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Digital Engineering April 2026
In the latest issue of Digital Engineering, we take a look at the latest innovations in design for additive manufacturing, including the use of natural language inputs, social media cosplayers, and AI integration. The issue also includes a feature…
January Special Focus Issue: Design for Additive
In this Special Focus Issue of Digital Engineering, learn about the latest advancements in design for additive manufacturing, including new software tools, additive in automotive, custom medical devices, and more.
Protolabs has again expanded its CNC machining capabilities to allow for accelerated anodizing and chromate plating on aluminum components. From time of quote to manufacturing to shipping, customers can now get custom machined parts with plating in as fast as 4 days, the company reports.
"While traditional finishing processes like anodizing have been around for a while, never have manufacturers been able to consistently produce parts as fast at scale as we have at Protolabs," says Greg Thompson, global product director of CNC machining at Protolabs. "An engineer can have fully anodized or plated parts on their desk within a few days of placing an order."
Anodizing and plating help prevent corrosion, strengthen parts and improve cosmetic appearance. All plating options for machining are now live and available to customers when they upload a 3D CAD model.
Eligible materials include aluminum 6061/6082 and 7075. For anodizing, three specific types are offered: Type II (Class 1, Class 2) and hard-coat Type III (Class 1); for chromate plating, Type II is available.
The addition of quick-turn plating builds on the digital manufacturer’s current options for CNC machining, which include advanced anodizing and chromate plating capabilities with flexible lead times. Customers with AS9100 and ITAR needs can access Protolabs’ precision machining capabilities and those with more complex, high-requirement parts can tap into the company’s digital network of manufacturers at Hubs.
"We’ve promised our customers more capabilities across all our service lines this year, and our machining service is leading the way. Through our unique manufacturing model that pairs a network of global manufacturers with our digital factories, we can comprehensively serve the prototyping and production needs of our customers," explains president and CEO of Protolabs, Rob Bodor.
Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.
Proto Labs is the world's fastest source for custom prototype and low-volume parts. Our 3D printing, CNC machining and injection molding services utilize proprietary computing technology and automated systems to produce quality parts in a…
Designing for Automotive/Transportation
The automotive industry is past the point of talking about the disruption coming from demand for electric vehicle powertrains or the potential of autonomous vehicles, and well on its way to responding to those disruptions thanks to advanced engineering technologies. Download this special digital edition.
DE's editors contribute news and new product announcements to Digital Engineering. Press releases may be sent to them via [email protected].
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