Sheet Metal

Designing for Sheet Metal Fabrication White Paper
Want an in-depth look at sheet metal part design? This white paper explores material considerations, manufacturing processes, design elements, and finishing options for sheet metal prototypes and low-volume production parts. Download this free guide to the multi-step sheet metal fabrication process.

3D Printing for End-Use Production
Industrial-grade 3D printing has a solid reputation as a reliable prototyping process, but is now emerging as a viable production option. This white paper offers an analysis of additive manufacturing technologies as end-use production methods. Download this white paper now!

Reducing Risk Through On-Demand Manufacturing
Strategic management of your manufacturing supply chain is critical during product development and life cycle planning. This white paper illustrates how on-demand manufacturing can be used to reduce financial risk and accelerate speed to market through the implementation of supply chain safeguards. Download your free copy today!

Selecting the Right Material for 3D Printing White Paper
This industrial 3D printing white paper explores the properties of thermoplastic and metal materials available with direct metal laser sintering, selective laser sintering and stereolithography technologies. It also includes a quick-reference guide of material attributes that can steer you toward the proper grade. Download your free copy today!

Design Essentials for Injection Molding
From material selection to part design, there is no shortage of complexity when molding a part. Knowing where to start can be a challenging task, but it's something we help customers with every day. These injection molding design essentials will help improve the moldability of your parts while saving you valuable development time. Download now!

Designing a Product Strategy that Leverages Industry 4.0
While Industry 4.0 is improving efficiency on the factory floor, it's also revolutionizing product strategy. This white paper explores how companies can use digital manufacturing technologies to develop a more agile and responsive product strategy. Download your free white paper now!

3D Printing for End-Use Production
Industrial-grade 3D printing has a solid reputation as a reliable prototyping process, but is now emerging as a viable production option. This white paper offers an analysis of additive manufacturing technologies as end-use production methods. What you will learn: The case for 3D-printed production parts Comparing 3D printing technology Making metal Polymer potential

3D Printing Technologies for Protoyping and Production
There are many different additive manufacturing processes to choose from, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Our white paper examines the various 3D printing technologies—SL, SLS, DMLS, FDM, PolyJet and others—being used by today’s product designers and engineers to build better products faster.

Selecting the Right Material for Industrial 3D Printing
This industrial 3D printing white paper explores the properties of thermoplastic and metal materials available with direct metal laser sintering, selective laser sintering, and stereolithography technologies. It also includes a quick-reference guide of material attributes that can steer you toward the proper grade.

Designing for Moldability: Fundamental Elements
Whether you’re new to injection molding or a veteran of manufacturing, our comprehensive Designing for Moldability white paper is a quick reference guide to wall thicknesses, surface finishes, tolerances, materials and other thermoplastic molding insights. It’s a thorough look at injection molding that might just provide a few tips to help you make better prototype or production parts.

Thermoplastic Material Selection for Injection Molding
There are more than 85,000 commercial options for plastic materials listed in materials databases. Needless to say, narrowing down that extensive list of materials can sometimes seem like a formidable task. Our comprehensive white paper provides a highly technical observation of thermoplastic resins and their properties for engineers who want to quantitatively analyze a part; determine loads, stresses, strains and environments; and make material decisions based on the analysis.

Data, Digitla Threads, and Industry 4.0
The manufacturing industry is undergoing a revolution as automation software and new technologies have made processes leaner and innovation faster. This movement is often referred to as Industry 4.0 and it’s changing the entire product development cycle. In this white paper, we share how companies are rethinking traditional manufacturing in order to accelerate development, reduce risk, and drive innovation.

Specdrums Moves to Production without Missing a Beat
Music tech startup uses Cool Idea! Award for molded production parts

Consumers to U.S. Product Developers: Make It Just for Me, ASAP
Digital manufacturing practices can help product makers meet consumer expectations for more customization, faster delivery and frequent product updates

Protolabs Expands Manufacturing Capacity with New Building, Added Machines

Protolabs Wins Frost & Sullivan Manufacturing Leadership Award for Operational Excellence

Protolabs Reaches Agreement to Acquire RAPID, Expands Services with Sheet Metal Fabrication

Protolabs Expands 3D Printing Service with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion Technology

Protolabs Launches On-Demand Manufacturing for Molded Production Parts, Opens Metrology Lab for Digital Inspections