Rapid Prototyping Service | Online Quotes | Metals and Plastics

Rapid Prototyping

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Your Rapid Prototyping Resource for Quality Parts at Speed

Protolabs gives you the ability to prototype custom parts quickly. Our in-house manufacturing facilities in the United States and Europe are digitally automated to speed up manufacturing, resulting in some of the fastest lead times in the industry. Our global network of suppliers adds capacity and capabilities for more complex prototyping requirements.

Be Fast to Be First

Design, prototype, iterate, repeat—it's a fast-paced game, especially when you’re under pressure to get to market before your competitors. Our rapid prototyping services shorten the path from concept to launch, so more iterations fit within development schedules, and better-quality products are released earlier. You have to be fast to be first: advance innovation with technology-driven rapid prototyping.

“Everyone’s under pressure to deliver on time, on time, on time... Protolabs just tightens the loop, and gets you what you need faster.”

“It allows us to punch above our weight and allows us to provide quality products quickly to the industry.”

“Protolabs gave us early prototypes that we could configure and test in real-world conditions. This allowed us to move from idea to execution rapidly.”

Tech-Enabled Quoting & Ordering

Our enhanced digital platform, [ProDesk](/content/prodesk/ "ProDesk"/index.html), cuts down quoting time with automated pricing and AI-enabled design for manufacturability (DFM) feedback. You can instantly configure materials, finishes, and lead times to explore different options before any manufacturing begins, and access engineering support when needed. It provides one centralized location for your team to manage any number of prototyping projects.

Our Manufacturing Services

• Injection Molding
• CNC Machining
• 3D Printing
• Sheet Metal Fabrication

Injection Molding

Get affordable, high-quality molded parts and bridge tooling within days. With our free moldability consultation, the design and molding process is rapidly accelerated to save you time and money.

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• Low-volume molding up to 100,000+ parts with volume pricing available—no MOQ required.
• 100+ plastic, elastomeric, and silicone rubber materials.
• Automated CMM for fast, in-house quality documentation.

CNC Machining

Leverage the same speed, precision, and reliability in machining that you’re accustomed to at Protolabs but unlock advanced machining capabilities like tighter tolerances and volume pricing through our manufacturing network.

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• Machined parts in as fast as 1 day with optional plating and anodizing in as fast as 4 days.
• Cost-efficient machined parts at higher volumes.
• Tolerances down to ±0.001 in. (0.020mm) through our digital network.

3D Printing

Want quality parts and additive expertise at a single 3D printing source? Choose from seven different additive manufacturing technologies for cost-effective prototyping and highly precise, repeatable production parts.

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• Additive technologies include metal 3D printing, SLA, SLS, FDM, and more.
• 30 plastic and metal materials in a range of finishes.
• 25 years of additive manufacturing expertise.

Sheet Metal Fabrication

From easy quoting to quick-turn production and finishing options, get up to 500 quality sheet metal parts in your hands in days from a single supplier.

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• Instant quotes with interactive manufacturability feedback.
• Six sheet metal materials including aluminum, stainless steel, steel, brass, and copper.
• Finishing options from welding and hardware insertion to powder coating and silk screening.

Prototyping Across Development Stages

Concept Models

Early-stage concept models are a critical initial step in the product development process. While parts may not be suitable for functional use, these low-cost, quick-to-manufacture parts are invaluable.

• Gain feedback from users and stakeholders
• Accelerate decision making
• Quickly iterate at low cost

Functional Prototypes

Fully functional prototype parts can be used to validate design assumptions and identify any design flaws to refine product design. This stage of product development ensures part design meets final specifications.

• Assess ergonomics and usability
• Validate tolerances and assembly feasibility
• Test out materials and finishes

Validation and Testing

Products often undergo a variety of testing to ensure parts can withstand real-world conditions by simulating long-term wear, UV exposure, extreme temperatures, and mechanical stress. This critical pre-production phase improves product reliability and ensures compliance with industry standards.

• Improve product reliability
• Validate performance over time
• Ensure compliance and safety

Quality Measures for Functional Prototypes

Our commitment to quality is not sacrificed for prototyping speed. Every part manufactured by our in-house factories and global supplier network is held to stringent quality control measures, so you can accurately assess the functionality. We can provide inspection documentation and industry-standard certifications for any project large or small.

Prototyping Materials

[Injection Molding

View Materials](/content/materials/injection-molding/ "Injection Molding"/index.html)
[CNC Machining

View Materials](/content/materials/cnc-machining/ "CNC Machining"/index.html)
[3D Printing

View Materials](/content/materials/3d-printing/ "3D Printing"/index.html)
[Sheet Metal Fabrication

View Materials](/content/materials/sheet-metal/ "Sheet Metal"/index.html)

Resources

Rapid Prototyping Processes \
Learn the advantages and disadvantages of common rapid prototyping processes in order to make the best decision for your project.

Read Guide](/content/resources/guides-and-trend-reports/rapid-prototyping-processes/ "Rapid Prototyping Processes"/index.html)

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Product Life Cycle \
We are your single resource from rapid prototyping to end-use production—and everything in between. \
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Production Manufacturing \
We are your manufacturing partner to scale projects to production. Get complete program management with a team who can tailor our capabilities to optimize cost, quantity, and quality control of your production order.\
Learn More](/content/services/production/ "Production Manufacturing"/index.html)

Start your project today with dedicated support from our manufacturing team.

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