In 2007, German economist Klaus Schwab told an assembly of the World Economic Forum, which he founded, that the world was now entering a Fourth Industrial Revolution, one that “has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for […]
What is DFM Analysis and why should a designer utilize it?
Designing a product to be easily manufacturable was not always a concern for designers during the earliest stages of engineering. As a result, prototypes that worked in the model shop couldn’t always be produced once they hit the factory floor. But research now shows that the vast majority of a product’s cost, quality, and manufacturability […]
Proof of Concept and beyond: success stories in DFM
Reducing product development time and improving product quality while realizing costs savings no longer has to be a designer’s dream — or nightmare. Automation and the emergence of innovated and sophisticated CAD tools are helping to enable the type of rapid innovation needed to keep up with market demands in industries ranging from robotics, to […]
Prototype-ready? Key considerations when outsourcing
Adapted from 3D Printing Technologies for Prototyping and Production, How to Leverage Additive Manufacturing to Build Better Products Unlike the blueprints, product rendering, and 3D models architects use long before building begins, product development is different. Today’s products are designed to be manufactured in thousands or hundreds of thousands, and both parts and assembled products […]
Stereolithography: 3D prototypes and a shrinking time-to-market
In a time when much of the success and profitability of next-generation products rests on time-to-market (TTM), taking designs from concept to high-resolution, fully functional prototypes has become an increasingly critical component of the new product introduction process. And in the brutally competitive electronics market, the 3D/Additive Manufacturing (AM) process of Stereolithography or SLA […]
Overmolding: beyond form, fit, and function for prototypes
Easier, faster, cheaper — three keywords associated with meeting aggressive time-to-market demands, particularly in the evolving electronics design world. And a critical component of meeting those demands is producing a prototype that does not involve complicated processes, is rapidly manufactured, and does not cost a fortune for low-volume orders. In other words, “easier, faster, cheaper.” […]
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