The Digital Thread

Perennial fan-favorite, DUCK!, is ready to take on foes large and small, this winter on The Discovery Channel’s popular program, BattleBots. Powered by Protolabs, the wily veteran of several seasons has some great new features in version 3.0. Explore how this defense-minded robot still manages to beat up on bigger, more aggressive bots. Guest: Hal Rucker, DUCK! designer and fabricator.

Protolabs

Team Black and Blue

BattleBots

Sometimes the coolest inventions are right at your fingertips. The Finger Flyer Hoverboard is a fun toy, but it’s also a great teaching tool that explores aerodynamics. Find out how we helped manufacture this remote control-free quadcopter drone, and how a car ride turned a college student into an entrepreneur. Guest: Jake Parker, inventor of the Finger Flyer Hoverboard.

Protolabs

Finger Flyer

It’s a mystery as to why it has taken so long to create a device that makes power wheelchairs smart and sensor-based, but we have the first one now, and it’s called LUCI. In this podcast, we tell the family story behind LUCI and talk about the technology that will improve the safety of persons with disabilities across the globe. Guest: Jered Dean, LUCI’s cofounder and CTO.

Protolabs

LUCI

Manufacturing processes are always improving, and that’s especially true of injection molding. In this podcast, we’ll explore the new ways in which Protolabs is bringing a better customer experience through scientific molding techniques, careful quality control and reporting, and enhanced inspection to ensure your parts arrive looking and performing as designed. Guests: Gurvinder Singh, Global Product Director for Injection Molding, and Dylan Lundberg, Associate Research and Development Manager, both from Protolabs.

Protolabs Website

Let’s say you need a huge part with tons of complexity. One of your best options to get it done right is 3D printing. Protolabs has some of the largest 3D printers on the planet, the GE Additive X Line series. Explore the history of large-format 3D printing and how to design your parts for best results on these machines. Guest: Marques Franklin, GE Additive Customer Success Technical Account Manager.

Protolabs Website

GE Additive Website

Early in 2021, Protolabs announced the acquisition of online manufacturing platform, 3D Hubs. Get the backstory on the landmark merger of these two international manufacturers and find out how combining a service bureau and a supplier distribution network will forever change how manufacturing is done worldwide. Guests: Rob Bodor, Protolabs CEO, and Bram de Swart, 3D Hubs CEO and co-founder.

Protolabs Website

3D Hubs Website

Virtual reality glasses and audio have created worlds both real and imagined for a wearer to explore. Another sense—smell—is the new frontier, and the benefits for individuals with PTSD, and others in specialized jobs, can be substantial. OVR Technology worked with Protolabs to create parts that led to their ION device, which presents users with smells that trigger memories that can lead to therapeutic benefits. Guest: Erik Cooper, head of design and co-founder at OVR Technology.

Protolabs Website

OVR Technology Website

The recent triple whammy of political, medical, and economic volatility has hit manufacturing hard. Some companies are finding novel ways to cope with supply chain and emergency parts issues. Our panels discuss supply chain diversity, onshoring, and more with Protolabs host Steve Konick. Guests: Bernie Henderson, Director of Procurement; Gurvinder Singh, Global Product Director for Injection Molding; and Alex Vandertol, FOAM-iT product development and support manager.

Protolabs' COVID Response

FOAM-iT Website

With the emergence of COVID-19, people are taking a close look at available personal protective equipment. A new company called Breathe99 recently developed a face mask with 99% filtration and a sustainable filtration system that can help people safely navigate this new reality. On our first episode of The Digital Thread, Breathe99 founder Max Bock-Aronson discusses the history of the B2 mask and the challenges of manufacturing it.

Protolabs Website

Protolabs Cool Idea Award Winner: Breathe99

Breathe99 Kickstarter Campaign

Breathe99 Website