Page 26 - 3D Metal Printing Summer 2019

3D Binder Jetting
with AM-supply-chain enabler and part provider Fast Radius. This presen- tation highlighted the company’s nonmetal Multi Jet Fusion technology, on which Metal Jet is based.
“More than 10 million
parts were produced on
HP’s Multi Jet Fusion tech-
nology in the last year,”
explained Christoph Schell,
HP’s president of 3D print-
ing and digital manufac-
turing, noting that the
company continues to
expand its metals and
plastics portfolio across both prototyping and production, and build out its com- munity of global partners.
The nonmetal partnership showed how HP has embraced, and been able to succeed in volume 3D printed part production. As part
of the presentation, Lou Rassey, CEO of Fast Radius, detailed his company’s technology platform and manufacturing footprint, which employs various 3D printing technologies, including HP Multi Jet Fusion machines.
He also detailed Fast Radius’ Applica- tion Launch Program (ALP), including dividends via the ALP with HP. The col- laboration has delivered a number of developments, Rassey explained. Husq- varna Group, a manufacturer of outdoor power products, is moving parts in its spare parts catalog to the Fast Radius Vir- tual Warehouse, where they can be pro- duced using Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers and shipped on demand as needed. And, Yanfeng is employing AM and the HP machines to make advances in the driver’s experience in the vehicles of today and tomorrow. Also, the U.S. Marine Corps reports significant strides with AM, includ- ing Multi Jet Fusion, to enhance its readi- ness-now capabilities.
Big Investment in R&D
Again, though nonmetal, these appli- cations exhibit HP’s deliberate entry and
together with our customers, partners, and community to drive the technologies and skills that will further unleash the benefits of digital manu- facturing.”
Specifically designed for active collaboration across HP engineering and R&D groups, customers, and part- ners, the new facility inte- grates flexible and interactive layouts, co-development environments, and fleets of the latest HP plastics and metals 3D production sys- tems to drive more rapid and
agile product development and end-to- end solutions for customers, according to company officials. Partners such as BASF, GKN Metallurgy, Siemens, Volkswagen and others across the automotive, industrial, healthcare and consumer-goods sectors will continue collaborating with HP on new 3D printing and digital manufacturing innovations at the
center.
HP’s investment in the new
Barcelona facility significantly expands the company’s global 3D print- ing and digital manufacturing footprint and enhances existing innovation loca- tions in Corvallis, OR; Palo Alto, CA; San Diego, CA; Vancouver, WA; Barcelona; and Singapore. A tour and demonstrations at the Barcelona center revealed intense
efforts to pursue the metal-part sector.
Cost-Effectiveness the Only Option—MIM Provides the Model
Weber set the stage with a presentation on the science behind Metal Jet, and how he sees the technology succeeding.
“When we started building this busi- ness, we recognized that it wasn’t just about prototyping, it was about manu- facturing,” Weber explains. “Save for a very-high-value application, without a cost-effective part you cannot manufac- ture in volume. We had to be cost-effective, and jetting is cost-effective. Instead of a laser scanning back and forth, which can
24 | 3D METAL PRINTING • SUMMER 2019
3DMPmag.com
The new center boasts professionals in systems engineering, data intelligence, software, materials science, design and applications—it may be the world’s largest population of AM specialists in one location, according to HP officials.
Rows of AM machines at HP’s new R&D center enable collaboration and testing in a factory environment.
entrenchment into AM, and the opening of the Barcelona center only cements that, and helps propel efforts in Metal Jet machine and material development.
“HP’s new 3D Printing and Digital Man- ufacturing Center of Excellence is one of the largest and most advanced 3D printing and digital manufacturing research and development centers on Earth—it truly embodies our mission to transform the world’s biggest industries through sus- tainable technological innovation,” said Schell in announcing the opening in June. “We are bringing HP’s substantial resources and industrial 3D printing expertise