PARTS IN  1-3 DAYS

QUICK-TURN MACHINE SHOP

We don’t have minimums, we deliver the best parts for your money, and meet your deadlines!

Every job is unique, and many require special considerations for materials, finishing, custom work, or urgent delivery – your commercial quote will be turned around by seasoned estimators who confirm all aspects of your job.

Amazing companies choose PROTOTEK for high-quality parts done fast!

Licenses, certifications
and real machine shop service

Expertise and quality are paramount. With more than three decades of experience in commercial machine shop services, we’ve achieved a rich set of certifications and provide high-touch attention and service to every quote – and every job.

We engage with our customers to help them design better and more cost-effective parts before we start manufacturing. We want to be your one-stop shop for parts. Most of our business is from returning customers, and to achieve that, we strive to hit our customer’s deadlines across all project types.

ITAR Badge Prototek

sam certified

Prototek FAB 40 2020 award

Better Business Bureau Prototek

CA - ISO

NH - ISO

WI - ISO

D&B Number Prototek

AS9100 D Certified

Machine Shop – Working with PROTOTEK

Deep capabilities in commercial sheet metal and machining – design, machine shop services, manufacturing, finishing, and even complex assemblies.

What do we do?

  • Sheet Metal Parts & Assemblies in 1-3 Days
  • CNC Milled and Turned Parts in 1-3 Days
  • Additive Manufactured Parts in 1 – 3 Days
  • Expedited Jobs

About our fast, flexible, personalized service:

  • ISO-9001:2015 Certified, ITAR Registered
  • Quotes within 24 Hours
  • Contact us about our expedited services

Our machine shop capabilities start below but they don’t stop there. Want to talk to someone about a job, upload a file for quote or call us now.

QUOTES WITHIN 24HRS

We accept these file types STP, PRT, IGS, DXF, STL, and more!

PARTS & ASSEMBLIES – ONE STOP SHOP

NO ORDER TOO SMALL

EXPEDITED PARTS IN 1-3 DAYS

Why Prototek?

PROTOTEK AS SEEN ON MANUFACTURING MARVELS®

Prototek's In-house Capabilities

Sheet Metal

  • Manufacturing Design Assistance
  • Laser Cutting - Punching
  • Material Graining
  • Drilling - Countersinking - Tapping
  • Forming - Bending
  • Hardware Insertion
  • Mechanical Assembly
  • TIG, MIG, Spot Welding & Weld Grinding
  • Welded Assemblies & Frames

Machining

  • Up to 5-Axis Milling
  • Horizontal & Vertical Milling
  • 9-Axis Mill-Turn
  • Turning
  • CNC Routing
  • Surface Grinding
  • Lapping & Polishing
  • Welding / Post-Weld Machining
  • Heli-Coils / Hardware Inserts

Cutting & Engraving

  • Wire & Sinker EDM Cutting
  • Waterjet Cutting
  • CO2 Laser
  • Fiberoptic

Quality Assurance

  • Quality Engineering Assistance
  • CMM Inspection Services
  • First Article and AQL Inspections
  • Compliance and Document Control

Plastic & Composite Fabrication

  • Plastic Thermoforming - Bending
  • Annealing
  • Cryogenic Deflashing & Deburring
  • Plastic Welding
  • Thermal, Adhesive, & Mechanical Bonding
  • Vapor Polishing
  • Radiological Film-Cutting Services

Assembly

  • Manufacturing Design Assistance
  • Tooling and Fixture Fabrication
  • Electro-Mechanical Services
  • Welded, Mechanical, & Small Parts Assembly
  • Wire Harnessing
  • Laser Cutting – Polymers & Metals
  • Insert Installation

Finishing

  • Powder Coating
  • Painting
  • Chemical Agent Resistant Coating
  • Silk Screening
  • Laser Engraving
  • Chem Film
  • Anodizing
  • Black Oxide
  • Bead Blasting
  • Tumbling

Additive Manufacturing

  • Laser Sintering
  • Multi Jet Fusion
  • Stereolithography
  • Digital Light Processing
  • Fused Filament Fabrication
  • Material Jetting
  • Cast Urethane

Guide to Machine Shop Services

Machine shops are a vital pillar of the manufacturing industry. A machine shop is a space, house or business that specializes in machining, which is a type of subtractive manufacturing. Custom machine shop services may include creating parts made of metal or plastic, applying finishes and more.

Types of Services Offered by Machine Shops

CNC machine shops can offer many services and aid with projects of all kinds in many materials. Shops may offer services such as…

  • Milling

    Milling is a method of removing material from a workpiece by advancing a cutter into it with rotary cutters. It’s one of the most common methods for producing custom parts with tight tolerances. Milling can be accomplished with a variety of machine tools.

  • Turning

    Turning is a machining method in which a cutting tool, usually a non-rotary tool bit, moves more or less linearly as the workpiece rotates, forming a helix toolpath.

  • Routing

    In modern machine shops, the router is a widely used tool. Its primary function is to cut materials such as plastic, acrylic and softer metals. The spindle travels along three axes – X, Y and Z – and is usually placed on a stationary table with a wider workspace.

  • Cutting

    Cutting is the process of removing sections from a workpiece using a tool. In general, machining requires two movements: cutting and feeding. Cutting is the movement that removes sections from a workpiece and is usually accomplished by a cutting tool moving in a straight line.

  • Drilling/Countersinking/Tapping

    Drilling results in higher-quality holes that can be used in thicker materials. Thread-tapping and countersinking are often performed after that. Thread tapping creates threads within the drilled cavity, allowing for the later addition of a bolted link. Countersinking a threaded hole removes the sharp edge and creates a bevel as well as a recess (deep bevel) for a blind bolt head.

  • Forming/Bending

    Metal bending and shaping are cold working operations that require strategic workpiece deformation. The metal must be extended past its elastic limit without cracking or fracturing with metals and alloys that have enough ductility for this use.

  • Surface Grinding

    Surface grinding is a finishing technique that involves smoothing the flat surface of materials with a rotating abrasive wheel to achieve a near tolerance dimension and a more polished finish.

  • Lapping & Polishing

    Lapping is a machining finishing process that involves rubbing two surfaces together with an abrasive between them, either by hand or by machine. Polishing is another form of finishing that uses abrasive grinding or a chemical reaction to create a smooth, polished surface with diffused reflections.

  • Welding / Post-Weld Machining

    Welding is a method of joining metal parts by melting them together at high temperatures and then allowing them to cool. There are several different methods of welding, and the best technique will be determined by the material and project at hand. Some pieces and welds aren’t meant to cool naturally. The use of post-weld stress relief ensures that the strength of the weld is preserved.

  • Heli-Coils / Hardware Inserts

    Hardware inserts give more depth for load bearing threads. Hardware insertion uses existing holes made by high-precision machines such as a laser cutter or a waterjet cutter, which increases fastener placement accuracy.

    A HeliCoil is a commonly used hardware insert that is a coiled threaded insert that fits into the part and replaces the original fastener’s threads.

Common Finishing Services Offered by Machine Shops

Machine shops also often offer finishing services to deliver a complete product. The ideal finish may depend on the desired appearance or practical needs depending on what the part will be used for.

  • Powder Coating

    Powder coating is a finishing technique in which a coating is applied electrostatically as a free-floating, dry powder to a surface before being heated to set it. Polyester, polyurethane, polyester-epoxy, straight epoxy and acrylics can all be used to make the powder.

  • Painting

    E-coatings, powder coatings and liquid coatings are all options for painting pieces. Whether it’s expense, durability or aesthetics, each coating has its own set of benefits.

  • Chemical Agent Resistant Coating

    Chemical Agent Resistant Coating is a form of paint used to protect military vehicles from chemical and biological weapons. The paint’s surface is designed to be quickly decontaminated after being exposed to chemical and biological warfare agents.

  • Silk Screening

    Silk-screening (also known as serigraphy) involves applying paint to a specifically selected section of metal using fine polyester mesh and a squeegee or blade.

  • Laser Engraving

    Laser Engraving (or Laser Etching) is a Subtractive Manufacturing technique that involves changing the surface of an object with a laser beam.

  • Chem Film

    Chem film is a corrosion-resistant chemical conversion coating for aluminum. It’s also used to passivate aluminum, which preserves it and acts as a foundation for paint coatings.

  • Anodizing

    Anodizing is an electrochemical process that turns a metal surface into an anodic oxide finish that is decorative, long-lasting and corrosion resistant.

  • Black Oxide

    The black oxide process is a chemical conversion coating. Unlike nickel or zinc electroplating, the black oxide is not deposited on the substrate’s surface. Instead, a chemical reaction occurs between the iron on the ferrous metal’s surface and the oxidizing salts in the black oxide solution, resulting in a black oxide coating.

  • Bead Blasting

    Bead blasting is a method of extracting surface deposits by spraying fine glass beads at high pressure onto the surface without damaging it.

  • Tumbling

    Tumble finishing, also called tumbling or rumbling, is a method of smoothing and polishing a rough surface on small pieces.

What is the Difference Between CNC Machining and Sheet Metal Fabrication

There are several key differences between CNC machining and sheet metal fabrication. CNC machining involves cutting material away from a part. Sheet Metal fabrication is the building of metal structures by cutting, bending and assembling processes. CNC machining is also more precise than sheet metal fabrication.

Contact us today for your machine shop needs.

Prototek's Locations

Prototek
215 Devcon Dr.
San Jose, CA 95112
Directions

Sac EDM a Prototek Company
11341 Sunrise Park Dr.
Rancho Cordova, CA 95742
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Midwest Prototyping a Prototek Company
1100 W 120th Ave #100
Westminster, CO 80234
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Prototek
900 Cheyenne Ave.
Grafton, WI 53024
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Midwest Prototyping a Prototek Company
10949 Blackhawk Dr
Blue Mounds, WI 53517
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Prototype Solutions Group a Prototek Company
1621 Indianhead Drive
Menomonie, WI 54751
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Prototek
205 Pine St.
Contoocook, NH 03229
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Prototek
244 Burnham Intervale Rd.
Contoocook, NH 03229
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ProtoCAM A Prototek Company
6620 Grant Way
Allentown, PA 18106
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Prototek Trending Topics

Sheet Metal

CNC Machining

Additive Manufacturing

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you a broker or a manufacturer?

We are a full service sheet metal and machining manufacturer with four U.S. production facilities across the nation allowing us to deliver your high-quality parts FAST.

Does PROTOTEK manufacture in higher-volume quantities?

We focus on prototypes to low-volume production and can do larger runs. All our parts, from one – to 100 – to 1,000+ are always delivered with production-quality finish.

What are your payment terms?

PROTOTEK offers Net 30 payment terms for established customers with good credit.

What file formats are required or suggested for requesting a quote?

We accept .STP, .DWG, .IGS, .PDF, Parasolid files, and more.

What if I need help with my part design?

Our estimators are on hand to discuss your specific job needs. Our expert team can help you move your project smoothly through the design process and on to delivery.

If I do not have a CAD model, can you quote/fabricate my parts?

Yes, we can work directly from your drawings. Additional engineering charge (NRC) may apply depending on complexity.

How do I submit my NDA and other document requests?

Submit your NDA, Approved Vendor and other document requests to your sales rep or estimator.

How long is a quote valid?

Our quotes stand firm for 7 days from the date of issue.

How fast can I get my order?

Lead time for standard orders is 10 business days. Expediting options are available, including emergency service – down to as fast as 1-2 business days, depending on complexity of work and materials.