A common misconception about 3D printing is that you can use the same CAD design for either plastic or metal. In reality, the processes are very different so design changes will be required. The type of modifications needed will depend on the type of metal 3D printing process being used. We will focus on powder bed fusion, which is what we use at Star Rapid.

Plastic injection molding accounts for about 80% of the durable plastic items we find every day. Injection molding uses a mold or die made from aluminum or steel. The mold consists of a core side and a cavity side that is placed into a plastic injection molding machine. This machine heats the raw plastic resin pellets until they’re molten, injects them into the empty cavity of the mold under great pressure, and then opens to eject the finished part.

Getting the best results from plastic injection molding requires that the process control engineer carefully balances several related variables when setting up the machine. One of these variables is clamping pressure.

One of the most important aspects of any product development project using plastic injection molding is choosing the right material, as it directly affects the molding operation and also the part performance. There are thousands of plastic materials available in the market. So, how do you make sure you select the right one?

There are many types of pressure involved when making a plastic injection molded part. We’ve explained the importance of clamping pressure, so now let’s look at injection, holding and back pressure. It’s important for a product developer to understand how these forces work together and ultimately how balancing these forces affects part quality, pieces per hour and your product cost.

There are hundreds of metal alloys available for CNC milling and turning. Which one is best for your next project depends on a number of factors, including price, workability, corrosion resistance, strength, weight and cosmetic appearance. To help you choose, here’s a closer look at the ones we use every day and what benefits they may have for your next project.

CNC machining for rapid prototyping allows you to leverage the many advantages of computerized equipment to produce fast-turnaround prototypes, engineering models and high-quality end-use parts in the least possible time. Here are the top five reasons to consider CNC machining for your next rapid prototyping project.

There are thousands of thermoforming resins, and each has unique chemical and mechanical properties. In this study, one of the parts was made with 30% glass-filled PEEK. PEEK is a high-temperature engineering plastic used in automotive, aerospace and medical applications. The addition of glass fibers makes it even stronger and more durable. When using PEEK, it’s important to know that you must use the correct mold tool steel.

Medical wearables combine a lot of small but advanced technologies into little packages that collect health data, offer warnings and even administer treatment.

If you’re trying to bring a new product idea to market, there may be more than one manufacturing method that will suit your needs. Each of these processes used at Star Rapid has advantages for lead time, precision, start-up costs, volume and more.

Modern CNC machine turning centers have come a long way from their forebear, the humble lathe. With the advent of computer controls and multiple directions of travel, these amazing workhorses can do turning and milling operations on one fast and accurate machine. They are indispensable tools we use every day for making rapid prototypes and low-volume production parts in metal and plastic. Let’s take a closer look at what makes them so useful.

As you know, there have been further tariffs placed on manufactured goods and commodities shipped from China to the US. To support our customers during this time, we’ve put together some key information about the tariffs to help you understand how they might affect your product development projects. This information is applicable to rapid prototyping, rapid tooling Vowin Rapid.