For every manufactured item from a spoon to a spacecraft there is a document known as a “blueprint”. Blueprints got their name from the ink color used in early document reproduction. If the blueprint is the birth certificate and life … Read More

Have you heard of fused filament fabrication (FFF)? Also known as filament freeform fabrication, it’s a popular 3D printing process that’s characterized by the use of a continuous plastic filament. It involves the use of a 3D printer that guides … Read More

Many people assume that the terms “3D printing” and “additive manufacturing” refer to the same manufacturing process of building objects by depositing layers of material. The two terms, in fact, have become synonymous with this manufacturing process. So, what’s the … Read More

Featuring the atomic number 30, zinc is a bluish-silver metal that’s somewhat brittle at room temperature. While most people recognize zinc as an essential mineral — it boots the immune system and regulates metabolism — it’s also used in the … Read More

Most Americans are not familiar with the business model that delivers their groceries. In fact, “supermarkets” were the source for most of the good practices that have evolved into “just in time manufacturing”. The term “Kanban” evolved from grocery stores … Read More

From cylinder heads and engine blocks to garden furniture and bicycle frames, die casting is used to create a wide variety of products. It involves the use of pressurized molten metal to fill a mold cavity. The raw metal is … Read More

Welding is a fabrication process that’s used to join two or more workpieces. It’s typically performed using a device, known as a welder, that heats the respective workpieces, thereby fusing them together at the surface. Magnetic pulse welding, however, uses … Read More