SmileDirectClub to 3D Print 20 Million Mouth Molds in Next 12 Months using HP Multi Jet Fusion

HP Inc. and SmileDirectClub are expanding their collaboration to change the way that millions of people can achieve a straighter smile. SmileDirectClub is powering its digital differentiation and rapid manufacturing expansion of clear aligners with HP’s Jet Fusion 3D printing solutions, making it the largest producer of Multi Jet Fusion 3D printed parts in the country.

“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,” says 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 co-founders Alex Fenkell and Jordan Katzman first met as teens with metal braces at summer camp, later deciding that innovations in technology and telehealth could democratize access to safe, affordable and convenient orthodontic care. Founded in 2014, SmileDirectClub has a digital network of state licensed dentists and orthodontists who prescribe teeth straightening treatment plans and manage all aspects of clinical care from diagnosis through the completion of treatment using its proprietary teledentistry platform. SmileDirectClub is growing rapidly, having already served more than half a million customers in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, with plans to expand to Australia and the UK in 2019.

HP 3D Printing Accelerates SmileDirectClub’s Manufacturing Growth

SmileDirectClub manufacturers use 49 HP Jet Fusion 3D printers to make more than 50,000 unique mouth molds per dat. Image courtesy of HP.

SmileDirectClub and its manufacturing partners rely on HP Jet Fusion 3D printing solutions to produce all of the mouth molds for each patient’s aligners and retainers, creating an average of more than 50,000 personalized mouth molds each day. To keep up with increased consumer demand, SmileDirectClub has more than doubled its investment in HP 3D printing solutions to now include a fleet of 49 HP Jet Fusion 4210 3D printers and anticipates printing nearly 20 million mouth molds over the next 12 months alone.

“SmileDirectClub and HP are reinventing the future of orthodontics, pushing the boundaries of customized 3D mass production and democratizing access to affordable, high-quality teeth straightening for millions of people,” said 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 personalized consumer experiences only made possible by industrial 3D printing and digital manufacturing.”

HP and SmileDirectClub have also announced a new recycling program, in which excess 3D material and already processed plastic mouth molds are recycled by HP and turned into pellets for traditional injection molding, leading to more sustainable production.