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Manufacturing guides

Produce better parts with these comprehensive guides to the manufacturing technologies we offer at Protolabs Network. Based on our years of experience producing millions of parts, these best practices and tips will steer you through the production process.

3D printing guide 3D printing guide cover image
3D printing guide

Explore the 3D printing technologies engineers use to manufacture prototypes and end-use parts.

Read our 3D printing guide
CNC machining guide CNC machining guide cover image
CNC machining guide

Learn the basics of milling, turning and using multi-axis CNC machines to create accurate custom parts.

Read our CNC machining guide
Injection molding guide Injection molding guide cover image
Injection molding guide

Master the injection molding process for manufacturing at scale, from tooling and mold design to production runs.

Read our injection molding guide
Sheet metal fabrication guide Sheet metal fabrication guide cover image
Sheet metal fabrication guide

Find out about manufacturing custom parts using high-precision bending and laser cutting.

Read our sheet metal guide
Metal 3D printing guide Metal 3D printing guide cover image
Metal 3D printing guide

Compare the technologies behind functional metal parts that can be 3D printed on demand.

Read our metal 3D printing guide
Guide to plastics Guide to plastics cover image
Guide to plastics

Choose plastics with the right properties for injection molding, 3D printing or CNC machining.

Read our plastics guide

More resources for engineers

3D printed Injection Molds: Materials Compared

3D printed injection molds: Materials compared

We compare critically two industrial 3D printing materials used for low-run injection mold manufacturing.

Read article
3D Printing for Grips, Jigs and Fixtures

How 3D printing grips, jigs and fixtures keeps manufacturing costs down

What are grips, jigs and fixtures and can you 3D print them? Learn the basics of grips, jigs and fixtures and how 3D printing these tools helps reduce manufacturing costs while ramping up the speed.

Read article
3D Printing STL files: A step-by-step guide

3D printing STL files: A step-by-step guide

Learn how to avoid low quality 3D prints or unnecessarily large files by exporting your STL file in the correct resolution.

Read article
3D Printing vs. CNC machining

3D printing vs. CNC machining: Which is better for prototyping and end-use parts?

Is 3D printing or CNC machining better for your custom part applications? Learn the practical differences between CNC machining and 3D printing and how to select the right technology for manufacturing prototypes, end-use parts and everything in between.

Read article
How to design parts for Metal 3D printing

How to design parts for metal 3D printing

A comprehensive guide for metal 3D printing covering the printing process, design specifications, material options and technology limitations.

Read article
Models printed in SLA, FDM and SLS

How much does 3D printing cost? Tips for reducing your manufacturing costs

Is 3D printing the most cost-effective option and how can you keep your costs down? Explore all the factors that determine the price of 3D printing, including how to reduce the cost of printing your custom parts.

Read article
Fillauer Running Blade

Medical device manufacturing: Best practices, applications and regulations

Learn about the processes used to manufacture medical devices and which applications they're relevant to, as well as best practices to follow when designing medical devices.

Read article
How to design parts for CNC machining

How to design parts for CNC machining

In this complete guide to designing for CNC machining, we've compiled basic & advanced design practices and tips to help you achieve the best results for your custom parts.

Read article
How to design parts for Injection Molding

How do you design parts for injection molding?

How do you optimize part design for injection molding? This complete guide to designing for injection molding provides basic and advanced design tips, including guidelines for creating snap-fits, living hinges and undercuts, and accounting for optimial surface finishes.

Read article
Jewelry 3D Printing Applications

Jewelry 3D printing applications

This article discusses how 3D printing is being used to produce high detail, custom jewelry through investment casting and direct metal printing.

Read article
cnc-surface finish-as-machined-1

What are the different types of threads for manufacturing? Practical tips for engineers

What are the different types of threads for manufacturing? In this article, learn how to correctly design threads to reduce lead times and cost for your next CNC machining production run.

Read article
Heat treatments for CNC machined parts

What is heat treatment and how does it improve CNC-machined parts?

What are the different types of heat treatment and how do they affect CNC-machined parts? This article explores how heat treatments can be applied to many metal alloys to drastically improve key physical properties like hardness, strength and machinability.

Read article
3D printed Injection Molds: Materials Compared

3D printed injection molds: Materials compared

We compare critically two industrial 3D printing materials used for low-run injection mold manufacturing.

Read article
3D Printing for Grips, Jigs and Fixtures

How 3D printing grips, jigs and fixtures keeps manufacturing costs down

What are grips, jigs and fixtures and can you 3D print them? Learn the basics of grips, jigs and fixtures and how 3D printing these tools helps reduce manufacturing costs while ramping up the speed.

Read article
3D Printing STL files: A step-by-step guide

3D printing STL files: A step-by-step guide

Learn how to avoid low quality 3D prints or unnecessarily large files by exporting your STL file in the correct resolution.

Read article
3D Printing vs. CNC machining

3D printing vs. CNC machining: Which is better for prototyping and end-use parts?

Is 3D printing or CNC machining better for your custom part applications? Learn the practical differences between CNC machining and 3D printing and how to select the right technology for manufacturing prototypes, end-use parts and everything in between.

Read article
How to design parts for Metal 3D printing

How to design parts for metal 3D printing

A comprehensive guide for metal 3D printing covering the printing process, design specifications, material options and technology limitations.

Read article
Models printed in SLA, FDM and SLS

How much does 3D printing cost? Tips for reducing your manufacturing costs

Is 3D printing the most cost-effective option and how can you keep your costs down? Explore all the factors that determine the price of 3D printing, including how to reduce the cost of printing your custom parts.

Read article
Fillauer Running Blade

Medical device manufacturing: Best practices, applications and regulations

Learn about the processes used to manufacture medical devices and which applications they're relevant to, as well as best practices to follow when designing medical devices.

Read article
How to design parts for CNC machining

How to design parts for CNC machining

In this complete guide to designing for CNC machining, we've compiled basic & advanced design practices and tips to help you achieve the best results for your custom parts.

Read article
How to design parts for Injection Molding

How do you design parts for injection molding?

How do you optimize part design for injection molding? This complete guide to designing for injection molding provides basic and advanced design tips, including guidelines for creating snap-fits, living hinges and undercuts, and accounting for optimial surface finishes.

Read article
Jewelry 3D Printing Applications

Jewelry 3D printing applications

This article discusses how 3D printing is being used to produce high detail, custom jewelry through investment casting and direct metal printing.

Read article
cnc-surface finish-as-machined-1

What are the different types of threads for manufacturing? Practical tips for engineers

What are the different types of threads for manufacturing? In this article, learn how to correctly design threads to reduce lead times and cost for your next CNC machining production run.

Read article
Heat treatments for CNC machined parts

What is heat treatment and how does it improve CNC-machined parts?

What are the different types of heat treatment and how do they affect CNC-machined parts? This article explores how heat treatments can be applied to many metal alloys to drastically improve key physical properties like hardness, strength and machinability.

Read article

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