First Cut CNC Machining Service
First Cut was established to apply proprietary automated high speed milling technology to the quick turn machining of prototypes. Working directly from customers’ 3D CAD models, First Cut automatically produces tool paths for state-of-the-art CNC milling equipment and machines your parts from solid blocks of engineering grade resins and aluminum. There are no CAM programmers, so there are no non-recurring engineering charges. The resulting parts have material properties comparable to injection molded parts, and are cost-competitive with additive rapid prototyping methods.
Protomold Injection Molding Service
Protomold has been delivering injection molded prototypes and low-volume production parts since 1999. Molds are manufactured by automated three axis CNC machines using toolpaths created directly from customers’ 3D CAD models, and parts are available in hundreds of engineering grade resins. Costs are a fraction of those of traditional injection molding, you have a choice of surface finishes, and parts can be shipped in as fast as one business day.
Free design analysis
Good design feedback is hard to find. Good, free design feedback is almost unheard of. But that’s exactly what you get from Proto Labs in the form of a ProtoQuote® or FirstQuote®. It’s like having your own consulting engineer on-call. Submit your 3D CAD model online, anytime day or night, and our 1.9 teraflop compute cluster will go to work, analyzing your design based on best molding and machining practices. Our proprietary programs examine your model for potential problems and present you with results you can use, all web-based and interactive. Thick walls, sharp corners, undercuts, and more are highlighted on detailed 3D illustrations