Protolabs

MANUFACTURE LIKE A PRO™

Founded:
1999
Headquarters:
Maple Plain, Minnesota, USA
Website:
https://www.protolabs.com
Instant Quoting

Summary

Protolabs operates a Hybrid for custom manufacturing. Core capabilities include Injection Molding, CNC Machining, 3D Printing — DMLS, 3D Printing — SLA, 3D Printing — MJF and others using materials like ABS, Polycarbonate (PC), Nylon (PA), Acetal (POM / Delrin), PET. Key certifications: ISO 9001:2015 (all US facilities — injection molding, CNC, 3D printing, sheet metal), AS9100D (CNC machining: Minnesota and New Hampshire; 3D printing: North Carolina). Minimum order is 1 part (no formal MOQ across all services); injection molding requires mold tooling NRE starting ~$1,495 even for prototype quantities with lead times starting at As fast as 1 business day (CNC machining, 3D printing). Region coverage includes United States, Canada, United Kingdom. No public API is available.

Capabilities

ProcessesInjection Molding (thermoplastic, liquid silicone rubber, overmolding, insert molding), CNC Machining (milling, turning, production machining), 3D Printing — DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering), 3D Printing — SLA (Stereolithography), 3D Printing — MJF (Multi Jet Fusion), 3D Printing — SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), 3D Printing — PolyJet, 3D Printing — FDM (via Protolabs Network), Sheet Metal Fabrication (laser cutting, punching, forming/bending, assemblies)
MaterialsABS, Polycarbonate (PC), Nylon (PA), Acetal (POM / Delrin), PET, PEEK, TPU, Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR, 30–70 durometers), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Aluminum (6061, 6082, 7075), Brass, Copper, Stainless Steel, Steel alloy / mild low carbon steel, Titanium, HDPE, LDPE, PEI (Ultem), Acrylic (PMMA), PPSU, PSU, PTFE, PVC, CPVC, Aluminum (DMLS), Stainless Steel 17-4 (DMLS), Stainless Steel 316L (DMLS), Inconel (DMLS), Cobalt Chrome (DMLS), Aluminum (sheet metal), Brass (sheet metal), Copper (sheet metal), Stainless Steel (sheet metal), Cold-rolled steel / galvanneal / galvanized (sheet metal)
CertificationsISO 9001:2015 (all US facilities — injection molding, CNC, 3D printing, sheet metal), AS9100D (CNC machining: Minnesota and New Hampshire; 3D printing: North Carolina), ISO 13485:2016 (injection molding: Minnesota; DMLS 3D printing: North Carolina), ITAR registered (defense parts), ISO 14001:2015 (Telford, UK facility), ISO 45001:2018 (Telford, UK facility), JOSCAR (Telford, UK facility — aerospace/defense supplier registry), RoHS & REACH compliance (Putzbrunn, Germany facility)
FinishingAnodizing Type II — Class 1 (clear) and Class 2 (black), Anodizing Type III / Hard Coat — Class 2 (black), Chromate conversion coating (Type II, non-hexavalent / clear), Bead blasting, Powder coating (50 stocked colors; glossy or matte), Electroless Nickel plating, Passivation (nitric and citric), Zinc plating (standard, yellow, black, clear), Tin plating, Wet paint / liquid coating, Chromate (yellow and clear chem-film), Orbital sander / straight grain / brushed surface, Silk screening, Masking, Part marking / stenciling, Mold texturing & engraving, Laser engraving, Pad printing, UV printing, Threaded inserts, Post-molding machining, Assembly and kitting
File FormatsSTEP (.stp / .step), IGES (.igs / .iges), SolidWorks (.sldprt), PTC Pro/E (.prt), Parasolid (.x_t / .x_b), ACIS (.sat), AutoCAD (.dwg, 3D solid only), Autodesk Inventor (.ipt), CATIA (.CatPart), Compressed archive (.zip), STL (.stl) — 3D printing only
TolerancesCNC Machining: standard ±0.005 in. (0.13 mm); precision ±0.002 in. (0.051 mm); reamed holes ±0.0005 in. (0.013 mm); ISO 2768-f (metals) / ISO 2768-m (plastics). Injection Molding: mold tool ±0.003 in. (0.076 mm); finished part ≥±0.002 in./in. (0.051 mm/mm). 3D Printing — SLA: ±0.002 in. X/Y + 0.1%; ±0.005 in. Z + 0.1%. SLS: ±0.010 in. + 0.1%. MJF: ±0.012 in. + 0.1%. DMLS: ±0.003 in. X/Y + 0.1%; ±0.006 in. Z + 0.1%. PolyJet: ±0.005 in. + 0.1%. Sheet Metal: single surface ±0.005 in. (0.13 mm); bend-to-edge ±0.010 in. (0.25 mm); across multiple bends ±0.030 in. (0.76 mm); bend angle ±1°.
DFM FeedbackYes

Ordering & Commercial

Minimum Order Quantity
1 part (no formal MOQ across all services); injection molding requires mold tooling NRE starting ~$1,495 even for prototype quantities
Lead Time
As fast as 1 business day (CNC machining, 3D printing); 3–5 days (sheet metal); 7+ days (injection molding standard); varies by process, material, complexity, and quantity
Instant Quoting
Yes
Pricing Model
Instant automated quote from uploaded 3D CAD model; price calculated based on geometry, material, quantity, and selected lead time; no RFQ process for standard services; tooling NRE applies for injection molding (molds start ~$1,495); CNC starts ~$65; 3D printing starts ~$95; sheet metal starts ~$100
Payment Terms
Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), ACH / wire transfer (via account manager), Check, Net 30 on approved accounts (requires credit approval, 1–2 business days), Purchase order (on approved credit accounts)
Rush Options
CNC Machining: same-day, 1-day, 2-day expedites from Minnesota facility (subject to capacity); standard 4-day base at New Hampshire facility. Injection Molding: small parts expedite to 1 day; standard parts expedite to 3 days. 3D Printing (MJF/SLS): base 3 days; DMLS 5–10 days. Sheet Metal: Express 3-day base; Select 5-day base. Expedited lead times carry a cost premium.

Coverage

Regions Served
United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomGermanyFranceItalySpainBroader European Union100+ countries (international shipping available)
Manufacturing Locations
USA — Minnesota (Maple Plain, Plymouth, Rosemount, Brooklyn Park): injection molding, CNC machiningUSA — North Carolina (Morrisville, 2 facilities): 3D printing (SLA, SLS, MJF, DMLS)USA — New Hampshire (Nashua): sheet metal fabrication, CNC machiningUK — Telford, Shropshire: injection molding, CNC machiningGermany — Putzbrunn: 3D printingProtolabs Network (via Hubs platform): 250+ partner manufacturers globally (North America, Europe, Asia)
Industries Served
Medical & Healthcare (ISO 13485 certified)Aerospace & Defense (AS9100D certified, ITAR registered)Automotive & EV/AVRobotics & AutomationConsumer ElectronicsIndustrial Equipment
Volume Range:
1 part to 1,000,000+ parts; own factories optimized for prototyping through low-to-mid volume (1–10,000 parts most processes; injection molding up to 100,000+ parts from aluminum molds); Protolabs Network extends to higher-volume production
Focus:
Prototyping and low-volume production. Own factories optimized for rapid iteration (1-day lead times) through low-to-mid volumes. Protolabs Network (Hubs) extends to higher-volume and high-mix production via 250+ global partner manufacturers. Not cost-competitive with traditional contract manufacturers at high production volumes.
IP Protection:
Built-in confidentiality — NDA not required; all CAD uploads covered by default. ITAR registered with separate per-country databases for defense parts. SSL/TLS encryption, MFA, WAF, strict access control, regular penetration testing. ISO 27001 confirmed for Japan facility (2017); US/EU status not publicly confirmed as of Feb 2026. No SOC 2 certification documented.

Platform

Marketplace Model
Hybrid — own digital factories (US + UK + Germany) for rapid prototyping and low-volume production, plus Protolabs Network (250+ vetted global manufacturing partners via acquired Hubs platform) for higher volumes and expanded capabilities
Supplier Vetting
N/A for own-factory orders (Protolabs manufactures in-house). Protolabs Network partners: screened and vetted to the Protolabs Network Standard; certifications and capabilities verified; ongoing performance monitoring applies.
Quality Assurance
In-house: automated CMM inspection (patented) on all orders at no additional cost. Optional paid inspection reports: First Article Inspection (FAI), PPAP, Critical-to-Quality (CTQ), Dimensional Inspection Report (DIR), Material Certificates, Certificate of Conformance (CoC), REACH/RoHS certificates. Free DFM analysis with every quote.
Order Tracking
ProDesk dashboard (launched Feb 2026): real-time order status, shipment tracking, order history, documentation, billing records, team sharing across engineers/buyers/project managers. Production Catalog enables instant reorder. No public API for programmatic order status queries as of Feb 2026.
API Available:
No
Account Required:
Yes

Differentiation

Best For

Engineers and product teams needing fast, high-quality custom parts for prototyping through low-to-mid volume production — especially in regulated industries (medical, aerospace, defense) where certifications, traceability, and guaranteed quality matter more than lowest unit cost.

Key Strengths

  • Industry-leading speed: parts in as fast as 1 business day for CNC machining and 3D printing
  • Own digital factories (US + Europe) provide direct quality control — not reliant on third-party supplier network reliability
  • Instant automated quoting from 3D CAD upload — interactive quote typically within 20 minutes, including free DFM analysis
  • Breadth of processes under one platform: injection molding, CNC machining, 3D printing (6 technologies), and sheet metal fabrication
  • Strong certifications covering regulated industries: ISO 9001, ISO 13485 (medical), AS9100D (aerospace), ITAR (defense)
  • Patented automated CMM inspection included at no extra cost on all orders
  • Hybrid model via Protolabs Network (Hubs) extends capacity to 250+ global partners for higher volumes
  • 300,000+ customers including 95%+ of Fortune 100; over 700 million parts manufactured
  • ProDesk AI platform (launched Feb 2026): AI-powered DFM analysis, production catalog, team collaboration, order management

Known Limitations

  • Higher unit cost vs. network marketplaces (Xometry, Hubs): estimated 30–50% premium for comparable volumes due to own-factory pricing structure
  • Design constraints driven by automation: parts with undercuts, deep pockets, or non-standard features may require design changes
  • 3D CAD model-driven workflow only — limited support for drawing-driven GD&T requirements; no design services offered
  • Less cost-competitive at high production volumes vs. traditional contract manufacturers
  • No public API for programmatic or automated ordering as of Feb 2026 — key agent-readiness gap vs. Xometry
  • Account (login) required to receive an instant quote — pricing not available anonymously
  • Injection molding requires upfront mold tooling NRE (starting ~$1,495) even for prototype quantities
  • Part size constraints per process: very large parts may exceed own-factory capabilities and must route to Protolabs Network