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Protolabs records rich growth in plastic innovations

For example, at Protolabs, the pace of new introductions regarding technologies or new plastic materials over the past twelve months has been higher than ever before in the company's history. Whether through PAx Smooth Natural, a polyamide characterized by high toughness, flexibility, and durability, and boasting a smooth, translucent surface similar to injection-molded parts, or through the Vapour-Smoothing variant of PAx Smooth Natural, which is also translucent and thus excellent for liquid, text, and image representations. Added to this is PA 12 Glass Beads Smooth Gray—also a polyamide—known for its high heat resistance and dimensional stability, or EPX 82 (by Carbon DLS), a rigid material with high chemical and thermal resistance up to 130°C (266°F). New materials have shaped and continue to shape additive manufacturing with plastics. At the same time, Protolabs also introduced a completely new printing technology with Digital Light Synthesis by Carbon 3D, enabling the team in Putzbrunn to produce parts of a size and quality that even the manufacturer hadn't thought possible. A true testament to Protolabs' competence in additive manufacturing.

The future of 3D printing with plastics will be exciting

This development in the field of additive manufacturing with plastics also generates excitement for the future. Questions arise, such as, what materials will be introduced next? What printing technologies will follow? How will artificial intelligence impact manufacturing? And what opportunities will emerge for different sectors and industries through new introductions in this area? It is already clear that the development is far from over, and additive manufacturing, service providers like Protolabs, and the entire industry will continue to be significantly influenced. It will hold many innovations for the future.

Other additive manufacturing processes are not neglected

For manufacturing service providers like Protolabs, this development leads to only one logical step: to position themselves as strongly as possible where innovation is most potent and the opportunities to shape the future are most diverse. It's not about neglecting traditional manufacturing methods or even DMLS—metal printing. These areas must occupy their own sphere and can excellently be covered in scale by our 3DP Protolabs US facility in Raleigh, North Carolina, or through the Protolabs Network and other locations, for example, in Europe.

Protolabs is like an outsourced R&D department for partners

For Protolabs in Putzbrunn, the European center of excellence for 3D printing, polymers will play a significant role in the future of additive manufacturing. To enable cross-industry innovations, it is wise to focus on what will advance many industries, sectors, and companies in the future. In combination with Protolabs' employees and their expertise—which many clients already view as an external R&D department—this creates a wonderful synergy that ultimately means one thing for Protolabs' clients: virtually limitless possibilities and added value, leading to competitiveness and forward-looking innovations. So, there is excitement about the great innovations in the field of 3DP polymers and products that will emerge from Putzbrunn.