5 Tips to Bypass the Most Common Roadblocks in Automotive Outsourcing
Need help figuring out what to look for when sourcing a manufacturing partner? Here are 5 tips for choosing a manufacturing partner for your automotive parts.
Hybrid Manufacturing: When to Print, When to Machine, and Why It Matters
What Is Hybrid Manufacturing? A Strategy, Not a Technology Hybrid manufacturing is a strategy rather than a single technology. It involves integrating additive manufacturing (like 3D printing) with subtractive or traditional methods (such as CNC machining, injection molding, or urethane casting) to optimize the entire product lifecycle. In a classic hybrid flow, you might start with 3D printing for rapid prototyping, […]
How CopperStar USA Makes Custom Automotive Aftermarket Parts with A3D & SOLIDWORKS
See how CopperStar USA turned an automotive passion project into a revenue-generating side hustle.
How to Accelerate Product Development from CAD Design to Full-Scale Manufacturing
Ready to bring your part to market? See how to accelerate product development from CAD design to full-scale manufacturing. Get key strategies like designing with intent, cost-effective scaling, and thorough documentation to ensure quality and consistency.
Material Choices Matter: How to Select the Right Materials & Process for Your Automotive Build
Material choices aren’t just a spec detail — they dictate performance, cost, and manufacturability. The wrong choice can mean wasted money, parts that fail in the field, and costly recalls. Procurement teams sometimes optimize for the lowest unit cost without considering material performance trade-offs (fatigue, toughness, or thermal performance). This post is to help engineers, […]
How A3D’s Hybrid MaaS Delivers Traceable, Made-to-Print Automotive Parts Across the Lifecycle
Many of today’s top automotive manufacturers and automotive aftermarket suppliers are increasingly choosing hybrid manufacturing options to craft highly custom “can’t get this anywhere” parts and to add scale to normal manufacturing processes. Hybrid approaches to manufacturing means choosing the right manufacturing technology per part or combining traditional manufacturing like CNC with additive manufacturing […]
Precision as the North Star in Automotive Aftermarket
See how A3D Manufacturing delivers precise, traceable automotive aftermarket parts with DFM collaboration, centralized QA, and full documentation for consistent results.
2 Ways to Avoid Tariff Costs on Aluminum with Manufacturing as a Service
New tariffs are affecting everyone, but that’s not stopping American manufacturers. Companies like Nvidia and Honda recently announced plans to continue to invest heavily in US-sourced manufacturing. Potential layoffs and price increases on materials are likely, but machine shops and manufacturing providers still have options to offset some of the fallout from these issues. They […]
How 3D Printing and MaaS Tackles Tariff Issues and Cuts Costs
In President Trump’s inaugural address, he said: “America will be a manufacturing nation once again.” And then the talk of tariffs started. Beautiful, beautiful tariffs. It’s left many small businesses and manufacturers asking, “What will President Trump’s tariffs actually do to the economy?” The current new tariffs proposed by President Trump (as of the writing […]