Online custom CNC service provides a large selection of materials

Design engineers using Proto Labs’ online First Cut CNC Machining Service, which provides “quick turn” prototypes or low-volume production of machined parts, now have a wider range of materials to choose from. The site has added 7075-T651 aluminum, 260 brass, Radel R5500, and flame-retardant ABS to its list of over 30 materials already available. These materials include ABS, nylon, polycarbonate, Delrin, PEEK, ULTEM, and 6061 aluminum. According to First Cut, the new aluminum grade and Radel are well-suited for medical-device prototyping.

First Cut, along with Protomold, the injection-molding service of Proto Labs Inc., Maple Plain, Minn., call their manufacturing techniques “quick turn” because the services can provide parts in as little as one business day. What lets them do this is their use of proprietary software running on a computer cluster at over 3 trillion floating point operations per second. Users need only upload a CAD file to any of the Proto Labs online sites, get a quote, and then place their order directly online.

Proto Labs, www.protolabs.com
First Cut, www.firstcut.com
Protomold, www.protomold.com