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Practical Guide to Prototype Testing

Aesthetic design is in the eye of the beholder, but functional prototypes have a different standard—testing—and for most of us, exam day has never been something to which we look forward. However, test day doesn’t have to fill you with the fear you felt going into high school Calculus exams: By setting clear design expectations […]

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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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Manufacturing at Different Magnitudes Part 2: From 100 – 1,000 Units

One of the greatest challenges hardware teams face is in figuring out how to approach low volume production at awkward volumes of 100 – 1,000 units, before scaling to manufacture tens of thousands of units. In part 1 of this series, we covered best practices for manufacturing field testing units or made-to-engineer products at low […]

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How to Prepare Your Request for Quote Package

Seven hundred years ago, Marco Polo returned from the Far East with tales of wonder and exotic goods, like silks, fine porcelains, and spices, which would set the trends for the upper classes of Europe for centuries to come. These days, importing products comes with less fame, but it has also never been easier: Manufacturers […]

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October Hardware Roundup

^ Header image: Still image of a stop-motion animation using hundreds of pumpkins—credit to Kendall for sharing + a reddit thread with the creators. I hope you’re reading this edition of Hardware Roundup in costume, ’cause we are! This month brings you news on innovative power plants, growing metal markets, pinball machine manufacturing, and a watch with 30 components in one piece. […]

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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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August Hardware Roundup

Hey everyone, I’m Fin—your new curator of the Hardware Roundup Newsletter. Every month, I’ll scour the internet to bring you the top hardware news, articles, and community updates. If you’d like more regular updates, you should join our Facebook Group to connect with other engineers and designers, post hardware questions, and learn about job opportunities. […]

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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 […]