Protolabs Leverages 3D Printing for Its Robotics Customers to Increase Market Segment Growth 2x YOY

I just posted about how the FCC’s looming ban on new imports of robot systems is combining with surging robotics demand to create a big opportunity for the additive manufacturing (AM) industry. Had I waited only a day, I could’ve included in my article a similar post from Protolabs about how the digital manufacturing platform achieved double the revenue from its robotics customers in H1 2026, compared to the same half in 2025.

Protolabs highlighted the same point made in a case study by the Boston-based AM service Upside Parts, the latter of which is what prompted me to discuss the topic: robotics customers are more likely to prioritize speed of delivery than customers in other verticals. One reason, perhaps, why both companies found this to be an opportune time to emphasize their strengt