Tag Archives: Manufacturing

Chad Schneider

When To Do It Yourself

05.11.2010 by Chad Schneider

Whether to build a custom product or go with something off the shelf can be a tough decision. There are several factors to consider when shopping for off-the-shelf solutions, and cost is only one of them.

Engineering Tags: , , ,
Chad Schneider

Meeting the Challenges of Micropart Design

11.02.2009 by Chad Schneider

Recently, I published an article in MicroManufacturing Magazine about the challenges of designing microparts for manufacture. Not unlike any collaborative process, good communication is the key to a successful project.

Engineering, Lab-on-a-chip, Manufacturing, Microfluidics, Problem Solving, Product Design Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Conrad Laskowski

A Discussion on Micro-Design & Manufacturing Costs

10.19.2009 by Conrad Laskowski

A good designer must often think like a manufacturer. The question, “Can this be made?” is asked over and over again during the design process. Shortly thereafter, the question also becomes, “Can this be made cheaply?”

Engineering, Lab-on-a-chip, Microfluidics, Problem Solving, Product Design Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Chad Schneider

Rapid Prototyping on the Micro-Scale

06.26.2009 by Chad Schneider

I was recently interviewed for an article regarding the state of rapid prototyping as it pertains to micro-scale manufacturing and product development. From what I’ve seen, the prototyping processes are just not down to the micro-scale, yet. Granted, the micromanufacturing industry is still pretty young, and it’s been growing so quickly in size and capabilities that I expect to see more rapid prototyping solutions soon.

Engineering, Manufacturing, Microfluidics Tags: , , , , ,
Chad Schneider

Using Critically-Dimensioned Drawings

06.08.2009 by Chad Schneider

By now, most mechanical design engineers are used to sending off a solid model and having plastic parts show up in less than a week. While this technique is perfectly suitable and cost-effective for rapid prototyping, it doesn’t quite make the grade for production.

Engineering Tags: , , ,
Chad Schneider

The State of MicroManufacturing – 2009

04.27.2009 by Chad Schneider

At Key Tech, we’ve been designing micro-scale parts for some time, but finding vendors capable of manufacturing such parts has been difficult. I went to the SME MicroManufacturing conference to better understand the state of the entire micromanufacturing industry as well as identify vendors with specialized capabilities. I think the conference was a success on both counts.

Engineering, Product Design Tags: , ,