The Digital Thread

Understand the differences between two terms often confused with one another—jigs and fixtures.

Discover why engineers are selecting 5-axis indexed milling for their parts. This blog looks at the advantages of 5-axis indexed milling.

BioDapt’s prosthetics allow adaptive athletes to continue doing what they love

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.

When working in the Space industry, post-processing options are often the difference between a good idea and a successful project. Whilst most of your focus will be on primary production methods, this blog outlines how secondary services can greatly impact your final project.

Driving innovation in any industry is difficult, but it’s particularly tricky in the space industry. Parts need to be reliable, withstand increasingly harsh conditions, function for extended periods without maintenance and remain lightweight yet tough enough to withstand the forces of launch and space travel. With these requirements in mind, it's important to select the right manufacturing method.

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.

Despite their widely varying applications, many electronic devices have at least one thing in common—the circuit boards and other components that make them work are all in an enclosure.

As the world’s leading digital manufacturer, we have added Aluminium 5083-H111 (3.3547 or AlMg4.5Mn0.7) to our range of over 40 stocked metal and plastic materials for our fast turnaround CNC service. The material is widely used in extreme environments with its high magnesium content making it highly resistant to saltwater and industrial chemicals.

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

Our new CNC Flexible Lead Time option puts you in control of when you want your CNC parts shipped and how much you pay.