Articles
Practical advice on production.
Short articles on technologies, materials and preparing your files. They help you choose the right approach before you order.
What affects the price of 3D printing and made-to-order production
What affects the price of 3D printing, CNC milling and laser engraving: size, material, time, preparation, finishing and quantity.
Replacement part without a drawing: how reverse engineering works
How a damaged or non-existent part becomes a replacement: scanning, model creation and production by 3D printing or CNC milling.
Common mistakes when designing parts for 3D printing
What to watch for when designing a part for 3D printing: walls, overhangs, tolerances in joints, orientation and choice of technology.
How to prepare files for 3D printing
Which file format to send, what to check in the model and what to include in your enquiry so that 3D printing goes ahead without unnecessary changes.
Surface finishing of 3D-printed and milled parts
Which surface finishes make sense for 3D-printed and CNC-milled parts: deburring, sanding, painting and anodising aluminium.
Prototype vs series production: when to change technology
When to stay with 3D printing and when to move to CNC milling or another technology when going from a prototype to a larger series.
How an order works: from enquiry to handover
What an order at MATERIA looks like from the first enquiry to handover of the part: which materials to prepare and what happens at each step.
3D printing materials: PLA, PETG, ABS, nylon and resins
Which material to choose for 3D printing? An overview of PLA, PETG, ABS, nylon and SLA resins by strength, heat resistance and use.
SLA and SLS 3D printing: when FDM is not enough
SLA and SLS 3D printing: smooth surface, fine detail and strong functional parts without supports. When to choose these technologies instead of FDM.
Technical documentation in production: why a drawing is worth having
Technical documentation: drawings, bills of materials and tolerances. Why it matters for production, quality control and selling a product.
Custom 3D modelling: from idea to production file
3D modelling in Autodesk Inventor: parametric models for production, 3D printing and visualisation. What input is enough and what you receive.
3D scanning: reverse engineering and part inspection
3D scanning of objects: reverse engineering, part inspection and digitisation. How scanning works and what it can be used for.
CNC milling: when it is a better choice than 3D printing
CNC milling of metals, plastics and wood. When to choose milling instead of 3D printing, which materials it can handle and how the technologies complement each other.
Laser engraving and cutting: what can be made
Laser engraving and cutting of wood, leather, acrylic and other materials. How the technology works, when to choose it and what input files we need.
What FDM 3D printing is and when it pays off for a business
FDM 3D printing for businesses: prototypes, spare parts, fixtures and small series. How the technology works, where it helps and what its limits are.