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Protolabs

Halesfield 8
Telford
Shropshire
TF7 4QN
United Kingdom
www.protolabs.co.uk
01952 683 047

customerservice@protolabs.co.uk

Content Partner News

Insight Podcast: DMLS Q&A Part 1

Published: 09/21

In this episode we answer your questions on DMLS with Tasos Pantelis, an Application Engineer at Protolabs and our 3D Champion for Europe. See below for a list of questions answered in this session:

Oilfield Services Sector Already Committing To ‘Green’ Energy, According To New Protolabs Report

Published: 09/21

The oilfield services sector is radically restructuring to survive in a world moving towards net-zero carbon emissions, according to a new industry report.

How to create greener parts

Published: 09/21

​Creating more sustainable or greener parts is a complex area that depends on a number of factors which sometime contradict each other. The first step is to understand these different elements and then you need to make a judgement call.

NEW REPORT REVEALS UK’S ELECTRIFICATION CHARGE COULD DELIVER £BILLION ‘RE-SHORING’ OPPORTUNITY

Published: 08/21

• 84% of UK companies surveyed are looking to bring parts of their supply chain closer to home over the next twelve months • 86% are planning on launching a new battery product or storage system in the same timeframe • 68% believe sustainability and the circular economy will drive the UK’s competitive advantage

Switching From Metal to Plastic

Published: 08/21

The manufacturing sector is constantly evolving and seeing new trends and practises develop. Among the most exciting of these is the relatively recent idea of designers replacing metal parts with injection-moulded plastic ones.

How to Use Multi Jet Fusion for Functional 3D-Printed Parts

Published: 07/21

Technology giant HP has developed and launched Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), an industrial-grade 3D printing technology that quickly and accurately produces functional prototypes and end-use parts for a variety of applications. Protolabs served as one of several test sites for this additive manufacturing process because of its experience in industrial 3D printing, and recently added HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200 printers to its suite of manufacturing tools. Here are several considerations to keep in mind when designing for MJF.

9 Cosmetic Defects and How to Avoid Them

Published: 06/21

As with any manufacturing process, injection moulding comes with its own set of design guidelines, and design engineers who understand these best practices will increase their chances of developing structurally sound and cosmetically appealing parts and products. Here are some common cosmetic defects that occur on plastic injection-moulded parts, and tips on how to avoid them.

Tips to Reduce Injection Moulding Costs

Published: 03/21

Everyone wants to save money on manufactured parts. It sounds simple, but one of the easiest ways to reduce price-per-piece cost in injection moulding is by increasing part quantity.

Why Material Science is Key to Part Interaction

Published: 02/21

Even a perfectly designed injection-moulded part can fail if manufactured from the wrong material, and with literally hundreds of thermoplastics and elastomers to choose from, it’s often difficult to know which ones will meet the application’s requirements. This is why a host of factors such as mechanical strength, chemical and ultraviolet light resistance, lubricity, wear resistance, and more must be carefully considered when selecting materials for injection moulding.

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Designing 3D Printed Parts

Published: 01/21

Designers and engineers are increasingly turning to industrial-grade 3D printing (additive manufacturing) for high-quality prototypes and end-use production parts. And 3D printing options abound. At Protolabs, we offer five additive methods: direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), and PolyJet.

CPD accredited training programme: The Fundamentals Of Digital Manufacturing

Published: 12/20

Continuing Professional Development is important to you, which is why it’s important to us! To support your development, we have created a CPD accredited training programme covering the Fundamentals of Digital Manufacturing. Start your journey now!

How to reduce CNC machining costs

Published: 11/20

CNC machining keeps improving and advancing every year, and, therefore, gets a bit more complex each year. As a result, it can be challenging to keep pace with the dos and don'ts of part design. But lowering the cost of machined parts while improving functionality can still be achieved by a few relatively simple adjustments to your part design or material selection.

Thermoplastic vs. Thermoset

Published: 10/20

Two broad categories of plastic materials exist: thermoplastics and thermosets, which are differentiated based on their behaviours in the presence of heat. This design tip offers a few considerations to keep in mind when using these materials.

How to Design for Nylon 3D Printing

Published: 09/20

In industrial-grade 3D printing, part design lends itself to more freedom and the ability to produce complex geometries compared to part design using more traditional manufacturing processes. However, for 3D-printed nylon parts, there are five key considerations you should keep in mind to ensure selective laser sintering (SLS) and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) processes can produce the parts you are after.

Manufacturing Tool Kit for the Medical Industry

Published: 07/20

Eight ways to improve development of medical products and devices through design analysis, iterative prototyping, material considerations, and more

Insight: Measure Up For Success – Detailed Measurement And Inspection Reporting

Published: 05/20

Your masterclass in product design and development, each packed with useful tips to help save you time and money.

3D Printing Functional Parts with Selective Laser Sintering

Published: 05/20

SLS builds precise plastic parts for prototyping and low-volume production

How Metal 3D Printing is Redefining Part Design

Published: 04/20

Direct metal laser sintering brings unprecedented freedom to those willing to rethink traditional part design.

How 3D Printing Materials Measure Up

Published: 04/20

Comparing injection-moulded thermoplastics to ‘thermoplastic-like’ materials in stereolithography.

Family tooling: Increasing production volume and reducing part costs

Published: 03/20

Much of the cost of injection moulding is in creating the tool – before you even begin the moulding process. So if you are designing multiple parts for the same project it could be worth considering having them share the same mould.

Why choose CNC?

Published: 03/20

In this video we discuss why you might choose CNC machining and how this subtractive manufacturing process could save you time and money.

Design Essentials for Injection Moulding

Published: 02/20

Our 3DP Material Selector lists specific measurements like resolution, tensile strength and hardness to ensure you have the most suitable material and additive manufacturing process for your part’s application.

Insight: Injection Moulding Costs

Published: 02/20

Your masterclass in product design and development, each packed with useful tips to help save you time and money.

3D printing in Polypropylene

Published: 01/20

Polypropylene is the most widely used plastic in manufacturing and yet until recently if you wanted a prototype from this material your options were limited.

Design Essentials – Design to Prototype

Published: 10/19

Air(line) worthy – ACI Ltd used Protolabs rapid injection moulding services to minimise the amount of time their aircraft are on the ground for annual maintenance.