Home/Articles

Engineering insights.

DFM, manufacturing, product design, and what we have learned shipping hardware over fifteen years.

Articles

Aluminum vs. Steel Tooling for Injection Molding: How to Choose the Right Mold Material

Aluminum or steel injection mold tooling? Compare lead time, upfront cost, tool life by SPI class, abrasive resins and lifetime…

Sep 28, 2026
Articles

Jaycon Joins the Manufacturers Association of Central Florida

After 15 years building products in Palm Bay, Jaycon has joined the Manufacturers Association of Central Florida (MACF). What MACF…

Sep 23, 2026
Articles

15 Years of Jaycon Systems: From a Kitchen Table to Engineering and Manufacturing

Jaycon Systems turns 15 in 2026. A look back at the open source hardware store, the boards reflowed in a…

Sep 12, 2026
Articles

6 Advanced Manufacturing Trends to Watch in 2027

The six advanced manufacturing trends that will shape 2027: AI in design and DFM, robots on the molding floor, reshoring…

Sep 8, 2026
Articles

How to Redesign for Moldability After You’ve Built a 3D-Printed MVP

From print to press: how to turn a 3D-printed MVP into an injection-moldable part without losing what the prototype proved,…

Sep 1, 2026
Articles

How to Use Your Campaign to Test Not Just Demand, but Manufacturability

Use your crowdfunding campaign to test manufacturability, not just demand. A founder's guide to DFM-aware prototypes, reward tiers as production…

Aug 27, 2026
Articles

Jaycon Launches Instant Online Quoting for Injection Molding

Injection molding now quotes instantly on the Jaycon platform: tooling and per part priced separately, live lead times and an…

Aug 27, 2026
Articles

When to Stop 3D Printing and Start Investing in Tooling

A practical guide for hardware startups deciding when additive prototyping should give way to production tooling. Covers the volume tipping…

Aug 25, 2026
Articles

Understanding Injection Molding Tolerances

Injection molding is a repeatable production process, but a molded part does not come out of the tool at one…

Aug 20, 2026
Articles

The True Cost of Cheap Overseas Manufacturing

A 2026 guide to tariffs, logistics, quality, and reshoring for injection molded parts. Compare quoted unit price against total landed…

Aug 18, 2026
Articles

How to Transition From 3D-Printed Prototypes to Molded Parts for 10K+ Units

A startup-focused guide to moving from 3D-printed prototypes to injection-molded parts at 10,000+ units, covering DFM, geometry, tooling strategy, and…

Aug 13, 2026
Articles

2026 Manufacturing Trends Every Hardware Startup Founder Should Know

How AI-enabled development, digital threads, resilient supply chains, and scalable manufacturing are reshaping the path from prototype to production for…

Aug 11, 2026