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Introduction to CNC Milling Cuts and Toolpaths

This article is a companion to Getting Started with CNC, an introduction to the different types of CNC milling machines and the software used to design the parts they produce. Here, we’re going to discuss CNC milling terminology, toolpaths, and common operations. Chip Formation You may have seen images like Figure 1, which show how […]

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Getting Started with CNC Milling

Computer numerical control, or CNC, is one of the most common and well-known automated processes in manufacturing. CNC machines help companies and individuals make manufacturing processes easier to inspect and control while reducing human errors. They’re used for milling, turning, plasma cutting, electrical discharge machining, water jet cutting, punching, drilling, laser cutting, and more. This […]

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5 Reasons You Need to Use 2D Drawings

As an engineer, you’ve made many 2D drawings, because drawings are still essential to the manufacturing process. Given advances in design tool technology, you may also have wondered: “Why am I creating this drawing? Why aren’t we using CAD?”  Good questions! Computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) are amazing tools but they […]

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3D Modeling: From Fundamentals to Advanced Techniques

The computer modeling world is a vast array of techniques and programs that can serve as tools in aiding professionals to create, simulate, and visualize their designs. This article will introduce some different types of 3D modeling software and then walk through a sample workflow in Solidworks to show you what you can do with […]

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Tolerance Stack Ups 501: Going Beyond Mechanical Fit and Into Predictive Design Webinar

Tolerance Stack-Ups are a vital component of any engineer’s workflow, to ensure successful mechanical design fit. But successful engineers in demanding industries such as medical, aerospace, and automotive, need to rely on data to do more than this. They need data to improve real design outcomes beyond “guess and check” — to improve design understanding […]

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Mass Customization: The Future of Made-to-Fit Manufacturing

Once upon a time there were cobblers, who would craft shoes to individual feet. Then came the industrial revolution, and the cobblers were replaced by dozens of factory workers, each performing a single step to build standard shoes—and feet were expected to adapt. This wasn’t all bad; the new shoes were cheaper, and more people […]

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How to Set Up Your Files for Multimaterial 3D Printing

One of the major benefits of printing in Polyjet is the ability to print in multiple materials for a single part. This allows you to simulate overmolds, create soft touch applications, and build living hinges among many other applications. We get a lot of questions about how to prepare files for multi-material prints, so here’s […]

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3 Best Practices for Digital Design

Just having the right tool doesn’t mean you’re necessarily getting the most out of it. Here are 3 best practices to help you get started using your chosen CAD software effectively. 1. Keep it Simple With digital tools, it’s easy to create intricate features that look great but are unnecessarily, and unrealistically, complex. So before […]

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CAD Design Terms

When learning CAD, some words may seem foreign–extrusion, chamfer, radius, and fillets aren’t exactly intutive. No worries, read up on the terms below as a refresher or an introduction to the most common CAD terms and operations. Main CAD Operations Extrude / Extrusion: An extruded face of an object expands or contracts (or cuts through/against) empty […]

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3D File Types

There are three different types of digital files, broadly speaking: ones for printing, ones for modeling, and ones for 2D drawings. In order to produce a physical part, a 3D printer requires a specific file type. Known as a ‘mesh model’, the most common file type for 3D printing is called STereoLithography, or STL. To […]