Case Study: Sea Ray speeds yacht part production with Protolabs

Sea Ray goes to production in 15 days with Protolabs

Sea Ray, a luxury boat builder under Brunswick Corp., faced a challenge in manufacturing a corrosion-resistant plastic grill for its yachts' air-conditioning drain lines. Their initial urethane casting process was costly due to disposable tooling that required frequent replacement at low production volumes. Sea Ray engaged Protolabs to explore a more efficient manufacturing solution using injection molding.

Protolabs implemented its rapid aluminum tooling process for injection molding, which delivered high-quality, durable ABS plastic grills without the need for a high-volume parts commitment. This solution provided immediate quality improvements, reduced finishing work, and eliminated part breakage. The speed of service was critical, with molded parts delivered in three weeks and 3D-printed prototypes in just four days, enabling a seamless transition from prototype to production. This success opened up new design possibilities for Sea Ray and significantly cut manufacturing costs.

Sea Ray