Protolabs, a global leader in digital manufacturing, has collaborated with Sonos, the renowned leader in home audio innovation, to enhance their product development processes through rapid prototyping and advanced manufacturing solutions.

Tasked with launching their latest product, Arc Ultra—the first consumer device to incorporate groundbreaking Sound Motion ™ technology—Sonos faced the challenge of maintaining high-quality standards while accelerating time to market. They sought a manufacturing partner that could provide rapid turnaround times and precision engineering. Protolabs’ capabilities in injection moulding, CNC machining, and 3D printing offered the flexibility and speed required to meet Sonos’ stringent design and production timelines.

By leveraging Protolabs’ on-demand manufacturing services, Sonos could iterate on designs more efficiently, reducing the time spent on prototyping and enabling faster transitions from concept to production. This allowed Sonos to innovate more freely with the transducer system, and by opting for a high-performance polymer as opposed to a traditional fabric, they produced a thinner, more company design. This allowed a dedicated Sound Motion ™ driver that replaces eight traditional woofers, delivering deeper bass without sacrificing quality. This partnership has been instrumental in supporting Sonos’ commitment to delivering innovative audio products that meet the evolving needs of consumers.

“The collaboration with Protolabs helped us achieve an immersive sound experience without compromising on design or space,” said Naphur van Apeldoorn, Senior Manager of Hardware Development Engineering at Sonos. “Their rapid prototyping capability ensured we could test assembly and performance early, an invaluable asset in such a complex project.”

The collaboration between Protolabs and Sonos underscores the importance of agile manufacturing partnerships in the competitive consumer electronics industry. 

“Protolabs helped us move from prototype to production faster than we thought possible,” added Naphur van Apeldoorn. “Their commercial responsiveness and engineering expertise were vital to the success of Arc Ultra.”

Key Results:

• Twice the Bass at 50Hz: The equivalent performance of 16 woofers achieved with a single Sound Motion™ driver, replacing the 8 woofers in the previous Arc model.
• Slimmer Design: Increased transducers from 11 to 14 while creating a slimmer profile.
• Enhanced Clarity: A refined three-way system for better separation of instruments and vocals.
• Accelerated Prototyping: Multiple iterations completed in record time, thanks to Protolabs’ expertise in MJF and injection moulding.

Find out exactly how Protolabs delivered the critical prototype components.

About Us

Protolabs is the world’s fastest manufacturing service enabling companies across every industry to streamline production of quality parts throughout the entire product life cycle. From custom prototyping to end-use production, we support product developers, engineers, and supply chain teams along every phase of their manufacturing journey. Get started now at protolabs.com.

Manufacturing & Engineering Magazine | The Home of Manufacturing Industry News