On-Demand Production
Reduce total cost of ownership and manage demand volatility with low-volume injection moulding
Our digital approach to injection moulding makes it a viable and cost-effective process for not only prototypes but also low-volume production runs.
25 to 10,000+ parts
Shipped in 15 working days or less
Leveraging On-Demand Production
1. Low Volume-Runs
- Validate part design, assembly processes, and market demand with pilot runs prior to mass production.
- Manage inventory overhead with production of parts only when demand dictates.
- Use as the primary production method for products with annual sales volumes of a few thousand, or even a few hundred, units.
2. Bridge Tooling
- Implement cost-effective aluminium tooling before committing to a capital expense with steel tooling.
- Minimize the “cost of waiting” for a steel tool—and get to market quicker.
3. Supply Chain Emergencies
- Minimise down time and reduce the risk of stock-outs when large-scale production tools are being repaired.
- Mitigate the risk of domestic and global shipping delays by having a reliable, on-demand supplier of low-volume parts.
- Manage increases in demand volatility without going on back-order.
4. End-of-Life Planning
- Place on-demand production orders during the decline of product's life cycle.
- Mitigate the risk of inventory write-offs by ordering parts in lower quantities.
Demand Volatility
Product Life Cycle
Commercial-Grade Materials
We stock more than 100 mouldable thermoplastic resins and liquid silicone rubber materials that are suitable for various part applications and industries. Customer-supplied materials are also accepted.
Design consultancy Nebulem—Bringing Ideas to Life
Product design consultancy Nebulem provides a highly responsive service, supported by rapid prototyping from Protolabs. Customers from a broad range of industries benefit from the design agency’s creativity and CAD skills, combined with the facility to fine-tune and test concepts in development—quickly and thoroughly.