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From workshops to large industrial plants, computer numerical control — or CNC — machines have become integral parts of the production and manufacturing industries. The history of CNC machining dates back to when it was simply referred to as numerical control. This was an older system that didn’t involve programmable computers. The history of CNC […]

Statistics may not be your favorite subject from college, but it’s a critical part of an efficient product design and manufacturing process. Using statistics you can design experiments, run tests, collect real world results, and make data-driven decisions. These experiments can be used to test the effect of changing a dimension, material, or manufacturing process […]

Post-processing improves the properties of plastic injection molded parts so that they are ready for end-use. It includes corrective actions that remove surface defects and secondary processes for decorative or functional purposes. For example, post molding operations can remove excess material (known as flash) or apply part numbers. As its name suggests, post-processing always occurs […]

Plastic injection molding materials have names that sound like terms from chemistry class. It’s hard enough that polyethylene rhymes with polypropylene, which has an abbreviation (PP) that’s similar to polystyrene (PS). Choosing the right injection molding material also means knowing your application requirements, which can change between prototyping and production. Fortunately, you don’t need a […]

Fictiv is the first on-demand manufacturing platform to automatically generate drawings from 3D models, providing a solution for engineers that want higher quality parts, faster. SAN FRANCISCO, July 28, 2021 — Fictiv, the leader in high-quality manufacturing on-demand through its Digital Manufacturing Ecosystem, today unveiled an industry-first feature that enables engineers to create and edit 2D […]

The Rise of On-Demand Manufacturing It’s no surprise that the manufacturing industry felt the same pressure as other industries in a post-Amazon world. Customers expect companies to provide them with what they need when they want it, with very little tolerance for delays. The growth of ecommerce and the rapid rate of change in various […]

When you upload a part to the Fictiv platform, you receive instant design for manufacturability (DFM) feedback. Here are some explanations for why you received that feedback and what you can do to get your part ready to machine! Fillets to be added Explanation Fillets will be added to sharp internal corners or areas where […]

Deciding which manufacturing process to choose can be difficult; there are many different factors to consider. You may start out with a die casting process because it can deliver the quantity you need and meet your required tolerances. However, down the line you may need to change to a different manufacturing process. This may happen […]

Sometimes when you’re choosing what manufacturing method to use, the requirements for dimensions, materials, and specifications make conventional production processes too expensive. Milling, turning and drilling to machine a block with openings and chamfers that will hold bearings or other components is complex and difficult. Of course, you can cast parts, but the up-front cast […]

Historically, gear fabrication methods fall into three main categories: generation, forming, and form cutting. As new technologies are developed, there may be new gear machining methods added to the list, but the big three are still the most common ways to make a gear: Gear generation methods use cutting tools in the shape of the […]