FAQs
What is the advantage of working with Protolabs? Why should I choose your company to make my parts?
Our industrial 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection moulding services provide parts made directly from the customer’s 3D CAD model, reducing the likelihood of errors. Proprietary software automates toolpath generation to decrease manufacturing times and reduce costs.
What companies do you work with?
Due to the proprietary and competitive nature of projects we work on, we do not disclose a listing of our customers. However, we do regularly receive permission to share customer success stories. Read our case studies here.
What industries use Protolabs services?
We serve a variety of industries including medical device, automotive, lighting, aerospace, technology, consumer product, and electronics.
What type of facilities does Protolabs have?
We currently have 9 manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, and Japan.
When should I use machining versus injection moulding?
Before making the investment to have injection-mould tooling made or high-volume machining processes, you likely will want to test a part that is as close to the production part as possible. CNC machining is the best option for this situation.
Additionally, engineers often need just one or maybe a few parts for test fixtures, assembly jigs, or assembly fixtures. Machining is the best option here as well, but traditional machine shops often charge a significant non-recurring engineering (NRE) charge for programming and fixturing. This NRE charge often makes getting very small quantities not affordable. The automated CNC machining process eliminates the upfront NRE costs and is able to offer quantities as low as one part at an affordable price and get parts in your hands in as fast as 1 day.
Injection moulding is better suited to support larger amounts of samples for functional or market testing, bridge tooling, or low-volume production. If you need parts before a steel tool can be made (typically 6 to 10 weeks with other moulders) or your volume requirements don't justify expensive steel production tooling, we can supply production parts to meet your full requirements (up to 10,000+ parts) in 1 to 15 days.
How many mills/presses/machines do you have?
We currently have more than 800 machines: roughly 450+ CNC mills, 200+ presses and 150+ 3D printers. With our long history of growth, this number is always changing.
Why do you have manufacturing facilities in other countries? Are my parts made in the United States?
We manufacture all parts for North America at our U.S. facilities. We also ship internationally to many other countries from our U.S. facilities. Our manufacturing facilities in England and Germany support all of the European countries, and our Japan facilities manufactures exclusively for Japan.
How do I get a quote?
To get a quote for all of our services, simply upload a 3D CAD model on our site. You'll get an interactive quote within hours with free design feedback. If there are problem areas in the submitted design, our quoting engine provides detailed information on the potential manufacturing issues and suggests possible solutions.
Can I quote my part with all services at once?
You can get a quote for injection moulding and machining, but a second quote for 3D printing will need to be requested.
What types of files do you accept?
We can accept native SolidWorks (.sldprt) or ProE (.prt) files as well as solid 3D CAD models from other CAD systems output in IGES (.igs), STEP (.stp), ACIS (.sat) or Parasolid (.x_t or .x_b) format. We can also accept .stl files for 3D printing quotes only. Two-dimensional (2D) drawings are not accepted.
I don’t have a 3D CAD model. Can you create one for me?
We do not offer any design services at this time. If you need assistance creating a 3D CAD model of your idea, contact us via email and we’ll get you contact information for designers who are familiar with our process.
Can Protolabs perform secondary operations?
Yes, visit our dedicated secondary services page.
Do you provide First Article of Inspection (FAI) Service?
We can provide FAI as part of the unlimited offer. To find out more, speak to one of the team +44 (0)1952 683047
Everything we do at Protolabs is focused on providing the fastest and highest quality prototypes and production parts in the industry. This demands the latest technology, managed by tight process controls. Our industrial-grade 3D printing equipment is state-of-the-art and rigorously maintained to perform like new with every build. Orchestrating it all, our trained staff produces your parts according to carefully honed procedures.
What is stereolithography?
While stereolithography (SL) is the oldest of all the 3D printing technologies, it remains the gold standard for overall accuracy, surface finish, and resolution. It uses an ultraviolet laser focused to a small point, drawing on the surface of a liquid thermoset resin. Where it draws, the liquid turns to solid. This is repeated in thin, two-dimensional cross-sections that are layered to form complex three-dimensional parts. Material properties are typically inferior to those of selective laser sintering (SLS), but the surface finish and detail are unmatched.
What is selective laser sintering?
Selective laser sintering (SLS) uses a CO2 laser that draws onto a hot bed of thermoplastic powder. Where it draws, it lightly sinters the powder into a solid. After each layer, a roller lays a fresh layer of powder on top of the bed and the process repeats. Since SLS uses actual engineering thermoplastics, its 3D-printed parts exhibit greater toughness.
What is PolyJet?
What is direct metal laser sintering ?
How dense are DMLS parts?
DMLS parts are 97% dense.
What companies do you work with?
Due to the proprietary and competitive nature of projects we work on, we do not disclose a listing of our customers. However, we do regularly receive permission to share customer success stories. Read case studies here.
I don’t have a 3D CAD model. Can you create one for me?
We do not offer any design services at this time. If you need assistance creating a 3D CAD model of your idea, contact us via email and we'll provide you with contact information for design firms that are familiar with our process.
What is the typical cost of 3D-printed parts at Protolabs?
This is highly dependent on geometry and material selected, the best way is to submit a 3D CAD model to get an interactive quote.
What is unique about the Protolabs' process?
Our quoting process is unprecedented in the machining industry. We have developed proprietary quoting software that runs on a large-scale compute cluster and generates the CNC toolpaths required to machine your part. The result is a fast, convenient, and easy way to get quotes and order machined parts.
What is the typical cost of a machined part at Protolabs?
The best way to find out is to submit a 3D CAD model and get a ProtoQuote interactive quote. Because we use proprietary software and automated fixturing processes, there are no up front non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs. This makes purchasing quantities as low as 1 to 200 parts cost effective. Prices compared to 3D printing are comparable to somewhat higher, but machining offers improved material properties and surfaces.
How does the quoting process work?
Once you upload your 3D CAD model to our website, the software calculates the price to produce your design in various materials and then generates an “as-milled view” of your part. An interactive quote is provided that allows you to evaluate the choice of different materials and different quantities, as well as a 3D view of how your machined part will compare to your original model with any differences highlighted. See a ProtoQuote preview here.
What materials does Protolabs offer for machining?
We stock a variety of plastic and metal materials from ABS, nylon, polycarbonate (PC), and polypropylene PP to stainless steel, aluminium, copper, and brass. See a full list of more than 40 stocked materials for milling and turning. Currently, we do not accept customer-supplied material for machining.
What are Protolabs' machining capabilities? What are the minimum and maximum sizes offered?
For specific information on part size and other considerations for milling and turning, please see our milling design guidelines and turning design guidelines.
Why should I have my part machined rather than 3D printed?
Machined parts have the true properties of the material you select. Our process allows you to get parts machined from blocks of solid plastic and metal in the same time frame, if not faster, than 3D-printed parts.
What are Protolabs' injection moulding capabilities?
We offer plastic and liquid silicone rubber moulding as well as overmoulding and insert moulding in low-volume quantities of 25 to 10,000+ pieces. Typical manufacturing times are 1 to 15 business days. Rapid injection moulding helps product developers get prototypes and production parts that are suitable for functional testing or final use within days.
What is unique about the Protolabs' process?
We have automated the process of quoting, designing, and manufacturing moulds based on customer-supplied 3D CAD part models. Due to this automation, and running software on ultra-fast compute clusters, we typically cut the manufacturing time for the initial parts to one-third that of conventional methods.
What is the typical cost of injection-moulded parts with Protolabs?
This depends on part geometry and complexity. The best way to estimate cost is to upload your model to our website to receive an interactive quote within hours. Protolabs is able to create your mould at a fraction of the price of traditional injection moulding because of our proprietary analysis software, automated processes, and use of aluminium moulds.
How does the quoting process work?
Getting an interactive quote will show materials and finishes available, highlight any potential issues with manufacturing your part, and show quick-turn and delivery options available (dependent on your geometry). You’ll see price implications of your material and quantity selections in real time—no need to re-quote. See a sample ProtoQuote here.
What resins can (or should) I use?
Designers should consider application-specific material properties like tensile strength, impact resistance or ductility, mechanical characteristics, moulding properties, and cost of the resin when selecting a resin. If you need help selecting material, please feel free to call us.
What are Protolabs’ stocked resins for injection moulding?
We house more than 100 thermoplastic resins and also accept many customer-supplied resins. See the full list of Protolabs' stocked resins.
What are Protolabs’ capabilities? What size can my part be?
For information on part size and other considerations for injection moulding, please see our design guidelines.
Why should I buy a moulded part rather than a 3D-printed part?
Moulded parts from Protolabs will have the true properties of the material you select. With the true material properties and improved surface finishes, injection-moulded parts are suitable for functional testing and end-use production.
What is the Protolabs Protoview 3D Display?
The Protoview 3D display enables you to view and rotate your quoted CAD model in three dimensions.
How do I install Protoview?
You don’t. The latest version of the Protoview 3D display requires no installation. Simply go to your interactive quote page and the Protoview 3D display should automatically display your CAD model.
What operating systems and browsers are supported?
Protoview is currently supported on these operating systems:
- Windows XP SP2 or SP3
- Windows Vista (all versions)
- Windows 7 (all versions)
- Windows 8 (all versions)
- Mac OSX 10.1 or later
Protoview is currently supported on these browsers:
- Internet Explorer 8+
- Google Chrome 21.0+
- Firefox 19.1+
- Opera
- Safari
NOTE: We do not recommend using Internet Explorer 7 due to security vulnerabilities and poor performance with 3D content.
Why doesn't the Protoview load correctly or why is there a black screen?
This is most commonly caused by bad or conflicting cached (stored) data in your browser. Simply refresh your page by hitting CTRL+F5 on your keyboard. This forces your browser to dump any cached data and reload from a clean slate.
Why do I get a 'Load File Failed' or 'File Not Found' error message?
There may be an issue with the uploaded CAD file. Please contact our customer service team at [email protected] or +44 (0) 1952 683047 to resolve this problem.
Why doesn't my quote load, or why does it load incorrectly with strange results or unexpected artifacts?
Your graphics drivers are out of date and need to be updated. Consult the table below for the minimum required driver versions for your operating system and graphics card. Note that depending on your corporate security settings, you may need to contact your IT department in order to upgrade your drivers.
We recommend you only download drivers directly from the manufacturer’s site and do not use any mirror sites or third-party drivers.
- NVidida: http://www.nvidia.co.uk/download
- AMD/ATI: http://support.amd.com/download
- Intel: https://downloadcenter.intel.com
NVIDIA
- Windows XP, Vista, & 7: 8.17.12.5721 or newer
- Windows 8: 8.17.12.5721 or newer
- Macintosh OSX: 8.17.12.5721 or newer
AMD/ATI
- Windows XP, Vista, & 7: 8.741.0.0 or newer
- Windows 8: 9.10.8.0 or newer
- Macintosh OSX: 8.741.0.0 or newer
Intel
- Windows XP, Vista, & 7: 8.15.10.2202 or newer
- Windows 8: 8.15.10.2302 or newer
- Macintosh OSX: 8.15.10.2202 or newer
Why won’t my quote load even when my drivers are up to date?
Your graphics card may not be supported. The following graphics cards are not supported:
- AMD/ATI Radeon X1900 series on Mac OSX
- ATI FireNV 2400
- Intel Mobile 945 Express
- NVidia GeForce 6100, 6150, & 6200 series with Turbo Cache
- NVidia GeForce 7300 GT on Mac OSX
- NVidia Quadro FX 1500
- NVidia GeForce FX Go5200
- S3 Trio Cards
Systems with two or more graphics cards of different types will encounter rendering errors, e.g., the computer has an NVIDIA GeForce and Intel Integrated HD chipset. Try disabling one of the cards. NVIDIA SLI, and AMD/ATI Crossfire technology is supported.
Third-party drivers such as Omega Drivers are not supported.
Linux is not supported, however, Protoview will run on many Linux distributions with Google Chrome.
Why can’t I view the Protoview on my tablet?
Tablets and mobile devices are not supported at this time. You can still view your quote in a PDF format.
Other browser related issues:
Internet Explorer
A common error after visiting your Protoquote interactive quotes for the first time is that the necessary plug-in for displaying some internet content, Microsoft Silverlight, is not permitted to display 3D content.
- Where your quote would normally render, you will see a red error screen. Simply follow the on screen instructions to view your quote:
1. Right-click the page
2. Select 'Silverlight'
(The 'Microsoft Silverlight Configuration' dialog will be displayed)
3. Select the 'Permissions' tab
4. Find this site in the list and change its 3D Graphics permission from 'Deny' to 'Allow'
5. Click 'OK'
6. Reload the page
- After clicking ‘OK’ to close the window, press the F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the page. This setting will be stored permanently and will not need to do this every time you view your quote in future.
If you still encounter issues:
- Microsoft Silverlight plug-in may not be installed or is outdated. To install or update, visit microsoft.com/getsilverlight.
- We recommend Silverlight 5.1.30514.0 or later for best performance.
- After installing Silverlight, you will need to refresh your Protoquote page in order for the installation to take effect.
Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox
When using Chrome or Firefox, the first time you visit your ProtoQuote, you will see a screen telling you Protoview needs your permission to run. Simply right-click anywhere in the grey field and select 'Run this plug-in' from the menu.
The most common issue using the Protoview 3D display on Chrome or Firefox is simply not having the latest browser version. To ensure Protoview runs and performs at its best, we recommend updating your browser to the latest version.
Google Chrome
- Select the 'Menu' button in the top right corner and click 'About Google Chrome.'
- When the 'About' page loads, Chrome will automatically check for updates. Depending on your settings, Chrome will prompt you to install updates or install them automatically and then prompt you to relaunch.
Mozilla Firefox
- Select the 'Menu' button in the top right corner, select 'Help,' then 'About Firefox.' Note: In some older versions, this menu is an orange Firefox button at the top left of the browser.
- As the 'About' window opens, Firefox will automatically check for updates and prompt you to install if updates are available.
Q: What is a Protolabs Proposed Revision?
A: A Proposed Revision is a suggested modification to your part geometry to ensure your design complies with the capabilities of our rapid manufacturing process.
Q: What file format will you send me?
A: It depends on the source file. Generally, we provide STEP, IGES and SolidWorks files.
Q: If I like the change, what should I do?
A: You can purchase the part as it is shown with proposed revisions if:
- There are no unresolved required changes.
- You accept the Protolabs Proposed Revision by checking the box in section three of the quote.
Q: If I like the change but want to order from my own source file, what do I do?
A: Update your model to match the Protolabs Proposed Revision and resubmit it:
- Click the “Download Revised Model” button in section two of the quote to compare the Protolabs geometry to your original version.
- Replicate the changes shown by Protolabs in your own modelling tool and re-submit your part for quote. Quoting again is required by our process to ensure a match between the quote and the part.
- The updated quote should be returned with no required changes and thus, your part should be orderable.
Q: What should I do if I don’t like (or can’t accept) the change?
A: Design issues can often be resolved in multiple ways. You can:
- Modify your part geometry a different way to meet the intent of the Protolabs Proposed Revision.
- To discuss alternative solutions, contact a Customer Service Engineer at +44 (0) 1952 683047 or [email protected].
Q: How do I find out more about why you made the change?
A: To discuss process requirements, contact a Customer Service Engineer at +44 (0) 1952 683047 or [email protected].
Q: Are there extra fees? What is the price of this service?
A: Proposed Revisions are offered at no additional charge. Revised geometry is priced as any part would be. Some changes will influence price up or down. In practice, most prices changes from minor geometry revisions are negligible.
Q: Is this a design service?
A: Protolabs does not offer product design services. The proposed revisions are offered to demonstrate geometry that is compatible with the Protolabs manufacturing process.
Q: Why was I asked to update my Protoviewer plug-in?
A: Proposed Revisions are compatible with newer Protoviewer versions only.
Q: What happens if my part doesn’t function based on the Protolabs change?
A: You (the customer) are responsible for part design and function.
Q: Can I opt out of the Protolabs Proposed Revision process?
A: We hope you find this service valuable, but if you’d prefer to not participate, note so when you upload your part.
What is the digital network?
Our global network of premium manufacturing partners powered by Hubs offers expanded capabilities, tighter tolerances, volume pricing, and the ability to handle more complex parts.
Where can I learn about these capabilities?
You can visit hubs.com and click on the ‘Capabilities’ tab in the navigation bar at the top of the page for the full list of machining, 3D printing, and moulding services available through our digital network.
Who can I talk to about vetting an opportunity for the digital network?
Talk with your Protolabs account manager to understand which is the best route for your project. Feel free to explore quoting through both systems and reach out to your account manager with any questions.
How do I get a quote from your digital network?
Click the blue ‘Get instant quote’ button in the top right corner of hubs.com and upload your part for a quote through Hubs’ regular quoting portal.
Do I need two different sign-ins/accounts for Protolabs and Protolabs' Digital Network?
For now, you will still place your order through one site or the other (protolabs.com/en-gb/ or hubs.com) and will need a login for each site.
What if I want to use Protolabs for some parts on a project and Protolabs' Digital Network for other parts?
Order the parts you want fulfilled by Protolabs through protolabs.com/en-gb/ and the parts you want fulfilled by our manufacturing network through hubs.com.