SmileDirectClub targets 20 million 3D printed mouth moulds a year with HP Multi Jet Fusion

"SmileDirectClub and HP are reinventing the future of orthodontics."

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HP has announced a collaboration with SmileDirectClub, which sees the developer of clear aligners take on 49 HP Multi Jet Fusion 4210 platforms.

With this 3D printing capacity, the partners are projecting to produce nearly 50,000 unique mouth moulds a day and around 20 million in the next 12 months. It makes SmileDirectClub the largest user of Multi Jet Fusion in the United States.

SmileDirectClub has sought to harness HP’s 3D printing technology to serve an estimated 80% of Americans who could benefit from orthodontic care. In the U.S., 60% of counties are without access to an orthodontist, but by combining teledentistry and Multi Jet Fusion, SmileDirectClub is hoping to bridge these gaps and provide orthodontic care at a lesser cost.

Through SmileDirectClub, customers are put through a scanning process, either at a SmileShop or at home with an impression kit provided by SmileDirectClub, with licensed dentists and orthodontists reviewing the data. Reviews of how the customer’s smile will be sent out and production of the clear aligners will commence.

As of 2019, these clear aligners are to be printed with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology, with 49 machines running 24/7 to produce 20 million a year. The companies are also committed to a new recycling programme where excess material and already processed plastic mouth moulds will be turned into pellets for injection moulding. Together, HP and SmileDirectClub are not only wanting to maximise the production potential of 3D printing, and better the orthodontic care provided to millions of people, but do so in a sustainable way.

“SmileDirectClub is digitally transforming the traditional orthodontics industry, making it more personal, affordable, and convenient for millions of consumers to achieve a smile they’ll love,” said Alex Fenkell, co-founder, SmileDirectClub. “HP’s breakthrough 3D printing and data intelligence platform makes this level of disruption possible for us, pushing productivity, quality, and manufacturing predictability to unprecedented levels, all with economics that allow us to pass on savings to the consumers seeking treatment using our teledentistry platform.”

“SmileDirectClub and HP are reinventing the future of orthodontics, pushing the boundaries of customised 3D mass production and democratising access to affordable, high-quality teeth straightening for millions of people,” added Christoph Schell, President of 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing at HP Inc. “Through this collaboration, HP is helping SmileDirectClub accelerate its growth, enabling a new era of personalised consumer experiences only made possible by industrial 3D printing and digital manufacturing.”