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• New HP 3D printing solution unlocks economies of scale for industrial 3D manufacturing, raising the “break-even point” of large-scale 3D production to up to 110K parts and enabling industry’s lowest cost-per-part (CPP), up to 65% less than other methods.
• New 3D materials PA 11, PA 12 Glass Beads, and Polypropylene (PP) coming to HP’s Open Materials Platform.
• New partners Dressler Group and Lubrizol join HP’s 3D materials ecosystem.
• DSM and Dow Chemical acquire HP Materials Development Kit (MDK); existing partners Evonik and Henkel accelerate customized applications development with Multi Jet Fusion installations.

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 09, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) expanded its 3D printing portfolio with the announcement of the new HP Jet Fusion 3D 4210 Printing Solution.  Designed for industrial-scale 3D manufacturing environments, the new solution significantly lowers overall operating costs while increasing production volume capabilities, raising the “break-even point” for large-scale 3D manufacturing to up to 110,000 parts¹ and enabling the industry’s lowest cost-per-part (CPP) - up to 65% less than other 3D printing methods.²  Existing Jet Fusion customers can pre-order the 3D 4210 Printing Solution upgrade today, and new customers can purchase Jet Fusion systems now with the option to pre-order the 4210 system upgrade.³

¹ Based on internal data and simulation when printing a 5 cm³ part. Cost analysis based on: standard solution configuration price, supplies price, and maintenance costs recommended by manufacturer. Cost criteria: printing 1.4 full build chambers of parts per day/5 days per week over 1 year of 5 cm³ parts at 20% packing density on fast print mode using PP material, and the powder reusability ratio recommended by manufacturer. PP material will be commercially available in mid-2018.

² Based on internal testing and public data, HP Jet Fusion 3D 4210 Printing Solution average printing cost-per-part is 65% lower versus the average cost of comparable fused deposition modelling (FDM) and selective laser sintering (SLS) printer solutions from $100,000 USD to $300,000 USD on market as of April, 2016 and is 50% lower versus the average cost of comparable SLS printer solutions for $300,000 USD to $450,000 USD. Cost analysis based on: standard solution configuration price, supplies price, and maintenance costs recommended by manufacturer. Cost criteria: printing 1.4 full build chambers of parts per day/5 days per week over 1 year of 30-gram parts at 10% packing density on fast print mode using HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 material, and the powder reusability ratio recommended by manufacturer.

³ The HP Jet Fusion 3D 4210 Printing Solution will be commercially available in March 2018.

HP also announced the expansion of its innovative Open Materials Platform with new partners Dressler Group and Lubrizol, as well as three new forthcoming 3D printing materials: HP 3D High Reusability PA 11 and HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 Glass Beads⁴, and the future availability of HP 3D High Reusability Polypropylene.  The new materials, developed at HP’s innovative 3D Open Materials and Applications Labs, will broaden the uses and capabilities of HP Multi Jet Fusion technology and open a world of new high-volume applications.

“The new 3D 4210 Printing Solution enables our customers to mass-produce parts using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology for 65% 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.”

The new HP solution includes hardware and firmware upgrades for existing Jet Fusion systems to improve overall system efficiency and enable continuous operation, including a new processing station capable of handling significantly higher materials volumes. Customers who purchase the HP Jet Fusion 3D 4210 Printing Solution will also benefit from shared service contracts and significantly lower pricing on HP’s engineering-grade 3D printing materials and agents.

HP Expands Open 3D Material Platform with New Materials and Ecosystem Members

HP’s unique open platform model for 3D printing helps expand the availability of new materials, increase innovation, and address a broader set of applications. HP 3D materials boast the industry’s leading reusability⁵, and are for use with all HP Jet Fusion printing solutions. HP announced today the forthcoming availability of HP 3D High Reusability PA 11 and HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 Glass Beads, as well as the future availability of HP 3D High Reusability Polypropylene:

• HP 3D High Reusability PA 11: for producing low-cost, high-quality functional parts with impact resistance and ductility for prostheses, insoles, sporting goods, snap fits, living hinges, and more.
• HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 Glass Beads: for producing low-cost, high-quality functional parts with dimensional stability and repeatability ideal for applications requiring high stiffness like enclosures and housings, molds, and tooling.
• HP 3D High Reusability Polypropylene: Durable low cost material that offers enhanced flexibility with excellent chemical resistant, lightweight, and watertight capabilities.

“We were among the earliest adopters of HP’s Multi Jet Fusion, and it has never been more clear to us that it represents the future of digital manufacturing,” said Corey Weber, Co-Founder of Forecast 3D. “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.”

⁴ HP 3D High Reusability PA 11 will be commercially available in mid-January 2018. HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 Glass Beads will be commercially available in mid-December 2017.

⁵ Industry-leading surplus powder reusability based on using HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 at recommended packing densities and compared to selective laser sintering (SLS) technology, offers excellent reusability without sacrificing mechanical performance. Tested according to ASTM D638 and MFI test using HDT at different loads with a 3D scanner for dimensional stability. Testing monitored using statistical process controls. Liters refers to the materials container size and not the actual materials volume. Materials are measured in kilograms.

HP also announced new additions to its collaborative materials partner ecosystem, further expanding a growing list of global industry leaders that includes Arkema, BASF, Evonik, Henkel, Lehmann & Voss, and Sinopec Yanshan Petrochemical Company:

• Dressler Group, the world’s authority in specialized grinding and refining chemotechnical products, will be providing HP’s materials partners preferred access to its toll grinding manufacturing capabilities, helping to remove one of the main barriers to 3D materials development.  Dressler is a preferred HP partner for developing and manufacturing powder for HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers.
   
• Lubrizol, a Berkshire Hathaway company and global leader in specialty chemicals production with one of the broadest and deepest portfolios of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) in the world, joins to accelerate the development of innovative materials designed for final part production with HP Jet Fusion 3D systems.

“With over 40 years of powder innovation and expertise, we’re thrilled to help HP’s 3D materials partners on its open platform accelerate the development of thermoplastic powders for Multi Jet Fusion use,” said Jan Dressler, managing partner at the Dressler Group. “We see our contribution to the HP ecosystem as enabling 3D materials development that is incredibly precise and cost-effective, or as we call it, ‘on the dot.’”   

“As a global leader in specialty chemicals, we’re excited to join HP’s open 3D materials platform to help drive the digital manufacturing disruption being led by 3D printing,” said Rick Tolin, President of Lubrizol Advanced Materials.  “Having access to HP’s industry-first 3D Open Materials and Applications Lab and its wealth of cutting-edge tools, while collaborating directly with our customers, will help secure our place at the forefront of materials innovation and development into the future, while advancing the development of our Estane® Engineered Polymers product line.”