HP has announced the immediate commercial availability of its long-awaited metal 3D printing solution, the Metal Jet S100.
Debuting the machine at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago this week, the same place the binder jet technology was first unveiled back in 2018, the company says its metal offering aims to scale metal additive manufacturing to mass production, promising ‘a digital reinvention of the global metals manufacturing sector.’
Ramon Pastor, Global Head and General Manager of 3D Metals, HP Inc. said: “3D printed metal parts are a key driving force behind digital transformation and the new Metal Jet S100 Solution provides a world class metals offering for our customers, from the first designs right through to production, but more importantly helps them to realise the unlimited potential for digital manufacturing.”
The Metal Jet S100 Solution is based on HP’s binder jet-based process which first launched alongside manufacturing partners GKN Powder Metallurgy and Parmatech. The end-to-end process takes a modular approach which allows build units to travel between four different stations to enable continuous production, promising 10 x productivity compared to laser-based metal AM processes. The printer uses HP Thermal Inkjet printheads which are said to dramatically improve print speed, part quality, and repeatability, while the binder used takes advantage of HP’s latex chemistries to enable stronger green parts, eliminating the need for de-binding.
Speaking during a press conference, Pastor described HP’s move into metals as a ‘natural evolution’ following the success of its Multi Jet Fusion technology in polymers, which last year saw HP achieve a milestone of over 100 million printed parts. Focusing on industries including industrial, medical, consumer goods and automotive, Pastor described the ’massive opportunity for disruption’ HP sees for metal 3D printing and believes HP’s knowledge in Thermal Inkjet technology and Latex chemistry positions it as ‘the trusted global partner’ to scale metal AM.
“We are witnessing entire industries, from industrial to consumer, and healthcare to automotive, looking to digitally transform their manufacturing processes and supply chains in a world where volatility is the new normal,” said Didier Deltort, President of HP’s Personalization and 3D Printing business. “As the promise of additive manufacturing takes hold, HP has become a trusted partner to help speed the path to production.”
HP’s Metal Jet technology has already been adopted by Cobra Golf, Legor Group, and Volkswagen, the latter of which set itself a target of producing 100,000 additively manufactured components at its Wolfsburg facility each year by 2025. The company has also announced new partners and customers including hydraulic systems manufacturer Domin Digital Motion, Lumenium, a developer of advanced rotational engines, and Schneider Electric. Together with GKN, a new filter used on Schneider Electric’s NSX breaker was produced using HP Metal Jet technology, resulting in new power filters shapes that reduce gas, pressure, and heat impact in a more limited space, and deliver significant productivity gains and environmental benefits.
Michael Lotfy, SVP of Power Products & Systems, North America, Schneider Electric commented: “We are constantly in pursuit of solutions that will enable more sustainable, agile innovations development. Leveraging HP Metal Jet our teams have delivered a proven use case showcasing the benefits of digital manufacturing and 3D printing, and we look forward to uncovering many more applications that meet the evolving demands from our customers addressing the challenges around sustainability and Electricity 4.0.”
Deltort described the launch and collaborations as the ‘blueprint for more sustainable, reliable, and efficient manufacturing.’
