3D Scanning for Aftermarket Automotive Parts: Designing Accessories That Fit Your Vehicle
3D scanning for aftermarket automotive parts is how small shops, builders, and product companies design accessories that fit a specific vehicle perfectly. Whether you are creating a custom dash mount, a body kit component, an intake adapter, or a bracket that bolts to an existing chassis, a scan of the real vehicle surface removes the […]
3D Printing Props and Cosplay Pieces: Materials, Sizing, and Finishing Tips
3D printing props and cosplay pieces has become the go-to method for costume makers, prop builders, and production teams who need detailed, repeatable parts without carving everything by hand. In Los Angeles we see everything from helmets and armor to hand props, replica gadgets, and display pieces. Here is how to plan a printed prop […]
Custom Signet Ring Design with CAD: Face Shapes, Engraving Depth, and Weight
A custom signet ring is one of the most personal pieces of jewelry you can commission. Traditionally carved by hand, signet rings are now often designed in CAD, printed in castable wax or resin, and cast in gold or silver. At eCadCam, our jewelry services team designs signet rings for jewelers, designers, and private clients […]
How Much Does Laser Engraving Cost? A Practical Pricing Guide
If you’re pricing out a custom project, one of the first questions you’ll ask is: how much does laser engraving cost? The honest answer is that it depends — on the material, the size of the artwork, the quantity, and how much setup work is involved. In this guide, we break down how laser engraving […]
What Is Design for Manufacturing (DFM)? How Smart CAD Decisions Cut Production Costs
Design for manufacturing (DFM) is the practice of engineering a product so it can be produced efficiently, consistently, and at the lowest workable cost — without compromising how it looks or performs. In our experience, most budget overruns aren’t caused by the factory; they’re locked in at the CAD stage, months before production begins. After […]
Laser vs. Structured Light vs. Photogrammetry: Which 3D Scanning Method Is Right for Your Project?
Choosing the right 3D scanning method can make or break a project. Laser scanning, structured light scanning, and photogrammetry all capture real-world objects as digital 3D data, but they differ in accuracy, speed, cost, and the kinds of parts they handle best. After more than two decades of scanning everything from machined metal parts to […]
How to Prepare a 3D Model for Printing: File Formats, Wall Thickness, and Common Mistakes
Before you can get a fast quote or a clean part, you need to prepare a 3D model for printing the right way. After 22+ years of running prints for engineers, inventors, and designers across Los Angeles, we can tell you that most failed prints and delayed quotes trace back to the same handful of […]
What Is Lost-Wax Casting? How Custom Jewelry Is Made with CAD and 3D Printing
Turning a jewelry idea into a finished piece of gold or silver almost always comes down to one time-tested process: lost-wax casting. It is the backbone of modern jewelry manufacturing, and at our Los Angeles studio it is where custom rings, pendants, and heirloom pieces come to life. What has changed in recent years is […]
Laser Cutting Acrylic: Cast vs. Extruded, Edge Finish, and Thickness Guide
Laser cutting acrylic is one of the most popular jobs in our Los Angeles shop. Signs, displays, awards, product stands, enclosures, and decorative pieces all start as sheets of acrylic. But not all acrylic behaves the same under the laser, and the choices you make about material type, thickness, and design have a big effect […]
What Materials Can Be Laser Engraved? A Guide to Wood, Acrylic, Metal, Leather, and Glass
One of the first questions we hear at our Glendale shop is simple: can you laser engrave this? The honest answer is that laser engraving works beautifully on a wide range of materials — and fails, sometimes dangerously, on a few others. Knowing which materials can be laser engraved before you design a part saves […]