PARTS IN  1-3 DAYS

Quick-Turn Metal Shop Services

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 metal shop service

Expertise and quality are paramount. With more than three decades of experience in commercial metal 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. We want to be your one-stop shop for commercial sheet metal fabrication. 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

Metal Shop Services – Working with PROTOTEK

Deep capabilities in commercial sheet metal and machining – design, metal shop services, manufacturing, finishing, and even challenging 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 metal 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

Everything You Need to Know About Metal Shop Services with Prototek

Metal fabrication typically involves multiple processes to achieve a finished product. As a metal shop, we offer multiple services under one roof, making it much easier to complete a customized metal fabrication. Regardless of if you only have an initial design or are ready to start production, our metal shop services can help you.

Our Custom Metal Shop Services

Metal fabrication is very versatile because there are many metal shop services that can be used to meet any number of needs. Our metal shop services include the following:

  • Laser Cutting and Punching

    In laser cutting, the laser beam melts material to cut sheet metal and high-pressure nitrogen blows the molten metal out of the kerf. The laser cutting head is moved over the metal plate in the shape of the required part on a CNC laser cutter, cutting the part out of the plate.

    Punching removes scrap metal from a raw metal sheet. A punch press is used to squeeze a tool through a sheet of raw metal.

  • Material Graining

    As a metal shop, we use graining to achieve a consistent surface polish by grinding metal components with a belt grinder.

  • Drilling, Countersinking and Tapping

    Drilling makes a fully cylindrical hole with a smooth interior surface without using heat or mechanical strains on the hole’s surface. Thread tapping is more durable than welding and creates a thread that allows for a bolted connection. Countersinking removes sharp edges from the hole, creating a smoother finish.

  • Forming and Bending

    Our metal forming procedures involve applying force to a sheet of metal to change its geometry rather than removing any material. Bending is a metal forming technique that involves applying a force to a sheet of metal, causing it to bend at an angle and form the required shape.

  • Hardware Insertion

    PEM nuts, standoffs and studs are among the components that can be installed using hardware insertion as part of our metal shop services.

  • Mechanical Assembly

    This describes the process of assembling metal components as part of our metal shop services, as well as the end result.

  • TIG, MIG, Spot Welding and Weld Grinding

    Welding is a metal shop service where sheets of metal are joined using heat, pressure, or both while they cool. TIG welding gives the smoothest result, while MIG is fastest.

    Spot welding uses an electric current to impart pressure and heat to the weld zone to join two pieces in one spot.

    In our metal shop services, weld grinding completes the process of welding by removing extra materials.

  • Welded Assemblies and Frames

    As a metal shop, we can offer full welded assemblies and frames, which can be customized to your needs.

Materials Available with Our Metal Shop Services

Material Grade / Alloy Max. Sheet 
Material Thickness (in) Heat Treatable Tensile Strength (Ultimate, PSI) Fatigue Strength (PSI) Hardness (Brinell) Machinability (AISI Rating)
Material Grade / Alloy Max. Sheet 
Material Thickness (in) Heat Treatable Tensile Strength (Ultimate, PSI) Fatigue Strength (PSI) Hardness (Brinell) Machinability (AISI Rating)
Aluminum 1100-0 0.190 No 13000 5000 23 360%
Aluminum 1100-H112 0.190 No 13000 4600 23 360%
Aluminum 2024-0 0.125 Yes 27000 13000 47 360%
Aluminum 2024-T3 0.190 Yes 63800 20000 120 360%
Aluminum 2024-T81 0.090 Yes 70300 19000 128 360%
Aluminum 3002-0 0.125 No N/A N/A N/A 360%
Aluminum 3003-0 0.800 No 16000 7300 28 360%
Aluminum 3003-H14 0.190 No 23000 8700 42 360%
Aluminum 3003-H22 0.250 No 20000 10000 37 360%
Aluminum 5005-H14 0.130 No 24000 9900 48 360%
Aluminum 5005-H34 0.130 No 23000 11000 43 360%
Aluminum 5052-H32 0.220 No 34000 17000 60 360%
Aluminum 5052-H34 0.125 No 37000 18000 68 360%
Aluminum 5083-H116 0.190 No 47000 23000 83 360%
Aluminum 5086-H116 0.190 No 44000 22000 81 360%
Aluminum 6061-0 0.190 Yes 19000 8800 33 360%
Aluminum 6061-T4 0.190 Yes 33000 14000 63 360%
Aluminum 6061-T6 0.190 Yes 45000 14000 93 360%
Aluminum 7075-0 0.190 Yes 35000 18000 59 360%
Aluminum 7075-T6 0.190 Yes 83000 23000 150 360%
Copper C11000 0.140 No 25000-29000 11000-17000 82-92 60%
Stainless Steel 301 0.125 Yes 85000-210000 31000-88000 190-440 N/A
Stainless Steel 304 0.250 Yes 84000-170000 30000-63000 170-360 40%
Stainless Steel 304L 0.250 Yes 78000-170000 25000-62000 160-350 40%
Stainless Steel 316 0.250 Yes 76000-170000 30000-63000 160-360 36%
Stainless Steel 316L 0.250 Yes 77000-170000 25000-65000 170-350 36%
Titanium 6AL-4V 0.125 Yes 131000 74000 334 22%
Titanium 6AL-4V ELI 0.125 Yes 125000 20300 326 22%
Titanium 3Al 2.5 0.171 No 89900 24700 256 N/A

Our Metal Shop Finishing Services

Finishing is an important aspect of metal fabrication, because it can improve durability and help with the aesthetic results. We offer a number of different metal shop finishing services, each of which has different strengths and weaknesses.

  • Powder Coating

    With powder coating, the coating is applied as a dry powder using an electrostatic process and then cured with heat as a finishing process.

  • Painting

    Painting is a great alternative for metal projects that involve heat-sensitive materials and tasks that don’t require a lot of durability. We can offer more colors with paint than other finishes.

  • Chemical Agent Resistant Coating

    One of the several metal shop finishing services that we offer includes Chemical Agent Resistant Coating, which is a form of paint that is used to protect military vehicles against chemical and biological weapons.

  • Silk Screening

    Silk-screening involves using thin polyester mesh and a squeegee or blade to apply paint on a specific area of metal.

  • Laser Engraving

    Laser engraving can add a design or an identifying mark on a project after completion.

  • Chem Film

    Chem film is a corrosion-resistant chemical conversion coating for aluminum sheet metal.

  • Anodizing

    Anodizing is an electrochemical process where aluminum is immersed in a liquid bath and an electric current is passed through it. This process thickens the oxide layer on the aluminum’s surface.

  • Black Oxide

    Black Oxide turns the surface of a ferrous substance black and adds durability by chemically changing it.

  • Bead Blasting

    We use bead blasting to give a sheet metal project a more consistent finish by firing a round spherical substance against the surface.

  • Tumbling

    Tumble finishing is a method of smoothing and polishing a rough surface on small parts made of sheet metal.

Our metal shop services are a great choice because we can offer a wide range of custom metal fabrication services. Contact us today to learn more about our metal shop services and start your custom project.

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
Directions

Midwest Prototyping a Prototek Company
1100 W 120th Ave #100
Westminster, CO 80234
Directions

Prototek
900 Cheyenne Ave.
Grafton, WI 53024
Directions

Midwest Prototyping a Prototek Company
10949 Blackhawk Dr
Blue Mounds, WI 53517
Directions

Prototype Solutions Group a Prototek Company
1621 Indianhead Drive
Menomonie, WI 54751
Directions

Prototek
205 Pine St.
Contoocook, NH 03229
Directions

Prototek
244 Burnham Intervale Rd.
Contoocook, NH 03229
Directions

ProtoCAM A Prototek Company
6620 Grant Way
Allentown, PA 18106
Directions

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.