Protolabs Product Release Notes

Easily compare unit and total prices from quantities 1 to 100 on any sheet metal part. Click "compare pricing" on the part summary tile of your quote to see the breakdown. Add new quantities and click directly on a specific quantity to update the pricing on your quote.

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A new feature has been added to CNC machining’s manufacturing analysis within eCommerce that let’s you easily decide between if you need your part fast, or as you designed without machining compromise. Now you have the choice whether you're on a tight schedule or a tight budget, selecting between lead times and price is now only one click away. 
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Now on eligible parts, within the Material Left Behind advisory you will have two options to select from

Select your choice and hit next. Once you return to your quote the new price and lead time options will be available based on your selection.

A new category, Advanced Photopolymers, has been added to our material selection dropdown with two brand new materials; Ceramic-filled and Tough Black. These two materials use our newly launched HPS process providing excellent resolution and higher mechanical properties for more advanced/end-use applications. 

Learn More about Advanced Photopolymers

We perform quality checks on your parts throughout the manufacturing process. We now have two critical-to-quality inspections as a configurable option for you to select within e-commerce.

Critical-to-Quality (CTQ)
 - CTQ Partial FAI (First Article Inspection) - Includes a 3-part dimensional first article inspection of critical features (5 features maximum) with no impact to lead time.
 - CTQ Capability Study - Includes a 30-part dimensional capability study of critical features (5 features maximum) with no impact to lead time.

In addition, we provide a wide range of other quality documentation. Compare the benefits of each inspection report to see which is best suited for your project needs.

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We've added SLS PA12 Black to our extensive list of plastic materials available through our 3D printing service. PA12 Black parts are highly isotropic with great dimensional accuracy without sacrificing mechanical consistency, making it a great material for enclosures, snap fits and hinges. 

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MyRapid is now able to analyze native .PRT files for both sheet metal fabrication and precision CNC machining. 

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Are you trying to locate a quote that was shared with you? We have updated our user experience to make this task more straightforward. You can now find shared quotes in the 'Projects' sections of your account. 

We made some recent improvements to our e-commerce platform that allows for a much better experience! Now, you can easily search, sort, and filter parts and molds right within your account. 

We've simplified the CAD upload process in order to get your quote created faster. Choose from material and finish options, and decide to have your 2D drawing reviewed after receiving your initial price and lead time. 

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We are constantly looking for innovative ways to improve - with our new proprietary mill head auto polishing system, we can get customer products (parts) out the door faster. We now offer auto polishing of 65% of all mold surfaces, with continued focus to make that even more efficient in the future. We are ultimately producing higher quality finishes, saving labor time and costs. 

We have added new finishing options for sheet metal components & assemblies to provide further customization on your project. These finishes include:

• Wet paint (standalone finish or with primer)
• Gold & silver plating

If you're unsure whether powder coating or wet paint is best for your next assembly project, our Applications Specialists are available for a free consultation.

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This series of enhancements includes: 

• New finishing options such as wet paint, gold plating, and silver plating.
• Pre-plated steels (galvanized and galvannealed) available at a 3 day lead time. 

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When selecting threading, you'll now have the ability to select from Factory and Network pricing options when eligible, giving you more flexibility within your project requirement. 

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Effective April 29, some of our molding category material color names will be updated as follows in e-commerce and on our website:

Thermoplastics will have OMNICOLOR® or UNICOLOR® in the corresponding colors' names. 

Silicone Rubber will have Silcopas® in the corresponding colors' names. 

Note: No formulation or color change has been made to any products. 

Use the "Forward/Share" feature to allow other members of your organization to see and order your quotes. 

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Instant quoting now available on select parts. See pricing and DFM instantly within the quote builder. In quote review easily select lead time and pricing options from the factory or network. 

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A new feature allows for reviewing your designed part thickness compared to our closest available stocked sheet thickness. 

If your designed thickness is slightly different than the displayed material thickness, you're in good hands. With years of fabrication expertise under our belts, we have the know-how to ensure your final part meets your CAD dimensions. 

Note: Protolabs uses industry standard sheet metal material thicknesses between .024" and .250".

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Design for Manufacturability (DFM) analysis is now available for all sheet metal components. Upon uploading your CAD file, we will automatically detect any potential manufacturability advisories such as features near bends, flange lengths, and hardware-to-material compatibility. 

See our DFM toolkit here.

Select inspection and quality documentation options directly on your sheet metal quote. 

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Now offering 5-axis machining in larger part sizes. We can now support designs with off-axis features up to X-Y-Z part dimensions. 

Learn more about our CNC machining design guidelines here. 

Vapor smoothing, our newest finishing option for 3D printing is now available for PA 11 Black parts. To add vapor smoothing to your PA 11 Black parts, simply select the material with vapor smoothing on the material selector drop down.

Learn more about vapor smoothing here.

We've expanded our form tooling and geometry capabilities to allow more designs to receive a 3 day lead time. 

• Prior to this update, .030" was the lone qualifying tooling option. This change adds .060", .090", .120" tools. 
• Designs with greater than 90 degree bend angles (up to 135 degrees) are newly eligible for a 3 day lead time. Note: maximum qualifying material thickness is .104"

Check out our forming capabilities here. 

Vapor smoothing can now be found under the "Finish" dropdown and no longer selectable from the material dropdown. The dropdown will only appear if an eligible material has been selected. Here is a full list of eligible materials; PA 11 Black, PA 12 Black, PA 12 White, PA 12 Glass Filled Black, PA 12 Glass Filled Natural, and TPU White and Black.

To add vapor smoothing to your PA 12 40% GF Black and PA 12 40% GF parts, simply select the material with vapor smoothing in the material selector drop down.

Learn more about vapor smoothing here.

Carbon EPX 86FR a flame-retardant resin that offers functional toughness, high strength and long-term stability added to our list of available materials for 3D printing technologies.

For more specifics on Carbon EPX 86 FR can be found here.

Part cleaning is now available inside e-commerce under secondary operations. Part cleaning includes washing or deep cleaning of parts by various methods, including ultrasonic cleaning, vapor degreasing, and ISO Class 7 clean room cleaning and packaging. 

To add vapor smoothing to your TPU White and Black and PA 12 White parts, simply select the material with vapor smoothing in the material selector drop down.

Learn more about vapor smoothing here.

Network pricing and ordering are now available on select machined parts within the Protolabs platform. If a part qualifies you'll be presented with standard, expedite, economy, and now network options. 

To add vapor smoothing to your PA 12 Black parts, simply select the material with vapor smoothing in the material selector drop down.

Learn more about vapor smoothing here.

New materials with material certifications added for CNC machining. 

• Aluminum 2024
• Aluminum 7075-T7

Compare materials properties here.

Quick turn anodizing and plating are now available on aluminum materials. Simply select your finish option from the coating drop-down on the configuration page. 

Now offering drawing intakes for scaled inspections. Customers can upload their inspection drawings online to identify critical features. 

You can now schedule design reviews online with a Protolabs Team Member for design feedback!

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New internal diameter groove cutting tools now available for soft metal lathe. 

Instant design for additive manufacturability (DfAM) analysis now available on all 3D printed quotes. When reviewing your quote, our analysis will immediately highlight potential manufacturability advisories concerning thin walls, small gaps and parts that might exceed our maximum size restraints.

For more help on designing for 3D Printing visit our toolkit.

Now offering 7-day lead time on small parts (3 in. x 2.5 in.).

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Sheet metal quotes now include a way to designate your cosmetic finishing requirements. 

Choose between "standard" or "cosmetic" part processing based on the needs of your project. 

Note: a 2D drawing is required to accurately assess surface treatments and part location associated with cosmetic designs.