Meet Dakotah Simonds: From Industrial 3D Printer Sales to Production Manufacturing Expert at A3D
In our latest A3D team spotlight, Dakotah Simonds shares how he went from selling industrial 3D printers to helping customers bring production-grade parts to life. From Disney character parts to Adidas shoe prototypes, learn what a day in manufacturing looks like and why he’s bullish on America’s manufacturing comeback.
18 Questions to Ask Your Next Manufacturing Partner
Discover 18 essential questions to ask when evaluating your next manufacturing partner. Find the right fit for on-demand 3D printing, CNC machining, injection molding, and scalable production with A3D Manufacturing
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.