HP Expands Automation Solutions for Advancing 3D Printing Path to Production

HP Inc. has developed new automation solutions and expanded its materials, software and services to help customers scale 3D printed parts production. The company has also promoted several of its current Digital Manufacturing Network (DMN) members to its exclusive group of HP Digital Manufacturing Partners (DMP). In addition, Endeavor 3D, a leading contract manufacturer and one of the new DMPs, is adding Metal Jet capabilities to its existing Multi Jet Fusions (polymers) manufacturing services.

“Companies large and small, in markets around the world, are turning to 3D printing for faster, more flexible, more personalized and more resilient and sustainable production,” says Didier Deltort, president of HP Personalization and 3D Printing. “It’s promising to see the development of so many game-changing 3D printed applications across automotive, consumer, health care and industrial. But, to disrupt industries, these parts must be manufactured at scale. To help our customers scale effectively and efficiently, HP remains laser focused on delivering industrial hardware, supplies, software and services supporting the entirety of the digital production workflow from application design to final parts production.”

The company has worked to simplify automating production workflows. As customers scale, AM workflows become more complex. To help simplify these increasingly complex workflows, improve productivity and quality, and reduce costs, HP offers two new automation solutions for Multi Jet Fusion customers — HP Jet Fusion 3D Powder Handling Automation Solution and HP Jet Fusion 3D Automation Accessory.

• The HP Jet Fusion 3D Powder Handling Automation Solution is a pneumatically connected, closed-loop material processing system to minimize labor; provide cleaner, more efficient material flow; and enable quality control and operational traceability.
• The HP Jet Fusion 3D Automation Accessory is designed for customers with high-volume production demands, providing automatic build unit exchange for two consecutive prints without requiring manual support. In addition to minimizing idle time between print jobs and reducing requirements for manual labor on nights or weekends, the Accessory is automation-ready for further integration into factory configurations with Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs).

To push the limits of workflow automation on the AM factory floor, HP is working closely with long-standing partner Siemens on a proof-of-concept demonstration. The concept features HP’s two new automation products integrated with Siemens Automation Hardware and industrial Software, for example Siemens SIMOVE for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) in flexible Production Systems. The project is active in the Barcelona-based DFactory which is a hub for HP collaboration with partners and customers on R&D, application development and production use cases.

HP also offers expanded materials, software and services. Along with its industrial 3D printing hardware, HP is developing or partnering on innovative materials, software, services and postprocessing solutions. To enable a broad range of applications across industries, HP says it continues to work closely on materials development with partners, including Arkema, BASF, Evonik and Lubrizol. This includes general availability of the new ESTANE 3D M88A TPU, a flexible and highly durable material that enables complex geometries and lattice structures.

To help polymers and metals customers optimize part development and scale production, HP is offering a portfolio of software products within its HP Digital Production Suite and is collaborating with other software providers to integrate Factory IT and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solutions. The HP Digital Production Suite now features expanded software products designed to help customers develop metals applications more quickly and easily. HP 3D Digital Sintering and HP 3D Process Development software each support the commercial Metal Jet S100 Solution.

HP 3D Digital Sintering is an AI-enhanced simulation of the sintering process, providing feedback on the outcome of a sintered part and enabling application engineers to pre-compensate the part geometry to improve the dimensional accuracy of the output. Helps reduce time, cost and speed of final part production by eliminating the need for a build and test approach.

The HP 3D Process Development is said to democratize process development and give customers insight into the science of metal jet through access to open process parameters and build report. It also provides the ability to conduct guided experimentation to optimize applications.

To accelerate the path to production and reduce barriers to entry, HP Digital Production Services provides customers access to a variety of professional and financial services. HP Professional Services includes support for design (DfAM), application development and 3D printing factory setup. HP Financial Services leverages partner programs to provide flexible financing and business models, including leasing and subscription options. HP is also collaborating across the postprocessing ecosystem to ensure customers have access to a broad range of alternatives from providers, including AM Flow, AMT, DyeMansion and Rösler Group AM Solutions.

To meet the growing demand for high-quality final parts production, HP continues to expand its DMN. More than 60 members around the world are providing high-quality manufacturing services and enabling OEMs to build their digital supply chain. The DMN includes the Digital Manufacturing Partners (DMPs) and Multi Jet Fusion production professionals.

HP DMPs are a select group of premiere parts service providers certified by HP through onsite assessment to ensure they are equipped to meet the highest standards for manufacturing expertise, part quality and reliability. HP has recently promoted Athena, Endeavor 3D and The Technology House (TTH) to DMP. Endeavor 3D is expanding its HP-enabled manufacturing services in its factory in Douglasville, Georgia, adding HP’s Metal Jet S100 Solution to its existing fleet of HP Jet Fusion 5200 and 5420W systems.

“Adding HP’s Metal Jet capabilities to our manufacturing services enables us to provide more to our customers,” says Phil Arnold, Endeavor 3D CEO. “Top-down, our expert engineering team believes that this technology will help manufacturers reshore production and we are excited to be a major player in that supply chain.”

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• Read about Endeavor 3D advancing its relationship with HP as it  joined a limited list of international contract manufacturers offering the full suite of HP Jet Fusion printing capabilities.
   
• Here’s an interesting read about a concept sneaker boasting a one-piece 3D printed TPU construction. The Reebok x Botter Concept Sneaker Engineered by HP premiered at Paris Fashion Week, hinting at manufacturing possibilities for the future of footwear.
   
• Learn more about HP’s commercial Jet Fusion 5400 Series and Metal Jet S100 solutions which are designed to accelerate additive manufacturing production applications.