Protolabs
Protolabs DMLS
Protolabs has recently installed 25 GE Additive Concept Laser machines.
Protolabs has announced its range of secondary and post-build processes is now enabling the service provider to additively manufacture metal end-use parts.
The company says machining, tapping, reaming, and heat treatments, supplemented by a range of quality control and inspection processes, are enabling parts to be delivered with more strength, dimensional accuracy, and the cosmetic appearance of traditionally made metal components.
Protolabs is a bug user of the direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process, recently installing more than 25 GE Additive Concept Laser Mlab and M2 machines, certified in accordance with ISO 9001 and AS9100 to print production parts.
Teaming these printing platforms with a host of ancillary technology has opened Protolabs, and in turn its customers, to new applications, designing and producing them in new ways.
“We see it every day. The designers and engineers we work with in industries like aerospace and medtech are choosing additive manufacturing for complex components in high-requirement applications,” commented Greg Thompson, Global Product Manager for 3D Printing at Protolabs. “These new production capabilities help them optimise their designs to enhance performance, reduce costs, and consolidate supply chains – and do so much faster than ever before.”
Protolabs has been in business since 1999, harnessing injection moulding, CNC machining and 3D printing technologies to provide prototyping and production services. It has continued to expand its range of 3D printing technologies, investing heavily in its metal service in recent years, and bringing on new polymer systems like HP’s Multi Jet Fusion process too. Within the last 12 months, the company has joined GE's Additive Manufacturing Network, MIT’s ADAPT Additive Manufacturing Consortium, and also partnered with Wohlers Associates to deliver a 3D printing design course.
