(Image courtesy of HP.)
These developments, taken together with HP’s recent partnership with Deloitte, reveal the company’s vision for the future of manufacturing.
Now, HP is aiming to raise the “break-even point” of 3D printing to 110,000 parts, resulting in what it says will be the industry’s lowest cost-per-part (CPP) for additive manufacturing. This is made possible by the newly announced HP Jet Fusion 3D 4210 Printing Solution. In an effort to smooth this transition, existing Jet Fusion customers can pre-order the 4210 today, while new customers can purchase currently available systems with the option to pre-order the 4210 system upgrade.
“The new 3D 4210 Printing Solution enables our customers to mass-produce parts using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology for 65 percent less than other processes, and fully benefit from the economies of scale,” said Ramon Pastor, General Manager of Multi Jet Fusion for HP’s 3D printing business. “HP’s Jet Fusion 3D systems have now reached a technological and economic inflection point that combines the speed, quality and scalability needed to accelerate manufacturing’s digital industrial revolution.”
New HP Materials and Ecosystem Members
In addition to a new 3D printer, HP has also announced the upcoming availability of several new material options for use with all HP Jet Fusion printers.
HP 3D High Reusability PA 11 is designed for producing functional parts with impact resistance and ductility. Potential applications for PA 11 include prostheses, insoles, sporting goods, snap fits and living hinges.
HP High Reusability PA 12 Glass Beads can be used to produce functional parts with dimensional stability and repeatability, suitable for applications requiring high stiffness, such as enclosures, housings, molds and tooling.
HP 3D High Reusability Polypropylene is a durable, low-cost material that offers flexibility as well as chemical resistance, lightweight and watertight capabilities.
“HP’s PA 11 is an incredibly versatile, easy-to process, highly-reusable new material that expands the applications and effectiveness of 3D printing to places that were previously not possible,” said Corey Weber, co-founder of Forecast 3D.
Looking farther ahead for materials development, HP has also made two new additions to its collaborative materials partner ecosystem, which already includes Arkema, BASF, Evonik, Henkel, Lehmann & Voss and Sinopec Yanshan Petrochemical Company.
The ecosystem’s newest members are the Dressler Group, which has experience in specialized grinding and refining of chemotechnical products, and Lubrizol, a provider of specialty chemicals with expertise in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
This entire ecosystem, along with giants like Dow Chemical and DSM, seems built to expand HP’s 3D printing materials portfolio—an essential lever to making additive manufacturing a true production process. With polypropylene now on the menu and (given the expertise of Lubrizol) the potential for TPU to be added in the future, HP’s prospects for becoming a global leader in additive manufacturing are looking better all the time.
For more information, visit the HP website.