When investors start worrying about rapid manufacturer Proto Labs (PRLB +4.10%), one of the first concerns that usually comes to mind is the threat of 3-D printing and how it will eventually wreck havoc on the company's core business. Investors following this line of thinking are ill advised because modern-day 3-D printing technology today doesn't even come close to competing against Proto Labs' core service of delivering up to 10,000 finished parts in 15 business days or less. In the future, if 3-D printing improves to the point where it threatens Proto Labs' core business, the company would surely embrace the technology with open arms.
In the following video segment, 3-D printing analyst Steve Heller sits down with the head of Motley Fool's industrial sector, Blake Bos, to discuss why 3-D printing is not a major threat to Proto Labs. (The relevant segment can be found between 2:25 and 4:09.)
