Accelerating Production of Industrial Equipment and Components
Meet the growing need for connected hardware while still supporting legacy equipment and machinery with custom parts
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.
Why Protolabs for Industrial Equipment and Machinery Components?
Infinite Capacity
Access to hundreds of mills, presses, and 3D printers running 24/7 for end-use production parts within days.
Material Selection
Choose from more than 30 different metal alloys and hundreds of industrial-grade plastic materials.
Jigs and Fixtures
Get production floor aids that help streamline assembly and create efficient workflow processes.
Flexible Parts
Use elastomeric materials like silicone rubber and TPU for highly durable seals, gaskets, and other internal components.
Custom Components
Quickly replace one-off equipment components with machined parts in as fast as 24 hours.
Injection Moulding for Industrial Equipment
Plastic injection moulding is being increasingly used in the industrial equipment and agriculture 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 for Industrial Equipment
CNC machining has long been a partner to the industrial equipment and agriculture industries, 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 for Industrial Equipment
Additive manufacturing is the newest technology gaining traction in the industrial equipment and agriculture industries.
Additive manufacturing allows for fully functional prototypes and mass customisation of parts, enabling equipment for a specific purpose.
It is also fast becoming a solution for repairing or replacing spare parts where older parts are now obsolete.
Secondary Services for Industrial Equipment
Protolabs offers a vast number of secondary services that can support you in producing your parts for the industrial equipment and agriculture industries. To find out more about what we offer, please visit our secondary services page. Examples of our secondary services that can support your industry include; measurement inspection, assembly and anodising - the application of a protective oxide layer to create a barrier against corrosion.
Lifetime Guarantee on Tools
At Protolabs we offer lifetime tool guarantee with our on-demand manufacturing service. This means you will not need to worry about replacing your tool whilst working with us. If your tool starts to show signs of wear and tear, we will provide a replacement.
How DFM can Support with your Product Life Cycle
OEMs are, and always have been, a major support to the industrial equipment industry when it comes to prototyping and rapid manufacturing. Did you know that our design for manufacturability (DFM) service will provide you with a quote within hours? This means you can be designing and iterating quickly and efficiently. On top of that, if your part is not manufacturable our expert team of Application Engineers are on-hand to discuss and support you in finalising a part that Protolabs can produce. Once your design is in place it's simply a case of producing functional prototypes using our rapid prototyping services, which can ship parts in as little as 1 day.
Rotork Works on New Leak Detection Technology |
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Even with a basic knowledge of engineering, it’s easy to appreciate that valves—fittings designed to control or regulate fluid flow— can and will leak. Even with the best design and highest manufacturing standards, failures still occur. In the petro-chemicals industry, in which there are strict environmental regulations in place, preventing leaks entering the atmosphere has become a strategic objective. |
| READ ROTORK GEARS SUCCESS STORY |
What Materials Work Best for Industrial Applications
Common Applications
This diagram shows examples of some of the parts that can be produced for industrial equipment, using our rapid prototyping services.
If you have questions regarding your industrial equipment or agricultural part, please call +44 (0) 1952 683047 or email [email protected]
We have a number of technologies ideal for industrial and agricultural equipment. Common applications include:
- Machine and tool parts
- Jigs and fixtures
- Electronic housings
- Pumps and accessories
- Oil and gas extraction equipment
- General industrial machinery
- Conveyors and conveying equipment
- Parts for tractors, bulldozers, forklifts, and other heavy construction and individual vehicles and equipment
Industrial Equipment Case Studies
“Protolabs is one of our accredited suppliers who we can trust to deliver within a specified timeframe.”
CNC Machining for Prototypes and Low-Volume Production Parts
Case Study: Manufacturing the Future of Food Production
How to Reduce CNC Machining Costs
Industrial and Heavy Industry
