We have all done it, overtightened a bolt and blown out the threads. When a bolt starts to tighten up and then go suddenly loose, you know that the threads are toast and now you have a problem.

Sometimes, when making a 3D printed object, plastic just isn’t enough. Probably the most common addition to our prints is the ubiquitous brass threaded inset, which has proven its worth time and again ...

This article was updated May 25, 2023. It was originally published Nov. 17, 2009. To put hard, durable threaded holes in plastics, engineers often specify threaded metal inserts that will securely ...

We can make our 3D-printed parts even more capable when we start mixing them with some essential “mechanical vitamins.” By combining prints with screws, nuts, fasteners, and pins, we get a rich ...