Proto Labs

Proto Labs is founded in 1999 by Larry Lukis, a successful entrepreneur and computer geek who wanted to radically reduce the time it took to get injection-molded plastic prototype parts. His solution was to automate the traditional manufacturing process by developing complex software that communicated with a network of mills and presses. As a result, plastic and metal parts could be produced in a fraction of the time it had ever taken before. Over the next decade, they would continue to expand their injection molding envelope, introduce quick-turn CNC machining, and open global facilities in Europe and Japan. In 2014, they launched industrial-grade 3D printing services to allow product developers, designers, and engineers an easier path to move from early prototyping to low-volume production. Today, Proto Labs is the world’s fastest manufacturer of custom prototypes and on-demand production parts with manufacturing facilities in five countries.

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