Manufacturing notes
Read practical guidance for buyers comparing metal additive manufacturing, resin validation, hybrid finishing, inspection planning, and bridge production routes.
A cost controller with six years of procurement experience explains why you should check total cost of ownership, consumables, and rework risk before buying desktop metal manufacturing products and services.
Continue readingA purchasing manager with five years of equipment buying experience explains when to invest in a Desktop Metal binder jet system, a desktop CNC milling machine for metal, a fiber laser cutter, or a local CNC machining shop. Includes an X1 Pro laser welder review and what a benchy is in 3D printing.
Continue readingA procurement manager's seven-step checklist for evaluating desktop metal CNC mills and metal 3D printing systems before you buy. Covers part families, hidden costs, test cuts, and 3-year total cost of ownership.
Continue readingA practical guide for buyers deciding between desktop metal 3D printing, desktop CNC metal machining, and online CNC machining services. Covers tooling basics, part quantities, and supplier transparency.
Continue readingA veteran machinist's honest guide to desktop CNC milling machines, binder jetting, and thin metal laser cutting. Includes a scenario checklist to help you pick the right tool for your shop.
Continue readingA manufacturing quality manager explains why 'minor' defects like a brake squeak usually point to deeper supply chain quality problems—and how to fix them with better specs, better partners, and a healthy respect for certainty.
Continue readingI manage purchasing for a 40-person manufacturing company. Here's my honest comparison of desktop metal manufacturing products and services—metal 3D printers, desktop metal lathes, CNC drilling milling machines—against outsourcing to a machine shop.
Continue readingA manufacturing engineer shares hard-won lessons after years of failed prototypes and reprints. Learn why comparing FDM vs SLA specs or hunting for the cheapest 3D printing service is the wrong first step—and the one question that changes everything.
Continue readingA purchasing manager’s scenario-by-scenario guide to Desktop Metal systems: P-50 pricing, when to pick a desktop CNC, what end mill to use for stainless steel, and why a 1 inch PVC reamer is a separate decision.
Continue readingA purchasing administrator shares 7 questions to ask before buying a Desktop Metal 3D printer, desktop CNC milling machine for metal, GROB G550 CNC machining center, or a dual-head laser cutter from China — with vendor vetting tips and hidden-cost lessons.
Continue reading