Rapid manufacturer Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB) has announced new
enhancements to its Fineline Additive Manufacturing service that will
enable the prototyping and low-volume production company to ship
3D-printed parts in as fast as one day. Designers and engineers using
either stereolithography (SL) or selective laser sintering (SLS) can
upload 3D CAD models at protolabs.com
to see if their designs qualify for quick-turn service.
Proto Labs incorporated additive manufacturing into its existing CNC
machining and injection molding services in April 2014, and has since
been building its 3D printing capabilities to match the production
speeds of its machining and molding processes.
“We’re extremely excited that customers can now get additive parts built
with the same one- and two-day turnaround time as our other
manufacturing services,” says Rob Connelly, vice president of additive
manufacturing at Proto Labs.
Stereolithography translates CAD models into physical plastic parts by
laser-curing liquid thermoset resin into thousands of thin layers until
a final part is formed; selective laser sintering works in a similar
fashion, but draws onto nylon powder to form a desired shape. Both
processes are used regularly to create concept models, complex parts and
other prototypes for nearly any field.
“We work with engineers every day who are developing products in
industries like medical, lighting and aerospace, and many need parts as
fast as possible in order to bring products to market faster," says
Connelly. “It’s our goal that the new quick-turn additive capabilities
will make it even easier for them to do just that.”
About Proto Labs
Proto Labs is an online and technology-driven
manufacturer of custom prototypes and low-volume production parts. By
using high-speed injection molding, CNC machining and additive
manufacturing processes, Proto Labs can produce parts within days for an
unprecedented time-to-market value for product developers and engineers.
Go to protolabs.com
for more information about the company and its services.
Copyright Business Wire 2015