Accelerating Production of Industrial Equipment and Components
Meet the growing need for connected hardware while still supporting legacy equipment and machinery with custom parts
ISO 9001:2015
We work with over
700
companies every year
Producing over
1.3 million
parts every year
14,000+ CNC parts every year
1.2 million+ injection moulded parts every year
64,000+ 3D printed parts every year
Industrial equipment and machinery manufacturers are living in two worlds these days. They are dramatically embracing digital connectivity with features like sensors and actuators that exchange critical data with other machines and computer networks. At the same time, many of these companies must also service and support a large inventory of existing equipment and machinery with elongated life cycles—products that may have been put into use decades ago. From farm machinery OEMs and industrial truck and tractor makers to manufacturers of oil field machinery and other industrial equipment, companies can advance into the digital era while not abandoning their existing equipment with the help of digital manufacturing.
How can digital manufacturing support Product Developers and Engineers?
expand_less expand_moreDigital manufacturing can help you accelerate your projects from inception to production, allowing you to better support your customers with a more responsive service for customised products. As well as supporting those new innovations, you can also extend the life of existing equipment through rapid design adaptation and spares replication.
Why do Industrial Equipment Product Developers and Engineers use Protolabs?
expand_less expand_more- Your one-stop shop for a wide range of materials and production resources to help you adapt and manufacture parts effectively
- Tap into our Consultative Design Service (CDS) at any stage of the process with our on-hand design and manufacturing experts
- Improve the speed of the iterative designs using our digital front-end and automated workflows
- Turn around new designs and change parts more quickly with production on-demand
- Reduce production delays and lower your setup costs with cheaper, standardised tooling
- Extend the life of existing machinery through rapid design adaptation, spares replication or replacement of obsolete parts
- Supplement and augment your team's skills and capacity with access to our expertise and knowledge
How can digital manufacturing support Procurement and Management teams?
expand_less expand_moreBy accelerating products, digital manufacturing can help you shorten your product development lifecycles to deliver more new products, quicker, boosting revenue and cashflow.
Why do Industrial Equipment Procurement and Management teams use Protolabs?
expand_less expand_more- Maximise traceability of raw materials from prototyping to production, with clear lines of sight over inventory, such as serial numbers for resin used in injection moulding
- Take advantage of digital front-end and automated workflows to improve parts management
- Extend life of existing machinery through rapid design adaptation and spares replication
- Lower setup costs with more cost-effective, standardised tooling to reduce outlay and delay
- Reduce product cost of life with no large outlay needed at the beginning of a project
- Boost speed to revenue while reducing capital outlay with low-volume, order on-demand, that means you don't need to order many thousands of parts at once
- Add flexibility to your supply chain from a capacity and breadth of materials and technology perspective with our one-stop shop
Precision Manufacturing Services for Industrial Equipment Applications
Plastic injection moulding is being increasingly used in the Manufacturing and Industrial Equipment sectors as a replacement for metal. This is due to plastic's flexibility, lower cost and faster manufacturing processes.
With injection moulding there is the possibility to produce lighter parts and use multi-cavity or family tools.
CNC machining services for industrial components has a long history due to its ability to produce effective, durable, highly accurate, metal parts.
CNC machining is quick and efficient, meaning that one-off components that are needing to be replaced quickly can be produced in as fast as a day.
3D Printing (also known as additive manufacturing) is the newest technology gaining traction in the Manufacturing and Industrial Equipment industries. 3D printing allows for fully functional prototypes and mass customisation of parts, enabling equipment for a specific purpose.
3D printing is also fast becoming a solution for repairing or replacing spare parts where older parts are now obsolete.
Protolabs offers a vast number of secondary services that can support you in producing your parts for Manufacturing and Industrial Equipment industries, including measurement inspection, assembly and anodising - the application of a protective oxide layer to create a barrier against corrosion.
The Best Materials for Industrial Equipment Parts
Steels are strong, machinable, and relatively low in cost. Oil and gas fields, for example, often favour stainless steel for its corrosion resistance. Not only its corrosion resistance but also it does not age, meaning a product can remain unchanged throughout its entire life cycle. Another reason stainless steel is favoured is because of its standard bright finishes, which are easy to clean. It's also highly weldable and has a higher elongation at break than many other metals at around 40-50%.
Stainless steel materials available at Protolabs include;
Stainless Steel 17-4 PH - CNC machining
Stainless Steel 304/304L - CNC machining
Stainless Steel 316/316L - CNC Machining
Stainless Steel 316L 1.4404 - Direct Metal Laser Sintering
Nickel auperalloys such as 3D-printed Inconel are an alternative for demanding applications.
Although industrial equipment and machinery is less weight sensitive, aluminium alloys are often chosen because of their excellent machinability, lower overall manufacturing cost and good corrosion resistance: particularly when anodised. Also,with the industrial equipment and agricultural industries looking for more sustainable options Aluminium's future supporting it looks brighter. It is light-weight meaning lower fuel consumption and emissions and less compaction of soil for heavier vehicles.
Aluminium materials available at Protolabs include;
Aluminium AlSi10Mg - Direct Metal Laser Sintering
Aluminium 2024 - T351 Grey - CNC Milling
Aluminium 6082 - T651 Grey - CNC Machining
Aluminium 7075 - T651 Grey - CNC Machining
Liquid silicone rubber and other elastomers are widely used for applications requiring fuel-resistant parts, this makes then good for things such as tubing. Due to silicone rubber's tear resistance, excellent elongation and good temperature resistance it makes it a great material for hoses, gaskets and tubing that needs to withstand not only chemicals but also the weather.
High-performance thermoplastics such as PEEK and PEI (Ultem) can serve as stand-ins for metal in some situations, this is due to their great mechanical properties such as enhanced chemical and heat properties. Ultem has great strength, stiffness, dimensional stability and some grades are commonly used as electrical insulators. PEEK is a common material in most industries due to its properties and highly stable chemical structure.
Elastomers, PEEK and PEI materials at Protolabs include;
Elastosil 3003/30 A/B Transparent
Elastosil 3003/50 A/B Transparent
Elastosil 3003/60 A/B Transparent
Elastosil 3003/70 A/B Transparent
Dow Corning MS-1002 Optical Clear
TECAPEEK Natural
Victrex PEEK
Ultem 1000 Natural
Ultem 1000 TECAPEI Natural
Ultem 2300 TECAPEI 30% GF Natural
Ultem 1000 BK7101 Black
As companies retrofit existing equipment with computer electronics to meet connectivity demands, a large range of versatile and affordable thermoplastics can be leveraged.
Plastics are being increasingly used in the industrial equipment and agricultural industries in innovative ways. In the agricultural industry they are being used to help improve crop production, prevent waste and provide covering. Whilst in the industrial equipment industry they are increasingly used as a metal substitute due to their high wear and impact resistance, high strength and resistance to corrosion and rust. They can be used for parts such as windows, wear pads, truck liners, gears, bearings and much more.
To see a full list of plastics available at Protolabs, please view our materials comparison page.
How to Work With Us
Upload a CAD File
To start, simply select a manufacturing process and upload a 3D CAD file.
Get Quote with DFM
Within a few hours we'll send you design for manufacturability (DFM) analysis and real-time pricing.
Manufacturing Begins
Once you review your quote and place your order, we'll start the manufacturing process. We also offer finishing options.
Parts are Shipped!
Our digital manufacturing process allows us to produce parts in as fast as 1 day.
Our experience in the Industrial Equipment industry
Digital manufacturing can be used for a variety of parts within the Manufacturing and Industrial Equipment industries, such as:
- Machine and tool parts
- Jigs and fixtures
- Electronic housings
- General industrial machinery
- Conveyors and conveying equipment
The Agriculture industry can utilise digital manufacturing parts for a variety of parts, as depicted in the image to the left. Other applications are:
- Machine and tool parts
- Jigs and fixtures
- Electronic housings
- Parts for tractors and agriculture robots
- Food production machinery
From robotic machinery to robotic arms, digital manufacturing can support the industry with a range of parts as shown in the image to the left. In addition, digital manufacturing can also support with the following applications:
- Housings and casings
- Frames
- Gears
- Camera mounting frame
- LED indicators
- End effectors
- Custom fixtures
- Motor components
- Cameras
- Motors
- Sensors
- Controllers
- Feedback devices
- Manipulators
From wind turbines to oil rigs, digital manufacturing can help produce various components in part as shown in the image to the left. In addition, digital manufacturing can also support with the following applications:
- Generator components
- Valves
- Pins
- Pipes
- Turbine Components
- Turbine Housing
- Bushings
- Clamps
- Castings
- Fasteners
- Sockets
- Hydraulic Components
Get an online quote and design analysis today.