Educational Hub
Whether you’re teaching a class of future engineers, prototyping in a university laboratory, or expanding your manufacturing knowledge with continued learning, you’ll find a mix of valuable resources here covering digital manufacturing, 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection moulding.
CPD Accredited Resources
What is CPD?
expand_less expand_moreCPD stands for Continued Professional Development and is a proactive and conscious form of learning which uses various methods to help individuals either learn new skills or develop existing ones.
By performing CPD activities, you take control of your ongoing learning journey ensuring that both academic and practical qualifications do not become out-dated or obsolete, allowing you to continually ‘up skill’ or ‘re-skill’.
How can CPD help me?
expand_less expand_moreCPD can benefit you and your employer. Professionally, its helps ensure your skills and knowledge are up to date, and the professional standard of your registrations and qualifications are maintained. This can also help you develop more confidence in your role, with the ability to showcase your achievements, knowledge and skills. For your employer, it ensures that the company standards are both high and consistent.
What CPD resources do Protolabs have available?
expand_less expand_morePlease see below current Protolabs resources which have been CPD accredited. We update these regularly so make sure to check back!
Do Protolabs provide certification for completed CPD activity?
expand_less expand_moreYes! After completing a CPD activity, email [email protected] with your full name, activity completed, and completed date and we will send you your certificate.
Other certified resources (available as PDFs)
Injection Moulding Design Cube
Our Design Cube demonstrates part features that are too thin or too thick, bad bosses, right and wrong ribs and other considerations to be mindful of while designing prototypes for injection moulding.
Coming Soon...
Designed for university students the makers programme supports projects and initiatives by UK students through funding, expert support, and promotion to a global audience. Simply put, the makers programme helps students take their ideas from design to manufacture, with help and support from Protolabs along the way.
FAQs
I would like to order more than one design cube, how can I do this?
expand_less expand_morePlease email [email protected] with the quantity you would like to receive, your name, and the address the design cubes should be delivered to.
Do you provide on-site facility tours?
expand_less expand_moreYes! We are always happy to showcase our impressive manufacturing facilities and the people behind the automation. If you would like to book a visit, please complete our booking form here or email [email protected].
In the meantime, check out our Telford Facility tour video, to see a glimpse of what you can expect when visiting.
Are you available for speaking opportunities/training sessions?
expand_less expand_moreAt Protolabs, we are always eager to share our expertise and support the development of others. We are open to speaking opportunities, as well as running/supporting training sessions. Please email [email protected] with your request, or fill in the request form below.
Are you open to partnership opportunities?
expand_less expand_moreWe are honoured to work with universities and educational institutes up and down the country to inspire future engineers and support their professional development, and are open to more partnerships to help support the next generation of product designers and engineers.
You can find out more about how we can work together in our education partnership guide here, alternatively you can also email us at [email protected] with your proposal.
Book a Protolabs expert for your next event
Thank you for your request regarding a speaking opportunity, we will respond to you shortly.
Driving Innovation at Universities
Protolabs visit to Aston University was an immense success, and I was impressed by the level of expertise and knowledge that the team brought with them. They delivered a highly engaging and informative presentation that captivated the students' attention, and the hands-on demonstrations helped them to understand the manufacturing process better. The team's passion for the industry was evident, and they were able to convey the importance of modern manufacturing techniques in a way that was both accessible and inspiring. I would highly recommend Protolabs to anyone looking for an educational partner who is committed to helping students succeed in today's manufacturing landscape.
It was eye-opening to see the manufacturing processes live, from chatting with engineers in design collaboration spaces to touring working factory floors with CNC machines in action
Speaking to actual factory technicians has been invaluable – not only can you connect on a more personal level but you also feel more confident to reach out to them in the future.
It was great to visit the manufacturing factories face to face, see the actual machines in action, and speak to the staff. There are lots of opportunities for future collaboration with them.
In addition to helping us get a competitive edge in the competition, as an engineering student, it’s really beneficial to me and my teammates to learn from the technical expertise we receive from the support team at Protolabs.
Case Studies
See below real-life applications of digital manufacturing, covering a variety of industries. Would you like to see more of our success stories? click here to see our case study library.
How can Protolabs help you?
Our in-house engineering experience and ability to produce quick-turn parts are well-suited for universities’ iterative development cycles and short deadlines. Choose from industrial-grade 3D printing (additive manufacturing), CNC machining, and injection moulding for prototypes and functional, end-use parts within days.
Want another great design resource? If you have a design ready, your 3D CAD model can be uploaded on our website for an interactive quote within minutes that contains free design for manufacturability analysis. It helps you make important design adjustments to part geometry before any actual manufacturing begins saving you precious development time and money, and ultimately accelerating your idea and product to market.
CNC Machining
Our CNC machining facilities are designed for both rapid prototyping and low-volume production of end-use components.
3D Printing
With tight process controls, careful design reviews, and extensive quality monitoring, we ensure precise and repeatable 3D-printed parts, every time.
Injection Moulding
Our injection moulding service offers two options—prototyping and on-demand manufacturing—which provide you with a tooling solution tailored to you project requirements.
How to use Protolabs' unique Ecommerce Platform
Read in-depth guides on why we enhanced our digital manufacturing platform, how to navigate through it, and interpreting our interactive manufacturing analysis.