Digital manufacturing leader Protolabs has announced the expansion of the production capabilities that customers can access within its global CNC machining service. Accordingly, product developers and buyers can leverage advanced machining capabilities designed to lower part costs, improve tolerances, broaden finishing options, and make possible larger and more complex part designs. This is possible through Protolabs’ manufacturing partner network at Hubs.

These expanded capabilities complement the quick-turn CNC machining services already available from Protolabs.

“Constant innovation is at the forefront of everything we do,” said Rob Bodor, President and CEO at Protolabs. “Customers not only have access to the fastest machining service in the marketplace; with this launch, they now have the most comprehensive.”

Comprehensive Digital Manufacturing

Particularly, users can upload a 3D CAD model for machining on protolabs.com to access the expanded options inside Protolabs’ online quoting platform. Protolabs’ digital factories or one of its digitally enabled manufacturing partners can fulfill the options in the platform.

Most importantly, all the advanced machining capabilities are now live and available to customers.

With volume pricing options, customers will be able to lower their overall piece-part price as quantity increases—up to thousands of machined parts. Furthermore, tighter tolerances down to ±0.0008 in. (0.020mm) are now achievable. This is because complete parts with all features milled, holes tapped, and post-process finishing applied.

Meanwhile, regarding finishing options, plating (black oxide, nickel), anodizing (Type II, Type III), and chromate coating in larger quantities are available. Furthermore, there is also support for parts as large as 40in. (1,000mm) to as small as 0.02in. (0.5mm).

“This is a step change in what we can offer customers at Protolabs,” said Greg Thompson, the company’s global product director of machining.

In addition, Thompsaon said, “As we’ve grown into a more robust prototyping-to-production provider, customers who need parts quickly, with precision, and tailored to their specific design requirements now have a single supplier to accomplish that. It’s a true one-stop-shop for machining.”

Protolabs is one of the fastest and most comprehensive digital manufacturing services in the industry.  Consequently, the company’s digital factories produce low-volume parts in days while its digital network of manufacturing partners powered by Hubs unlocks advanced capabilities and volume pricing at higher quantities.

For that reason, customers can have one manufacturing source, from prototyping to production. Particularly, for product developers, engineers, and supply chain teams across the globe.