Hellooo 2016! Is it seriously February already?

Well, in the spirit of nostalgia, we’re takin’ a drive down memory lane, looking back at our most popular posts from 2015.

1.  Ultimate Guide to Surface Finishing 3D Printed Parts

First up: our popular Ultimate Guide to Surface Finishing 3D Printed Parts.

The guide covers different finishing methods for FDM and PolyJet parts and offers techniques and tips to elevate the look and feel of prototypes to visual model standards.

2. BB-8 Teardown

One of our first teardowns! After being introduced to the lovable BB-8 droid from The Force Awakens and then seeing Sphero come out with their own toy, we couldn’t resist.

A dremel session later, we peeked inside our little friend and found some pretty neat mechanisms.

3. Nintendo Controller Teardown

This is one of my favorites: a teardown of all the classic Nintendo controllers, from the very first NES system, through the Nintendo 64 (hello, joy stick!) and finally ending at the very complex and tv-like Wii U remote.

4. The True Cost of Machine Ownership

Thinking about buying a 3D printer? Before you do, read this post. We get a lot of startups coming to us, asking whether or not they should buy their own machine(s). 

There are many different and complex variables that inform whether or not machine ownership is the right decision for you, so here we outline exactly what those variables are to help you make the best decision.

5. Designing Snap Fit Components

Snap fits are fantastic part features to help improve ease of assembly while saving production time and money. 

Here’s our guide to designing snap fit components, where we describe the key features, calculations and ways to troubleshoot issues for designing and prototyping plastic snap fit components.

6. This is How an Aerospace Engineer Designs Hardware Products

Read how James Olander, founder of Roost,  leveraged his background in Aerospace Engineering to design and develop the best laptop stand we’ve ever used. 

In this Spotlight, he shares the engineering workflow he uses to design the structural elements of his 3D printed prototypes, in order to then extrapolate those results to understand how injection molded parts would perform.

7. Industrial Design vs Mechanical Engineering — This is How Endless Manages the Give and Take

We’re always interested in learning more about improving workflow dynamics between engineers and designers. 

Here, we get a sneak peek into the working dynamic between industrial designer Scott Shumaker and VP of Engineering George Hines at Endless Mobile, and how they’re able to effectively leverage one another’s expertise to create something better than what either could create alone.

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If you enjoyed these posts, you’re going to like what we have coming up for 2016.

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