US Marine Corps
HP Metal Jet US Marine Corps spare parts
Selection of replacement parts printed HP Metal Jet technology for the US Marine Corps.
HP has revealed Cobra Golf and the US Marine Corps as users of its Metal Jet additive manufacturing technology during a virtual press briefing this week.
The company also rolled out a new polypropylene (PP) material in collaboration with BASF, welcomed Fast Radius to its Manufacturing Partner Network and announced a suite of new professional services for its 3D printing customer base. A partnership with Oechsler has also been struck, while HP claims more than 50 million parts have now been produced with HP 3D printing technology.
Delivering the news, HP’s Interim President of Digital Manufacturing Ramon Pastor spoke of the significance of the company’s latest developments. HP’s additive manufacturing technology has been harnessed in the last few months to produce 2.3 million parts to ‘bridge supply chain gaps, enable local production and help healthcare professionals on the front lines’ during the COVID-19 crisis. With new materials, new services and new manufacturing partners, HP anticipates more to come.
“As we navigate this new landscape, we continue to execute on our strategy and push innovative new 3D printing materials, solutions and partnerships forward to help our customers re-open manufacturing and deliver disruptive innovation for the world’s industries,” Pastor commented.
Two industries HP is now penetrating with its Metal Jet additive manufacturing technology are the golf equipment and marine sectors. Working with the US Marine Corps, HP production partner Parmatech has so far additively manufactured 200 spare parts for the organisation’s Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV), ‘steadying its complex supply chain’. Having the capacity to 3D print components that are no longer available through the organisation’s supply chain, due to the vehicle being designed and manufactured some four decades ago, is helping to keep the AAV operational with the replacement window for the fleet still 10-15 years away.
Cobra Golf
HP Metal Jet Cobra golf
Cobra Golf has adopted HP Metal Jet to achieve smarter designs and increased performance.
Cobra Golf, meanwhile, is leveraging HP Metal Jet to facilitate product innovation and produce parts like personalised golf clubs and club heads with advanced performance. HP and Parmatech will work with Cobra to identify and develop applications through a multi-year roadmap. It represents the first time Cobra has deployed 3D printing for such applications.
“We are seeing immediate benefits including design freedom, rapid design iteration and high-quality parts that meet our economic demands,” said Cobra Golf’s VP of Marketing Jose Miraflor. “Cobra Golf strives to deliver high-performance products that help golfers of all levels play their best and enjoy the game. To do that, it’s critical to use the most effective manufacturing processes to design, develop and achieve optimal results. To continue innovating and transforming the way equipment is manufactured, we are working with HP and Parmatech to take advantage of the benefits of Metal Jet.”
On the polymer side of HP’s additive manufacturing efforts, the company has made available a PP material, developed through BASF’s expertise, for its Jet Fusion 5200 Series. The HP 3D High Reusability PP is the lowest cost material in the HP portfolio, promises 100% reusability of surplus powder and boasts many of the mechanical properties, such as high chemical resistance and low moisture absorption, that manufactures are used to with typical PP materials.
“The introduction of PP is another important step as we collaborate on best-in-class materials to transform manufacturing,” commented François Minec, Managing Director of BASF 3D Printing Solutions. “Our teams have worked closely to develop a high-quality, sophisticated PP that fully leverages the advanced capabilities of HP’s Jet Fusion 5200 platform – truly a win-win for innovative companies investing in the shift to digital manufacturing.”
BASF’s PP material joins HP’s PA 11, PA 12, PA 12 Glass Beads and the BASF Ultrasint TPU01 products as polymers compatible with the 5200 Series, the platform designed to enable volume production in a range of industries. In automotive, functional prototyping, interior parts and fluid systems have been highlighted as suitable applications of the new material, as are piping components in industrial markets; cosmetic and household appliances in the consumer goods sphere; and orthotics and medical devices in healthcare.
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Oechsler
Gas and liquid separator used in professional white appliances, industrial machinery and institutional/industrial cleaning equipment, additively manufactured by Oechsler with the HP 3D High Reusability PP enabled by BASF.
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Oechsler
Air duct used in automotive, home appliances and industrial air manifolds, additively manufactured by Oechsler with HP 3D High Reusability PP enabled by BASF.
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Extol
Degas bottle used to separate fluid from gas flow in automotive applications, additively manufactured by Extol with HP 3D High Reusability PP enabled by BASF.
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HP
Door defroster vent used in the ventilation system of automobiles. Printed with HP 3D HighReusability PP enabled by BASF.
Following the launch of the PP material, BASF and HP have expanded their partnership to increase the focus of enabling a more circular and low-carbon economy; develop innovative go-to market initiatives; and collaborate with other industry leaders to identify and develop new applications. These industry leaders include plastics engineering firm Extol, additive manufacturing service provider Forecast 3D, adhesives and engineering company Henkel, European parts manufacturer Prototal, and engineering solutions firm Oechsler.
“The introduction of new materials, such as PP, enables us to quickly and cost effectively design, iterate and produce innovative new 3D printed parts for customers across industries,” offered Matthias Weißkopf, Senior Vice president of Research and Development at Oechsler AG. “We expect a fast ramp up of entirely new applications that leverage the inherent advantages that 3D printing provides for auto makers, home and commercial appliances and the medical industry.”
Through Oechsler’s partnership with HP, the companies will work closely to develop applications for the aforementioned industries - targeting parts that can scale to mass volumes - with the new PP material and BASF’s Ultrasint TPU01 polymer. Oechsler has, as a result, installed a fleet of HP Jet Fusion 5200 machines in its factory in Ansbach, Germany and has become the first to use the joint post-processing solution developed by Rösler.
“Oechsler understands what it takes to deliver value every step of the way – from application design to final parts production to post-processing and automation – and together we will grow and accelerate opportunities for our customers.”
Another company set to play a role in the manufacturing of parts on HP’s 3D printing platforms is Fast Radius, the latest addition to HP’s Digital Manufacturing Network where it joins the likes of GKN/ Forecast 3D, Jabil, GoProto, Materialise and Zigg Zagg. Fast Radius is said to have been very active during the COVID-19 crisis, leveraging its Jet Fusion capacity to produce parts in quick time and also recently leveraged HP's 3D printing technology to produce redesigned tooling components for aircraft part manufacturer Satair.
A further announcement made by HP this week is the launch of HP 3D Professional Services, which provides technical assistance via three categories: Adopt, Develop and Manufacture. The services offered through this initiative include parts assessment, where customers receive help in analysing which parts would be suitable to be produced using HP Jet Fusion technology; design for additive training, where skills on how to design for the Jet Fusion process are imparted; application development support, where partners move through the development cycle, selecting the material and post-processing technique etc; and sourcing strategy service where HP selects the optimal manufacturing partner to produce the components should they sub-contract their production.
