HP Increases Focus on 3D Printing Automation, Implementation, & Post-Processing

Last week, we told you about HP’s Universal Build Manager Powered by Dyndrite, the first commercial application resulting from their existing partnership. Built on Dyndrite’s core Accelerated Geometry Engine, the new Universal Build Manager is an advanced AM software solution that combines increased efficiency and productivity with personalization and automation for 3D printing build management. But with Formnext Connect just around the corner, that isn’t the only innovation HP is announcing.

“Automation, software, and data are key to delivering mass customization of parts and unlocking the full potential of large-scale additive manufacturing. We are committed to relentlessly improving our capabilities and helping customers optimize and automate workflows, enable compelling new applications, and produce sustainable, high quality parts at scale,” Ramon Pastor, GM and Global Head of 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing, HP Inc., stated in a press release.

For a brief recap, HP’s Universal Build Manager Powered by Dyndrite uses the GPU-accelerated processing and Python scriptability from Dyndrite’s engine in order to help customers quickly automate and simplify the build prep process and improve scalability. Featuring an extensible plug-in framework and support for industry-standard CAD and vendor-neutral formats, the new HP Universal Build Manager Powered by Dyndrite will soon be used by companies like Aconity, Aurora Labs, EOS, ExOne, Open Additive, Renishaw, SLM Solutions, and more, which have already committed to investigating how this new software solution can support their own 3D printers.

The company’s next announcement is enhanced digital HP 3D Factory Services, which will help customers implement digital factories and production processes and provide them with equipment analysis, facilities, staffing, and training. These services reinforce the processes that industrial users need to successfully manage and produce high-quality parts at scale using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology. The digital services offered here include HP 3D Process Control, HP 3D Center, and the open, automated HP 3D Application Programming Interface (API), the latter of which is being exposed to some of the top AM software companies that offer HP’s technology to customers can streamline their workflows and integrate data.

For example, MES and workflow software leader  Autonomous Manufacturing (AMFG) is allowing its customers, such as Henkel, to integrate the HP 3D API in order to optimize efficiency by getting real-time status updates and critical alerts for its HP MJF systems, and help centralize end-to-end workflows.

“Henkel aims to provide innovative solutions for Additive Manufacturing that are accelerated by reliable partners such as HP and AMFG. With the help of AMFG to connect to our global infrastructure of Application Centers using HP Jet Fusion printers, we are aiding in centralizing the end-to-end workflows, from initial request to final part production,” said Chris Liddiard, Market Segment Head for Automotive and Industrial Parts, Adhesive Technologies Group, Henkel Corporation. “Armed with this important data, Henkel can better understand and interpret data patterns related to machine utilization, failure rate, geometrical specifications and processing parameters, allowing us to provide better manufacturing services for our clients.”

Customers that use these enhanced HP 3D Factory Services will be able to, among other things, improve predictability and sustainability by tracing raw material, and tune their HP Jet Fusion printers to add industrial-level processes and ensure repeatability of certain applications.

Finally, HP has also announced its new industrial-grade Automatic Unpacking Station, created together with Rösler Group’s AM Solutions, that will help HP Jet Fusion 5200 users increase efficiency through end-to-end automation—a popular theme— for post processing. HP says that its new unpacking station will help customers, such as Italian parts producer Weerg, improve performance and part quality, lower costs, and get better build consistency.

“We are excited for the continued automation advancements from HP and its partners like AM Solutions. As we expand our business and manage a growing fleet of HP Jet Fusion systems these enhanced capabilities are designed to help us meet customer demand, and improve our turnaround times for high volume production parts,” said Weerg Founder Matteo Rigamonti.

All these new automation, data, and software offerings show that HP is still working hard to speed up its journey to digital manufacturing.

Next week, November 10-11, HP and its partners and customers will be taking part in several Formnext Connect sessions, including:

• Nov. 10, 12:30 pm EST, Automating Digital Workflows, featuring HP’s Ryan Palmer, Global Head of Software and Data, 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing; Dyndrite CEO and Founder Harshil Goel; and Jill Christner, President and GM of the Americas, SLM, as they discuss advanced data and software capabilities, like the new HP Universal Build Manager Powered by Dyndrite.
• Nov. 11, 11:30 am EST, Materials Innovation and Advanced Applications: polypropolyne (PP) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), with BASF, HP, and Oechsler highlighting new use cases thanks to Ultrasint TPU01 enabled by BASF and HP High Reusability PP.
• Nov. 11, 12:30 pm EST, Discover the New Elastomer for Flexible Applications, featuring Evonik, Fast Radius, GoProto, and HP discussing what the new HP 3D High Reusability TPA enabled by Evonik is capable of creating.

Evonik’s and HP’s TPA ready-to-use material is excellently suited for production of functional high-tech 3D plastic parts-prototypes as well as series products-that call for high extensibility and energy return, like sports equipment or automobile components.

(Source/Images: HP)