HP Inc. has launched its first production-ready commercial 3D printing system, a major step in its journey to bring disruptive manufacturing solutions to market.
Rolled out at RAPID, the 3D additive manufacturing conference in Florida, the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution is set to revolutionise design, prototyping and manufacturing, according to an HP press release.
“HP’s new 3D system is looking to reinvent the $100+ billion manufacturing industry in Australia and ignite the next industrial revolution by producing superior quality physical parts up to 10 times faster and at half the cost of current 3D print systems,” said Robert Mesaros, MD, HP South Pacific.
“We see a massive untapped opportunity in the industrial 3D printing market and anticipate strong adoption to reinvent industrial design and manufacturing. We have already deployed an end-to-end solution and are working with a range of leading manufacturers and co-development partners, such as Nike, BMW, Johnson & Johnson to optimise the technology.”
By printing functional parts at the individual voxel level (a voxel is the 3D equivalent of a 2D pixel in traditional printing), HP offers customers an unprecedented ability to transform part properties and deliver mass customisation.
Designed for model shops and 3D print service bureaus, the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution offers: simplified workflow and reduced cost for radical prototyping; delivery of final parts manufacturing with breakthrough economics; open materials and software innovation platform that enables new applications across industries
The new HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution leverages HP’s decades of research and expertise in precision mechanics, microfluidics and materials sciences. But no one company, not even one with HP’s unparalleled expertise, scale or assets, can transform the global manufacturing industry alone. HP is proud to have the input and support of leading manufacturers, co-development partners and strategic partners, including Nike, BMW, Autodesk, Jabil, Johnson & Johnson, Materialise, Proto Labs, Shapeways and Siemens.
Tom Clarke, president of innovation at Nike, said: "We’ve been using 3D printing to create new performance innovations for footwear for the past several years. Now we are excited to partner with HP to accelerate and scale our existing capabilities as we continue to explore new ways to manufacture performance products to help athletes reach their full potential."
Jens Ertel, head of BMW Group Additive Manufacturing Center, added: "BMW is a pioneer and early adopter of innovative technologies in the field of additive manufacturing, especially for prototyping in concept cars and series-like approval builds. For our future roadmap toward serial part production and personal customisation, we see major potential in our partnership with HP to investigate this new kind of 3D printing technology at an early stage. As one of the first partners, we had the chance to see the constant evolution of the machines over time from the first prototype approximately five years ago to the market ready product that is available now.
HP is offering two new 3D printers, designed for rapid prototyping and production:
· The HP Jet Fusion 3D 3200 printer is ideal for prototyping, offering improved productivity and the capacity to grow usage at a lower cost per part.
· The HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200 printer is designed for prototyping and short-run manufacturing needs, with high productivity to meet same-day demands at the lowest cost per part.
Both models will be available in Australia from late 2017. HP is now taking orders at http://www.hp.com/go/3Dcontactus