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Transitioning from Prototype to Low Volume and Mass Production: A Comprehensive Guide with Expert Insights

The journey from initial prototype to mass production is a complex transformation for the development lifecycle of any product. While the progression isn’t perfectly linear, this guide highlights critical aspects of the process – from prototyping to testing and validation to bridge production to mass production. To help explain each key stage, we’re tapping into […]

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Anodizing Rack Marks: Guide to Cosmetic Quality

Anodizing is a popular surface treatment process used in various industries to provide superior protection and enhance the appearance of aluminum parts. Since anodizing is an electrochemical process, meaning there needs to be chemical immersion/exposure along with a flow of electricity, there has to be a way for the circuit to be completed to the […]

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Mold Flow Analysis in Injection Molding 

Mold flow analysis is a software-based simulation that predicts how a plastic resin will flow into and fill an injection mold. It also accounts for part cooling and process optimization. There are other ways to analyze the injection molding process, but modeling it is faster, less expensive, and more efficient than machining metal plates, building […]

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Fictiv Launches ChatGPT-Powered Materials.AI™

Industry-first AI assistant helps engineers choose the right manufacturing material for their projects. SAN FRANCISCO, February 6, 2024 – Fictiv, a global manufacturing company, today announced the release of Materials.AI™, an industry-first AI assistant powered by ChatGPT that helps mechanical engineers quickly and easily navigate material options for their manufacturing needs. Materials.AI is powered by […]

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Introducing Materials.AI: Your AI Assistant for Material Selection

With advances in material science and manufacturing technologies like 3D printing, it can be overwhelming (not to mention time-consuming) to find the right material for your project needs. That’s why we created Materials.AI: a first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence assistant, powered by ChatGPT and Fictiv’s expansive manufacturing database, to help you navigate the complex landscape of plastic […]

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3D Printing vs Injection Molding

3D printing and injection molding are each used to produce plastic parts. However, these processes are not mutually exclusive because some projects that begin with 3D printing end with injection molding.  3D printing is typically used for early-stage prototypes, evolving designs, and part geometries that can’t be produced with other methods. Because this form of […]

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Urethane Casting vs. Injection Molding

Urethane casting vs. injection molding is a comparison between two ways to mold parts.  Urethane casting is for early-stage prototyping, low-volume production runs from 1 to 100 parts, and for bridging the gap between low-volume and high-volume production. It uses soft tooling, typically made from silicone rubber, and relatively inexpensive production molds. Part details are […]

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3D Printing Materials Overview

Fictiv offers a variety of 3D printing materials and can produce parts using Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), and Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (DLS)  technologies. For each of these 3D printing processes, the table below lists the available materials and colors along with their average lead […]

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Draft Angle Injection Molding

Draft angle injection molding is about applying an angle or taper to the vertical faces of injection molded parts. Draft is measured in degrees and promotes smoother part ejections, decreased tooling wear, and shorter cooling times. The benefits of proper draft include fewer defects, faster cycles, and lower costs.    Typically, designers apply draft angles of […]

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Fictiv Expands Global Manufacturing Network to Include Sheet Metal, Die Casting, Compression Molding

Customers can now access more capabilities and capacity for expanded production methods, simplifying custom mechanical sourcing. SAN FRANCISCO, January 16, 2024 – Fictiv, a global manufacturing company, announced today a significant expansion of its production manufacturing capabilities, adding Sheet Metal, Die Casting, and Compression Molding to its global network and AI-powered quote-to-order platform. With these […]