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Material Selection

Let Us Help You Select the Right Prototype Materials for Your Application….

There are over 60,000 grades of injection moldable materials available with more added every year. It can be quite a daunting task to figure out which plastics are the best to use for your application. Our engineers have designed and specified materials for thousands of plastic parts and are ready to help take the confusion out of prototyping material selection.

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Factors to Consider During Prototype Material Selection

Blue Gear Icon - Factors to Consider During Material Selection Mechanical

Mechanical

We strive to replicate production part quality, without sacrificing speed.

Target Icon - Factors to Consider During Material Selection Tolerances

Tolerances

Does the part require any unusually tight tolerances?

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Environmental

Is the part used in environments that require consideration such as chemical resistance, high/low temperature exposure, humidity, etc.

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Assembly

Prototype parts to be assembled need to be molded from compatible materials in some assembly methods such as ultrasonic welding, laser welding, adhesive bonding, etc

Arrow Icons - Factors to Consider During Material Selection Sterilization

Sterilization

Will the product be a single use sterilized disposable sterilized or a sterilized reusable? What will be the sterilization method?

Blue Shield Icon - Factors to Consider During Material Selection Regulatory

Regulatory

ISO, FDA, UL, IEC, USP are examples of regulatory agencies that have specific requirements for biocompatibility, food contact, flammability, etc.

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Electrical

Certain applications require plastics to function as anti-static, static dissipative, ESD protective, conductive or insulating.

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Cost

The part needs to be within cost targets while meeting all other requirements.

Paint Pallet Icon - Factors to Consider During Material Selection Aesthetic

Aesthetic

Transparency, color, gloss, surface finish, etc.

Clip Board Icon - Factors to Consider During Material Selection Special Requirements

Special requirements

Transparency, color, gloss, surface finish, etc.

Our Flexible Material Options

Once your material has been specified Protoshop offers prototyping material options to meet your molding needs:

Protoshop Stocked Materials

Protoshop maintains a variety of stocked material options that are immediately available for molding prototypes.

View Stock Materials

Custom Client Material Order

Protoshop can coordinate an order of a specific grade of material to be shipped directly to Protoshop. Protoshop can also coordinate compounded materials with specialty additives as needed.

Use Client’s Materials

Clients may ship plastic injection molding material to Protoshop that will be used to mold prototype parts.

Excellent
Based on 7 reviews
Dana Taylor
Dana Taylor
2024-01-17
If you're in need of a molding prototype shop, Dylann and Jimmy at Protoshop are sure to not only meet but exceed your expectations. Their team demonstrates remarkable responsiveness and proactiveness, contributing to an exceptionally efficient overall process. The speed at which they deliver top-notch work is truly impressive. Protoshop's commitment to customer satisfaction is apparent in their flexibility and willingness to closely collaborate with clients to address specific needs. An exemplary instance of this was their accommodation of our request to have our customer onsite for part evaluation and mold changes while we were present. What sets Protoshop apart is not solely their technical proficiency but also their dedication to providing valuable insights and design advice. Their expertise extends beyond standard projects, showcasing proficiency in handling complex components for diverse applications, be it over-molded sealing parts or flexible components. In conclusion, if you're on the lookout for a reliable and efficient partner for your manufacturing and molding requirements, I wholeheartedly recommend Protoshop. Their combination of expertise, responsiveness, and commitment to customer satisfaction makes them an exceptional choice for a variety of projects.
Brittany Mason
Brittany Mason
2023-06-06
I have worked with Photoshop on several mold designs over the past year. From the moment I reached out to them with an inquiry, they were prompt in their communication and eager to assist me. I have greatly appreciated and benefited from their extensive expertise and prompt feedback. They consistently offering valuable suggestions and insights that ultimately saved us money in the overall design. As for the quality of work they provided, Dylann and her team have always come through. If any issues do arise, they have been quick to offer solutions and kept us up to date throughout the whole process. If you're looking for a reliable partner for your plastics molding needs, I would check them out.
Stacie Depner
Stacie Depner
2022-10-18
Having worked with Dylann and Jimmy prior to Protoshop, I knew the immense level of expertise they have for this business and it proved to carry through. They are honest straight shooters that will help guide you and find the best solution for your molds. We needed a mild that could be versatile and allow us to easily change out one side of the design. Dylann helped us come up with an approach that will allow us to continuously iteration the design without having to make a whole new mold every time.
Chad Follmar
Chad Follmar
2022-08-23
Dylann and team are wonderful to work with. On multiple programs, they have delivered quality product in a matter of days. The design for moldability support is unparalled to ensure your part is ready to order.
Garrett Garner
Garrett Garner
2022-06-15
We work regularly with Protoshop on a variety of complex components for various projects. They are an excellent company to work with providing a vast history of experience to help their clients optimize designs. We have worked with them on microfluidic chips with small feature sizes, over molded sealing parts and flexible parts. They have experience working with many materials including Topas (COC), polycarbonate, TPE, PE, and PP. I would highly recommend reaching out on your next project. The team is very responsive to design changes as well as delivering to tight timelines. They also offer design advice and best practices which have helped expedite design iterations.
Steven Soeder
Steven Soeder
2022-06-13
Great experience with Protoshop. Dylann is extremely responsive and great to work with. Very fast turn-around. Worked with us on our order to get what we needed. I was able to drop ship 3d printed parts from another vendor to Protoshop to have them match-fit and incorporated into our tooling. I will be back again.
Wendell Woidyla
Wendell Woidyla
2022-05-31
Dylann at Protoshop is excellent to work with: highly responsive and proactive. This is possibly the fastest, high-quality work I have ever witnessed. 1 week...from payment (start) to delivery (after CTQ measurements at Protoshop), we had 100 test samples of a component we intend to use in high volume manufacturing. Thank you for the tremendous work! I would highly recommend Protoshop, and will plan to use Protoshop services in the future.