HP Launches New 3D Printing Solution, Manufacturing Alliances and Digital Manufacturing Network

HP has debuted its new Jet Fusion 5200 Series industrial 3D printing system and a new material, expanded its alliance with Siemens, and also launched its Digital Manufacturing Network. 

The integration of HP’s new Jet Fusion 5200 Series 3D printing solution with Siemens’ Digital Enterprise offerings enables industrial companies to bring 3D printed parts to market faster, more cost-effectively, more sustainably, and at higher volumes than ever before, according to the company. The solution combines HP’s 3D printing and 3D data platform, including its new HP Jet Fusion 5200 system, with Siemens Digital Industries Software including Siemens NX CAD/CAE, NX AM for HP Multi Jet Fusion, undergoing certification by HP for its Jet Fusion 5200 Series to be available later this year, as well as Teamcenter for PLM, Tecnomatix Plant Simulation, Simatic IT for manufacturing execution, and MindSphere for performance analytics and Industrial IoT.

HP says it is also is working with automotive and industrial companies to collaborate on how to generate 3D printed parts faster, and create innovative product designs, applications and digital factories. 

“The broadening of our portfolio with the new Jet Fusion 5200 Series 3D printing system, coupled with expanded industrial alliances and our new Digital Manufacturing network, are important accelerators of our digital manufacturing journey,” Christoph Schell, president of 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing at HP, said in a statement.

As for the new HP Jet Fusion 5200 Series 3D printing solution, it can offer manufacturing predictability, efficiency, repeatability and quality for customers who wish to scale to full production, opening up the possibility for new applications, the company says. 

A helmet 3D printed with the new HP Jet Fusion 5200 Series 3D printing system. Image courtesy of HP.

The HP Jet Fusion 5200 Series 3D printing solution offers new systems, data intelligence, software and service capabilities, including the HP 3D Process Control and HP 3D Center software offerings along with the HP 3D Parts Assessment service, and materials innovations. It also provides increased flexibility, improved uptime, streamlined workflows and simplified fleet management required for factory production settings, according to HP.

The new system is available now.

HP also debuted a certified thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), ULTRASINT, developed by BASF, to expand final-parts applications for the new Jet Fusion 5200 Series systems. The new TPU is made for flexible and elastic parts and complements HP High Reusability PA-12, PA-12 Glass Beads and PA-11 materials, HP reports. Already, BASF and HP are working with Sculpteo, a provider of 3D design and production services, on new applications produced with BASF’s ULTRASINT TPU on HP Jet Fusion 3D printing systems.

The new TPU material ULTRASINT was developed by BASF, to expand final-parts applications for the new Jet Fusion 5200 Series systems. It can be used for flexible and elastic parts. Image courtesy of HP.

“Collaborative innovation among key players in the industry will help customers unlock the full potential of 3D printing,” said Dr. Markus Kamieth, member of the board of executive directors at BASF, in a statement. “The introduction of the new TPU is a significant milestone in the cooperation between BASF and HP, aligned with our common objective to accelerate the industrialization of additive manufacturing.“

In addition to Siemens and BASF, HP is also expanding its alliances with Materialise to combine the new HP Jet Fusion 5200 and HP Jet Fusion 500/300 3D printing solutions with Materialise’s Build Processor and Materialise Magics 3D Print Suite. Materialise is also identifying and developing new innovative applications for customers using the new BASF TPU and other available HP 3D printing materials.

“The market is clearly embracing 3D printing for production and, as a long-standing HP partner, we are proud to expand our collaboration to new areas,” said Fried Vancraen, founder and CEO of Materialise, in a statement. “Our customers are excited by our tighter integration with HP, our joint work on new applications and materials, and our commitment to scale high-quality part production.”

Digital Manufacturing Newtwork Launched

HP’s new Digital Manufacturing Network, a global network of HP production partners, is designed to help produce and deliver plastic and metal parts at scale, by using HP 3D printing soutions. Currently, the network includes partners in the U.S., Asia and Europe. To date, the partners include Forecast 3D, GKN Powder Metallurgy, GoProto, Jabil, Materialise, Parmatech, and ZiggZagg NV.

According to the company, HP Digital Manufacturing Network partners have been evaluated and qualified based on their end-to-end 3D printing capabilities for production at scale, as well as their manufacturing and quality processes. The HP-endorsed digital manufacturers are intended to provide local-market coverage to deliver quality, functional plastic and metal parts.