Case Study: Thule achieves rapid functional prototyping and major time & cost savings with Proto3000's carbon-fiber 3D printing

Thule Embraces Carbon Fiber 3D Printing

Thule, a global leader in carriers, luggage and active‑lifestyle accessories, faced a challenge moving beyond visual concept models to produce functional prototypes with the stiffness and strength of fiber- or glass‑reinforced injection‑molded parts. Working with Proto3000 and adopting production FDM 3D printing — notably Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber (Nylon 12CF) on a Stratasys Fortus 450mc — Thule aimed to bring robust, testable prototyping in‑house.

Proto3000’s solution enabled Thule to print carbon‑fiber nylon parts that withstand rigorous static and drive testing, produce assembly fixtures, and iterate rapidly (3–4 iterations per week). The on‑site Nylon 12CF workflow cut lead time by about two weeks per part, drove printers to run 16–20 hours/day, saved over $45,000 year‑to‑date, and reduced print cost versus outsourcing (roughly $4 vs $18 per cubic inch), with savings already covering the cost of two printers.

Thule

Rob Humphries

Prototype Engineer, Product Development