Two on-demand approaches
Protolabs and Fictiv both deliver machined parts fast, from different foundations. Protolabs is a digital factory running its own plants for CNC machining, injection molding, sheet metal, and 3D printing, built for very quick prototype and bridge-production turnaround. Fictiv is a managed manufacturing platform that coordinates a vetted network of partner shops, layering its own quality management, DFM review, and program tracking over that network across machining, molding, casting, and more. Both quote online, handle a wide range of processes, and manage the logistics for you.
Where a direct shop fits
Both models put a platform between you and the shop floor. A direct machine shop removes that layer for the parts it specializes in.
Wexmar is a US CNC machine shop in Canastota, NY that ships nationwide. The shop runs 10 CNC lathes, 6 Mazak horizontal machining centers (3 and 4 axis), and 4 Maier MLK-32 Swiss lathes turning bar stock to 32mm diameter, with 2 Brown & Sharpe CMMs for in-house inspection. Work runs from one-off parts through long-run production. Wexmar is SAM registered (CAGE 16AD7), NIST 800-171 scored 110 of 110 in SPRS, DFARS-relevant, Buy American, and Made in USA. Quality is ISO 9001-aligned.
Wexmar does not aim to match the full process spread of either platform. It does not offer injection molding, sheet metal, 3D printing, casting, or 5-axis machining. What it does is turned, milled, and Swiss production parts, made in the United States, inspected on in-house CMMs, with the machinist reachable directly. For a turned or milled metal part you want made domestically and held to a drawing, that direct line is the point.
Side by side
| Factor | Protolabs | Fictiv | Wexmar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Digital factory | Managed partner network | Direct machine shop |
| Who makes the part | Protolabs plants | Vetted partner shops | Wexmar, in-house |
| Process breadth | Wide | Very wide | Turning, milling, Swiss |
| Swiss to 32mm | Limited | Via network | 4 Maier MLK-32 Swiss lathes |
| Inspection | Factory QA | Platform QMS over network | In-house CMM |
| US compliance | US plants | Varies by partner | SAM, SPRS 110/110, Buy American |
| Quote | Instant | Online | Instant from a drawing |
How to choose
Pick Protolabs for the fastest in-house prototype turnaround across several processes. Pick Fictiv for a managed network with program oversight across a wide process range. Pick a direct shop like Wexmar when the part is turned or milled metal, you want one maker accountable for the tolerance, and domestic production matters for Buy American or defense-adjacent orders. See CNC turning or get an instant quote.
Materials, tolerances, and lead time
Wexmar machines common and specialty metals for turned and milled work, including aluminum, stainless, carbon and alloy steels, brass, and bronze, with material choice driven by the drawing. The four Maier MLK-32 Swiss lathes handle small, tight-tolerance turned parts in bar stock to 32mm diameter, while the 6 Mazak horizontal machining centers cover 3 and 4 axis milled work. Every job can be checked on the shop's two Brown & Sharpe CMMs before it ships, and first-article and in-process inspection scale with the run. Lead time tracks material availability and quantity rather than a queue in someone else's plant, and the same drawing that priced the job runs it from prototype through production. Send a print to the instant quote page to start.
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