Digital Manufacturing for Automotive Product Development
Conquer ever-shortening development cycles for traditional, electric, and autonomous vehicles with rapid prototyping and low-volume production
Certifications ISO 9001:2015 | ITAR
The automotive industry is evolving fast. As industry trends like autonomous driving, on-board connectivity, and hybrid/electric vehicles continue to drive innovation, agility-minded automotive companies are turning to Protolabs to accelerate new product development and get to market faster. With quick-turn digital manufacturing and automated manufacturability feedback, designers and engineers can mitigate design and cost risks while developing a more responsive supply chain to better react to driver and passenger demand for more customized vehicles.
Why Protolabs for Automotive Development?
Supply Chain Diversification
Build a manufacturing safety net into your automotive supply chain that you can turn to during line-down situations or unplanned disruptions.
Rapid Prototyping
Mitigate design risk through rapid iteration and prototyping in production materials without sacrificing development speed in your race to reach the automotive market first.
Jigs and Fixtures
Improve manufacturing processes to create greater automation and streamlined automotive component assembly with custom fixturing.
Quality Inspections
Validate part geometry with several quality documentation options. Digital inspection, PPAP, and FAI reporting are available.
Automotive Materials
Choose from hundreds of production-grade plastics along with fuel- and optical-grade silicone rubber. A range of metal materials for end-use components are also available through our 3D printing, machining, and sheet metal services.
Electric Vehicle Report
Electric and autonomous vehicles make up one of today's hottest growth sectors. And more than ever, car companies are shifting gears and require specialized parts to feed demand. Are you ready? Check out our free report to see where the industry is heading and how digital manufacturing can help.
Get ReportWhat Materials Work Best for Automotive Applications?
Thermoplastics. Choose from hundreds of thermoplastics including PEEK, acetal, or supply your own material. Maintain branding with custom colorant for qualified projects.
Nylons. 3D print functional prototypes in several nylon materials available through selective laser sintering and Multi Jet Fusion. Mineral- and glass-filled nylons improve mechanical properties when needed.
Liquid Silicone Rubber. Silicone rubber materials such as fuel-resistant fluorosilicone can be used for gaskets, seals, and tubing. An optical clarity silicone rubber is also available for lens and lighting applications.
Aluminum. This all-purpose metal used for light-weighting provides excellent strength-to-weight ratio and can be machined or 3D printed.
| COMMON AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS |
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Our digital manufacturing capabilities accelerate the development of a range of metal and plastic automotive components. A few of common automotive applications include:
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