HP
HP Jet Fusion 5200
On the opening day of RAPID + TCT 2023, HP announced new automation solutions, as well as expanded materials, software, and services to help its customers scale 3D printed parts production. The company has also promoted several of its current Digital Manufacturing Network (DMN) members to its group of Digital Manufacturing Partners (DMP).
HP also announced that Endeavor 3D, one of the new DMPs, is adding metal jet 3D printing capabilities to its existing multi jet fusion manufacturing services.
The first of the two new automation solutions is the HP Jet Fusion 3D Powder Handling Automation Solution, which the company says is a pneumatically connected, closed-loop material processing system to minimise labour, as well as providing a cleaner, more efficient material flow, and enable quality control and operational traceability.
The other solution, the HP Jet Fusion 3D Automation Accessory, is designed for customers with high volume production demands. HP says that it provides automatic build unit exchange for two consecutive prints without requiring manual support.
In addition to minimising idle time between print jobs and reducing the need for manual labour on nights or weekends, the accessory is automation-ready for further integration into factory configurations with Autonomous Mobile Robots according to HP.
“Companies large and small, in markets around the world, are turning to 3D printing for faster, more flexible, more personalised, and more resilient and sustainable production,” said Didier Deltort, President of Personalisation and 3D Printing at HP Inc. “It’s promising to see the development of so many game-changing 3D printed applications across automotive, consumer, healthcare, 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.”
HP says that in an attempt to push the limits of workflow automation on the AM factory floor, it is working closely with Siemens on a proof-of-concept demonstration. The concept features HP’s two new automation products integrated with Siemens Automation Hardware and industrial software, such as Siemens SIMOVE for AMRs in flexible Production Systems.
To help polymers and metals customers optimise 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 Digital Production Suite now features expanded software products which HP says is 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.
The software products include HP 3D Digital Sintering, an AI-enhanced simulation of the sintering process which provides feedback on the outcome of a sintered part. The other new product is HP 3D Process Development, which democratises process development and gives customers into the science of Metal Jet through access to open process parameters and build report according to HP.
The companies that HP has promoted to be Digital Manufacturing Partners are Athena, Endeavor 3D, and The Technology House (TTH). Endeavor 3D is expanding its HP-enabled 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,” said Phil Arnold, CEO at Endeavor 3D. “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.”
HP is present at RAPID + TCT 2023 at booth #4618.
