Time to read: 3 min

Fictiv is a platform built by engineers, for engineers. So every feature we build—from our quick-turn CNC service to our knowledge-rich Hardware Guide—is the product of listening to our customers and learning about the tools they need to work as effectively as the products they build.

Over the past few months, we’ve been hard at work to deliver the features our community has been asking for. In this post, I’m excited to highlight some of these amazing new features, designed to increase your team’s productivity at every stage of development.

Quick-Turn CNC Machining Service

We know it’s a hassle to manage different preferred vendors for different fabrication services. That’s why we’re thrilled to offer—in addition to our next-day 3D printing service—CNC machining services on the platform.

With our CNC service, you get:

  1. Access to advanced machine capabilities, including 3-axis milling, 5-axis milling, standard turning, and live-tool turning. All part complexities welcome!
  2. 8 plastic and metal material offerings, including ABS, Nylon, Polycarbonate, Delrin, Aluminum, and Stainless Steel (303/304L/316L)
  3. Instant cost estimates, giving you immediate feedback for CNC part pricing
  4. Quick-turn precision parts, with lead times as fast as 3 days.

Check out our CNC services page to learn more.

Live Annotations for DFM Feedback in < 1 Hour

For a long time, the standard methods to communicate DFM feedback have been limited to powerpoint presentations and lengthy email conversations.

We think that’s pretty inefficient, so just last week we announced live annotations on the platform, which delivers manufacturing feedback from real engineers, in under an hour.

The annotations appear directly in our web-based 3D viewer, communicating:

  1. Required changes, necessary for manufacturability
  2. Recommendations for optimal part quality
  3. Questions around your design, such as confirmation for hole tapping

Check out this blog post to learn more about our live annotations feature.

Expert Prototyping Consultation in Minutes

While confident in your designs, you might have a few questions when it comes to part manufacturability using different fabrication processes.

We understand you need answers quickly to meet deadlines, so we have expert prototyping engineers available to chat through our platform at all hours of the business day.

On average, our team responds within just 3 minutes and can advise you on everything from the best material choices, to design recommendations for thin-walled parts, and more.

Fictiv Hardware Guide: The Engineer’s Ultimate Resource

After listening to our community, we realized the best information around manufacturing, engineering, and design is locked in textbooks or kept hidden within private conversations.

That’s why we’ve invested our heart and soul into creating the Fictiv Hardware Guide: the ultimate destination for hardware teams to discover prototyping and manufacturing knowledge.

We’ve curated the best articles from our community, uncovering collective knowledge around strategic prototyping methods, lessons learned from development experience, and expert insights along the hardware development lifecycle.

Some of my personal favorite posts include:

Learn more about what the Hardware Guide is and why we created it in this blog post.

How to Get Started

This is just a small snapshot of all the amazing things you can do with the Fictiv platform. Each day we’re building new features to power the most innovative hardware teams out there, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Login to your account to try out some of these new features for yourself!