Why Choose Protolabs for Digital Manufacturing
Accelerate product development, reduce costs, and optimise your supply chain.
We are the world’s fastest digital manufacturing source for rapid prototypes and on-demand production parts. Our automated quoting and manufacturing systems allow us to produce commercial-grade plastic, metal and liquid silicone rubber parts within days.
The result? A manufacturing partner that helps you accelerate speed to market and strategically manage demand volatility across the entire product life cycle.
What can Protolabs Offer you?
Manufacturing Speed
expand_less expand_moreConsultative Design Service
expand_less expand_moreOur complementary consultative design service allows you to take advantage of our engineering experience, where critical thinking is required.
Whilst we are not a design consultancy, our engineers will work with you to help you achieve your aim of creating the best manufacturable solution. A critical link that is often missing.
Single Supplier
expand_less expand_moreMaintain consistent quality and guaranteed lead times from a single supplier with in-house tooling and part production. We'll work with you throughout the course of your project to help you quickly move from prototyping to production, including finishing options for complete end-use parts.
European Production
expand_less expand_moreInfinite Capacity
expand_less expand_moreEliminate downtime spent waiting for parts and safeguard in-house machining with on-demand relief and infinite manufacturing capacity.
Design for Manufacturability
expand_less expand_moreEvery quote includes real-time pricing and design analysis. Our design for manufacturability analysis will help identify any features that may pose challenges during the moulding process such as difficult to machine undercuts and insufficient draft.
No Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs)
expand_less expand_moreQuality Capabilities
expand_less expand_moreWe use digital processes, scientific moulding, and inspection reporting to manufacture quality parts consistently. Producing high-quality moulded parts consistently requires a combination of in-process inspections and controls and dimensional verification after production.
Material Selection
expand_less expand_moreWe stock more than 30 engineering-grade plastic and metal materials that are suitable for various part applications and industries. Materials range from plastics like ABS, polycarbonate, nylon, and PEEK to aluminium, stainless steel, magnesium, and copper.
Fast, Reliable Delivery
expand_less expand_moreIterate part designs quickly and accelerate product development with quick-turn parts. Our automated design analysis will help spot any difficult to machine features before your design is sent to the manufacturing floor and save you from costly reworks further down the product development cycle.
When you work with Protolabs, you access a world of innovation:
Access to cutting-edge technology:
We are at the forefront of new technological developments, constantly seeking ways to give our customers access to innovative tools and techniques that can get them ahead of the competition.
New perspectives and ideas:
We have different perspectives on getting products to market and bringing fresh ideas to the table. Our experienced application engineers aren't limited by industry or production method, and this unbiased approach to your project can lead to new opportunities for innovation, growth and performance.
Increased efficiency and productivity:
As a rapid prototyping and production partner, we understand the importance of speed. In just a few days, we can produce commercial-grade plastic parts, metal parts, and liquid silicone rubber parts with our automated quoting and manufacturing systems.
Innovation in product development:
We deliver our services across multiple industries meaning we see the latest innovations from all corners of the manufacturing industry. We collaborate and share best practices across various disciplines, working with companies to innovate their product development process to differentiate their product from the competition.
Risk mitigation:
We constantly look for ways to challenge and improve our offering, including the latest industry innovations. By working with Protolabs, you can take advantage of the latest technologies and trends while minimising the risk of investing in unproven or untested solutions.
Leveraging Digital Manufacturing
1. Increase Speed to Market
- Quotes within hours, parts within days.
- Short manufacturing turnaround times support multiple design iterations.
- Development is accelerated and products are launched to market faster than before.
2. Design Better Parts
- Automated design for manufacturability (DFM) analysis provided free in every machining and moulding quote, highlighting potential issues and providing immediate solutions.
- Application engineers available to discuss design challenges and offer support.
- Extensive library of online resources including guidelines, tips, and white papers.
3. Reduce Risk
- Cost-effective aluminium tooling validates design before capital investment in steel tooling is made.
- Manufacturing scale to relieve capacity issues and subsequent production delays for companies that are producing parts in-house.
- On-demand production to effectively manage demand volatility and inventory costs.
“Protolabs is a tremendous ally because they enable us to develop and iterate at a much higher speed. Sometimes, we use Protolabs as the manufacturer for a given component for the lifetime of the project because they are so great to work with.”
