HP Inc. claims to usher in the "4th industrial revolution" with the Metal Jet-- a 3D printer able to handle "high volume manufacturing of production-grade metal parts," with greater productivity at lower costs compared to other 3D printing methods.
Already employed by manufacturers GKN Powder Metallurgy and Parmatech for the factory production of final parts, the Metal Jet printer combines years of HP printhead and chemical know-how in a "groundbreaking, voxel-level binder jetting technology." The printer has a 430 x 320 x 200mm bed, and promises x4 the nozzle redundancy and x2 the printbars compared to other metal 3D printing solutions.
The Metal Jet produces stainless steel finished parts, with isotropic properties meeting ASTM and MPIF standards. It works at a very high resolution, with smallest printing particles measuring just 20 x 20 x 50 microns, and after printing it reuses the unused metal powder before the finished part goes through a heating process to fuse into a solid component.
“We are in the midst of a digital industrial revolution that is transforming the $12 trillion manufacturing industry. HP has helped lead this transformation by pioneering the 3D mass production of plastic parts and we are now doubling down with HP Metal Jet, a breakthrough metals 3D printing technology,” the company says. “The implications are huge-- the auto, industrial, and medical sectors alone produce billions of metal parts each year. HP’s new Metal Jet 3D printing platform unlocks the speed, quality, and economics to enable our customers to completely rethink the way they design, manufacture, and deliver new solutions in the digital age.”
HP adds it already has a number of big names interested in the printer, including Volkswagen, Wilo, Primo Medical Group and OKAY Industries. It also offers a Metal Jet Production Service, a means for customers to rapidly iterate new 3D part designs, produce final parts in volume and integrate Metal Jet in long-term production roadmaps.
Go HP Launches World's Most Advanced Metals 3D Printing Technology
