Hewlett Packard (HP)
Canvas Category Machinery : Additive Manufacturing : 3D Printer
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HP Accelerates 3D Printing Adoption with New Innovations and Collaborations at Formnext 2024
HP has also introduced HP 3D HR PA 12 FR enabled by Evonik, a new halogen-free, flame-retardant material for 3D printing. This innovative material is 50% reusable, offering a substantial cost advantage through its high reusability ratio. This breakthrough offers significant cost savings that pave the way for scaling applications in industrial and consumer electronics.
To further streamline and optimize 3D printing workflows, HP announced the HP 3D Build Optimizer, an automated tool designed to re-nest parts, reduce build costs and maintain part quality. Slated for launch in 2025, this tool is in line with overall cost optimization strategies and harnesses HP’s proprietary insights to bring greater efficiency to every project.
Also, through a new collaboration with Fabrex, HP customers can access an AI-powered platform that supports build preparation, order management, and tracking, creating a seamless, efficient experience for users of HP 3D printers.
HP’s collaboration with ArcelorMittal, a leader in sustainable steel production, demonstrates how HP Metal Jet S100 technology is advancing 3D printing across industrial sectors like automotive. By combining HP’s additive manufacturing expertise with ArcelorMittal’s sustainable steel innovations, this partnership aims to reduce production costs, expand material options, and drive broader adoption of 3D-printed steel in key industries. Together, HP and ArcelorMittal are setting new standards for industrial-scale 3D printing applications.
HP is also collaborating with Eaton to support testing and validation of significant advancements in its Metal Jet 3D printing solution. Key innovations include nitrogen-enhanced sintering, which improves the mechanical properties of 316L metal parts, and the S100 Powder Processing Solution, which reduces cost and improves yield in binderjet processes. Together, they will evaluate the technology’s potential for high-performance applications, ensuring it meets the industry’s demands. Eric Johnson, Senior Manager Additive Manufacturing at Eaton Research Labs, added, “Partnering with HP on this program has been an exciting opportunity to advance the manufacturing readiness of this technology and develop a cost-effective process that meets the requirements for our most demanding applications.”
Unusual Machines Adopts HP's Multi Jet Fusion 3D Printing for Drone Parts Manufacturing
Unusual Machines, has adopted HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D printing technology for the production of drone components, particularly for FPV (First-Person View) drones, known for their demanding performance and durability requirements.
Unusual Machines partnered with HP 3D Printing to determine the best components for the introduction of their MJF production process. The first commercial product using this technology at scale is the SkyLite one of Rotor Riot’s top-selling platforms. Notably, Unusual Machines’ adoption of HP’s MJF technology will support domestic manufacturing efforts, with all MJF parts being produced by Forecast3D domestically in the United States. This aligns with Unusual Machines’ mission to ensure quality and promote United States industry growth.
HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology offers significant advantages in producing intricate designs with robust strength and durability, ideal for the exacting requirements of FPV drone operations. In an environment where agility and rapid response to design changes are crucial, MJF excels by enabling the simultaneous manufacturing of multiple parts with superior finishes. Extensive testing confirmed that TPU materials, available via HP’s 3D printing technology, are the optimal choice for drone production due to their exceptional resilience, ensuring that these remain virtually indestructible even in the event of a crash. Moreover, MJF technology provides cost savings in production while also enhancing product quality.
Altair Announces Material Collaboration with HP Inc.
Altair, a global leader in computational intelligence, has signed an agreement with HP Inc. in which HP will provide Altair with proprietary material information that will bolster the Altair® Material Data Center™, which enables designers, engineers, and scientists to browse, search, and compare materials in a standalone application or through the interface of their simulation and optimization tools. The collaboration will help break down traditional barriers to 3D printing adoption and ultimately help customers better design parts for Multi Jet Fusion and Metal Jet printers.
The collaboration between Altair and HP bridges the often-siloed functions of the design and production of 3D-printed parts. As a result of the partnership, engineers with access to the Altair Material Data Center will be able to use HP material data to design efficient parts, conduct structural analysis using finite element analysis (FEA), and predict and fix manufacturing defects during design and simulation.
HP and DyeMansion formalize strategic collaboration
HP is set to market DyeMansion’s post-processing workflows as a preferred solution for customers to achieve large-scale production of final parts. As part of the newly formalized collaboration, the companies will focus on delivering high-quality, scalable, and eco-friendly additive manufacturing solutions.
The collaboration brings together HP’s advanced 3D printing technology and DyeMansion’s innovative post-processing workflows. Together, the companies will tackle joint market analysis and provide end-to-end solutions that seamlessly integrate into users’ operations – unlocking new applications and offering mutual support and advice.
HP Unveils Disruptive New Material for 3D Polymers Production
At the annual AMUG (Additive Manufacturing User Group) Conference, HP Inc. will showcase parts using a new material qualified for its industrial 3D polymers solutions. Developed with Arkema, the new PA 12 S material sets the standard for surface aesthetics, while reducing costs for customers using HP’s Jet Fusion 5200 Series 3D printing solutions. The reach of this pioneering material will soon expand, as it is set to become available for the Jet Fusion 5600 Series later this spring, broadening its application across HP’s suite of polymer 3D printing solutions.
The introduction of PA 12 S, enabled by Arkema, is set to revolutionize the industry by reducing variable costs per part and significantly lowering the total cost of ownership. This material, in conjunction with HP Multi Jet Fusion technology, offers an optimized production process that streamlines post-processing steps, saving time and further reducing costs. These advancements enable manufacturers to produce parts more efficiently while maintaining high quality and sustainability standards.
Customers including Accel Digital Solutions, Decathlon, Erpro Group, and Materialise developing production 3D parts across industries with HP’s industrial solutions, software, and materials.
GM takes 3D printing to new heights with Cadillac CELESTIQ
The Cadillac CELESTIQ integrates 115 metal and polymer 3D printed components, including a metal laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) steering wheel, 3D printed window switches, grab handles, decorative parts, and structural seatbelt D-rings, which holds the title of being GM’s first 3D printed safety-related part. It’s no surprise that the new low-volume vehicle represents the broadest integration of 3D printed production parts for GM. And we wanted to understand how the company got there; how it has pursued AM so successfully and where it’s going with the technology.
While GM uses a wide array of additive processes across its business, there are a few specific processes that have really excelled for the company’s production applications: metal binder jetting, metal LPBF, and HP’s Multi Jet Fusion.
Feel The Hit: Pushing the boundaries of tennis racket manufacturing with 3D printing
Additive Appliances’ tennis racket dampener is additively manufactured using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology, with the build volume of the 5200 platform said to be capable of processing thousands of parts at once. The parts, printed in BASF’s Ultrasint TPU material, measure between around 15 to 20 millimetres, and weigh less than 1 gram – up to 70% lighter than the minimal mass requirement of a traditional dampener.
For the design of the components, Additive Appliances has leant on a set of internally developed equations that are transformed into CAD designs through implicit modelling software, such as Altair’s Sulis platform, with the equations being validated using advanced simulation techniques like Optimad Engineering’s proprietary software, before extensive in-house testing is performed with vibrometers and sound spectrum analysers. Post-print, chemical smoothing can help to enhance the aesthetics of the part but has no impact on the mechanical properties and so it can be quicker and cheaper to forego this step.
‘Revolutionary’ digital printing technology uptake expected to accelerate for packaging
The whir of a digital inkjet printer that spits out crisp, vibrant documents in mere seconds is a familiar reference to most Americans. Just as this innovation transformed home and office printing when it replaced legacy tools like the dot matrix printer, industrial-scale digital inkjet technology is now transforming the packaging space. Digital printing, on the other hand, does not rely on plates. Designers develop the desired image in a computer program and send the digital file to the inkjet mechanism that sprays ink droplets directly onto the packaging medium.
“Print is the traditional bottleneck in a converting facility, and if you remove that bottleneck you can streamline both upstream and downstream processes,” Wettersten said. “That’s where transformation begins to occur with digital printing, aligning systems and workflow and enabling new capabilities around responsiveness and flexibility.”
“What we’re seeing today is large corrugated companies starting to invest in web presses to totally change workflow,” he said. “The impact on lead times is rather eye-opening: You can take conventional lead times of 18 to 20 days for repeat orders down to fewer than five days on a digital press.”
HP and Materialise Partner to Drive Volume 3D Printing
As an HP preferred partner, Materialise will provide the industry with an end-to-end manufacturing solution that is integrated with an additive technology that is designed for productivity and scale — MJF and Metal Jet systems. As part of this partnership, HP will help customers identify meaningful use cases for the software platform, as well as showcase the solution at HP demo facilities and public events.
The seamless connectivity between HP AM technology and Materialise CO-AM enables users to create workflows that improve traceability, quality control, and machine utilization. Optimized 3D print job management allows production leads to track planned and actual printer activities and optimize machine time. To ensure continuous production, real-time machine monitoring provides operators and engineers with critical process data, including build status, material usage, and machine sensor data. This data can be collected and stored in log files of 3D-printed jobs to enhance traceability and quality control. In addition to their 3D printers, Metal Jet users can connect process-relevant HP machinery to the CO-AM platform, such as the Powder Management Station, Curing Station, and Powder Removal Station. This integration allows Metal Jet users to streamline the post-processing of metal parts within the manufacturing process.
HP partners with Elnik, GKN and Sandvik on Metal Jet
HP is focusing on further advancing and developing all aspects of its Metal Jet technology and, ahead of the Formnext show in Frankfurt, where the AM industry as a whole comes together to set the stage for the coming year, the company is presenting deals that are expected to improve various key aspects of the end-to-end metal binder jetting process. These include three key partnerships. The first is with Sandvik, one of the first companies to embrace metal binder jetting through partnerships with both ExOne (Desktop Metal) and GE Additive, on material development. Another one is with GKN Additive, a leading metal AM service that has been working with HP on Metal Jet from the get-go, on tooling and also material innovation (as GKN is also a provider of metal powders). And the third one is with Elnik, a leading manufacturer of furnaces for part sintering, to fine-tune this key aspect of metal binder jetting post-processing.
Arkema announces new partnerships with industry leaders to design the next generation of 3D printed materials and solutions
Arkema collaborates with industry leaders including EOS, HP and Stratasys, to continue offering customers more sustainable, high-performance materials for additive manufacturing. This is particularly true of its bio-sourced Rilsan® Polyamide 11, for which the Group recently announced a further reduction in the carbon footprint of all its grades globally. This initiative represents an improvement of around 70% compared to traditional polyamide resins produced using fossil-based raw materials and conventional energy sources.
Enabling 3D Printing Automation with HP and Siemens
Sustainable Business Models for Manufacturing
John Deere Turns To 3D Printing More Efficient Engine Parts
The new thermal diverter valve on the latest versions of John Deere 6R and 6M tractors isn’t just an innovative application of increasingly accessible metal 3D printing technology, it’s the culmination of about two years of R&D. It started with a challenge to ensure John Deere tractors would perform in cold environments. Engineers were tasked with developing a valve that could maintain fuel temperatures without affecting engine performance.
Currently, more than 4,000 valves are being shipped from GKN to the John Deere tractor factory for final assembly at a price per part that is less than forging or milling. Tractors with this 3D-printed part are already in the field, literally. Müller says another benefit of 3D printing this particular part instead of using traditional methods, is added agility in the manufacturing process. Because 3D printing does not require molds or tools, part prototypes were faster and cheaper to create, which accelerated the design process. The design can be tweaked and improved at any time. Plus, when it comes to replacement parts, no standing inventory is necessary. The digital file of this value can be sent to any third-party manufacturer with HP Metal Jet technology and produced relatively locally and quickly.
AMFG Receives $8.5 Million in Funding Led by Intel Capital to Drive the Future of Fully Autonomous Manufacturing
AMFG Corp., a rapidly growing Manufacturing Execution System (MES) & workflow automation software for 3D printing, has secured $8.5M in funding led by Intel Capital to further catapult their spot in the new age of industrial transformation. As part of the most recent fundraise, Intel Capital investor Jennifer Ard is joining AMFG’s board of directors. With this new funding, AMFG will continue to help companies scale their additive manufacturing processes, further solidifying AMFG’s position at the forefront of the autonomous manufacturing revolution.
This financing round comes on the heels of a year of accomplishments for AMFG. These include expanding into the U.S by establishing a global headquarters in Austin, Texas, which places the company in direct contact with the region’s dramatically shifting manufacturing scene, and making strategic hires to the growing AMFG team. With this funding, AMFG will advance its vision to pioneer a path into the future of autonomous manufacturing.
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Breaking the Glass Ceiling of 3D Printing
Now having launched the S100, HP is anticipating a steady increase in the number of Metal Jet applications it has at scale. Pastor noted that it will take a process of ‘months and months’ to identify applications, assess the economics, carry out process development and then move forward. But he and HP are confident that, gradually, the technology will have a sizeable impact. “It’s not that this will be a ramp [with a steep ascent],” Pastor said. “And by the way, some of the 3D printing technologies, you have this step change [but] with a ceiling. Our approach is different. It actually will take time, but we will break this glass ceiling that 3D printing has right now.”
Metal Jet works by laying down a uniform, thin layer of metal powder across the build area before HP printheads jet binding agent at precise locations to define the geometry of parts. The liquid components of the binding agent then evaporate, with the process repeating until the build is complete. Once the build is complete, the powder bed is heated to complete the evaporation of liquid components of the binding agent and to cure the polymers to achieve high-strength green parts. Once cooled, the parts are removed from the powder bed via the depowdering process, with the green parts then moved into a furnace for sintering. When the sintering is concluded, the parts can undergo post-processing to meet dimensional and surface finish requirements.
Ocado showcases 3D printing innovation
Ocado has unveiled a new approach to building the robots in its fulfilment centres, which it hopes will dramatically improve efficiency and reduce operating costs. The company has developed a 600 Series bot, which it said can be built cheaper and is lighter than the current 500 Series bot. According to Steiner, the 600 Series grocery fulfilment bot “changes everything”. Ocado designed the 600 Series using topology optimisation, similar to the technique used in the aerospace sector to make aircraft parts strong but light. It then used additive manufacturing, in partnership with HP, to make 3D prints of the parts required to build the 600 Series.
Circular Economy 3D Printing: Opportunities to Improve Sustainability in AM
Within the 3D printing sector alone, there are various initiatives currently underway to develop closed-loop manufacturing processes that reuse and repurpose waste materials. Within the automotive sector, Groupe Renault is creating a facility entirely dedicated to sustainable automotive production through recycling and retrofitting vehicles using 3D printing, while Ford and HP have teamed up to recycle 3D printing waste into end-use automotive parts.
One notable project that is addressing circular economy 3D printing is BARBARA (Biopolymers with Advanced functionalities foR Building and Automotive parts processed through Additive Manufacturing), a Horizon 2020 project that brought together 11 partners from across Europe to produce bio-based materials from food waste suitable for 3D printing prototypes in the automotive and construction sectors.