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Sphero on the Engineering Behind their New Star Wars Products

Star Wars enthusiasts around the galaxy were captivated by the debut of the new, spherical droid BB-8™ in 2015’s The Force Awakens and subsequently rushed to purchase their own little droids, made by Boulder-based Sphero. Now, fans are eagerly snapping up the new BB-9E droid and the beloved classic, R2-D2. We teamed up with Sphero’s […]

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Manufacturing at Different Magnitudes Part 1: From 10 – 100 Units

What does the word “production” mean to you? An engineer at a large consumer goods company might think of multi-cavity injection molding tools that cast parts day and night, and assembly lines that run multiple shifts. On the other hand, an engineer that works at a medical equipment company might think about getting a few […]

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Mechatronica: 3D Printing Gears and Robots

Designing and building robots and other mechatronic designs has been simplified by the continued evolution of 3D printing technology, but it’s not without its challenges. 3D printed parts aren’t quite the same as their more expensive machined and molded cousins, and we need to take into account the tolerances, surface finishes, and other limitations of […]

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Introducing: The Fictiv Capabilities Guide and Help Center

As an engineer or designer, it can be tough to know which manufacturing process or material will best translate your designs in a physical prototype. To help teams deepen their understanding of the different technologies and materials available to them on the Fictiv platform, we launched our new Capabilities Guide: an online resource to explore […]

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Fictiv Launches 6 New CNC Materials

We’re happy to announce that the Fictiv platform now includes six new CNC machining materials: four metals and two plastics. In addition to Aluminum, 3 Stainless Steel alloys, ABS, Nylon, Delrin, and Polycarbonate, you can now order 3-day CNC machined parts in: Read on for an overview of each material. For further information on these new […]

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Human Centered Design: Better Products through Empathy and Iteration

My favorite type of product is one that I hardly notice—something that’s in my life every day, improving it significantly, yet blends seamlessly into my routine. For example, a wristwatch fits gently but snugly around your wrist, keeps time with a tiny precision mechanism, is easy to glance at when you need it, and fades […]

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How to Prototype Rubber Designs

When I began studying engineering, prototyping involved expensive machining and milling individual pieces after careful CNC programming (of course, back then, the GameCube was hot stuff, and GoldenEye on N64 still a fun way to pass a weekend). The first 3D printer I saw used inkjet printing technology, squirting glue over consecutive layers of sand—but […]

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How to Handle ECOs

Engineering Changes (ECs) are fulcrums: They’re powerful, and a small mistake one day can have incredible consequences for weeks, or even months, afterwards. When companies mature, they need systems to limit the impact of potential unintended consequences, but you’ll always hear engineers grumbling about the red tape required to make this “one tiny, obviously logical […]

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Hardware Generation: Nevados All-Terrain Solar Tracker

One of the best parts about working at Fictiv, located in the heart of San Francisco, is that we’re constantly surrounded by some of the world’s most talented engineers and industrial designers, building the next generation of hardware products. To give you a view into this exciting and rapidly growing world, we started a new […]

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Design Strategies for Corrosion Resistance

Corrosion is a common phenomenon—where there’s metal, there will be rust. In scientific terms, corrosion is a chemical process in which refined metals get converted to their more chemically stable form. Four basic ingredients found in your home environment cause corrosion: reactive metal, air, moisture, and electrolytes. And while a quick spray of WD-40 battles […]