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“Perfection is achieved not when there Is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery Your day isn’t going well when your boss quotes a French novelist at you. In this case, my design was rejected because my boss thought that it wasn’t “elegant”… What? Days […]

Overmolding in injection molding is a process that combines multiple materials together to form one single part. Typically, the first material (the substrate) is covered partially or fully by a second material (the overmold). The two most common applications for overmolding are: Combining threaded metal inserts with a plastic part  Combining a harder plastic with […]

There are a lot of CAD (computer-aided design) file types out there, each with its own names, formats, and parameters. From STEP files to STL files, to IGES and more, it can be difficult to differentiate between them. This article will help you understand the difference between these file types, and which are best for uploading […]

Design guidelines for waterproof enclosure design, as well as IP68 waterproof rating design.

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) is the building block of modern engineering drawings. To learn the basics of GD&T, check out our GD&T 101 article which includes the definitions and utilization of:  CNC machining tolerances The Datum Reference Frame (DRF) Interpreting GD&T Symbols Applying Geometric Symbols to Engineering Drawings The Feature Control Frame Communicating Basic […]

The Mid-Autumn Festival is widely celebrated throughout Asia and is fast approaching. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar when the moon is full and celebrates the end of the autumn harvest — it’s similar to Thanksgiving in the US. In 2022, the festival falls on […]

At Fictiv, we receive lots of different types files each day. In the world of 3D modeling, there are lots of options for sharing CAD data, each with their own strengths and weakness. When preparing to upload files to Fictiv, we prefer to receive a STEP file, but also accept properly exported STL files. STEP […]

Let’s say you designed a mechanical assembly that requires some sort of mechanical sealing. Or you have a maintenance project that requires additional sealing to a new joint. Perhaps your assembly has a fluid reservoir, requires cooling fluid to pass through, or you’re joining two components together and need them to sit flush. To solve […]

The Challenge: Avoid Incorrect or Incomplete Tolerances Designers can specify less expensive commercial tolerances or more expensive precision tolerances on part drawings. There isn’t just one type of injection molding tolerance, however, and using the wrong tolerances can result in parts that don’t fit together correctly or that cost too much to produce. For injection […]

Designing components with snap-fits can save you time and money in production by reducing material costs and part quantities, as well as making assembly easier. In the past, injection molding was the only viable method for producing snap-fit joints in plastics. However, today 3D printing has opened up both new opportunities and challenges in their […]