Industrial Automation Magazine India

In less than 4 years, HP 3D Printing has printed more 3D printed parts that ever before

Published on : Thursday 01-10-2020

HP MJF equipment is highly suited for mass production

Barbara Arnold-Feret, Co-Leader, HP 3DP Network of Women Partnership Committee.

Will the Covid crisis act as a boost or is it in fact causing a temporary setback to Additive Manufacturing?
The Covid crisis has been both, since some industries have taken a hit with their regular expansion planning and economic results. However, here at HP 3D Printing, we have seen an increase of 3D printing used in many applications both in Covid-19 protective gear a well as plugging supply chain gaps in general manufacturing. The effect overall has been to heighten awareness, approach existing parts with new methods of manufacturing as well as develop new products meant to help. In less than 4 years, HP 3D printing has printed more 3D printed parts that ever before and that growth is continuing.

Additive Manufacturing is presently confined to low volume, high value, customised jobs. How can it become more broad based?
HP’s approach to 3D printing has never been low volume and prototyping only parts. In contrast, HP 3D printing has printed over 4 million different parts for Covid-19 response since the pandemic hit in full force and over more than 10 million parts in less than 3 years on our equipment. HP MJF equipment is highly suited for mass production, high volumes and plugging supply chain gaps. During the pandemic when manufacturers faced disruption and widespread shortages due to supplier shutdowns or logistical problems, HP 3D parts providers stepped into the gaps in manufacturing as well as took on new product development. In industries ranging from automotive to electronics to consumer products and more, using design adopted for 3D printing allowed finding new parts, designs that enhanced the products by combining several parts into one, using computational fluid dynamics to build manifolds with a more organic design and better flow, hybrid parts that combine traditional manufacturing with additive methods and more. 3D printing made parts that previously had been un-manufacturable due to the complexity of the tooling or details that could not be made in traditional plastics processing.

User industries are demanding open ecosystems for greater flexibility rather than being restricted by lack of choice with single vendor. Is this the way forward?
I am assuming your question refers to material selections and an ability to supply ‘open market’ materials into equipment used in additive manufacturing. This is a complex question, with many factors involved. One area cited but often forgotten is the need to have the material function properly and consistently in the equipment for which the 3D printed parts is being built. Unless the material has all the factors lined up for performance each time, in each batch, in every particle, build failures can result. Those failures can cause frustration and loss of time and money. The user can become very frustrated – the material supplier claims the problems is not theirs, the equipment supplier claims the materials is at fault, etc. In the end, the build fails, the users loses and no one can be blamed.

At HP, we presently use an open platform where materials from selected and qualified partners are used in the equipment. These materials are approved and certified to perform in our equipment to assure reliance, ease of use and fitness for use. Materials are just one portion of this complex issue in that materials, hardware, software, materials conditioning, whether outside factors such as environmental factors can affect the build, hardware, operator expertise and more play into the question. Another aspect, in industrial printing, adjusting for each build when you are doing high volumes is no practical; you need to have materials that is easy to set up and print without little or no prep. With open source, prep is a part of almost every build since the material can vary even within a batch.

Will Additive Manufacturing lead to an era of on demand manufacturing and revolutionise the supply chain with virtual inventories?
HP 3DP and our users are already seeing on demand and virtual inventory in customers that use MJF technology. Benefits seem to be multiplying daily, particularity with global manufacturing locations, being able to decrease the need for tool storage, being able to redesign on the fly, do multiple versions of a design, do test marketing of different versions of a products and more. Overall, this means we are just starting to dip our toes in the waters.

One of the significant issues is managing the IP rights and payments – how do original designers get compensated. Can this be resolved?
HP has dedicated resources regarding IP and surrounding work. For more information in this area and on this question, please contact our corporate legal team since this isn't an area of my expertise.

Are there adequate procedures presently to regulate the industry in terms of standards and traceability?
Several industry groups are addressing this area including those from the ASTM, ASME, and more. HP is involved in those areas and continues to assist. Your feedback on how INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION, magazine, the technology platform is doing being an industry voice and promoting/covering technologies. Covering a rapid changing technology area is always challenging. I congratulate Industrial Automation for being one of the media outlets that is attempting to keep up and keep all of us informed.

Barbara Arnold-Feret is an Additive Manufacturing and Plastics Professional with over 30 years in plastics and additive manufacturing, Barbara brings a diverse background to her championing of 3D printing in manufacturing. With over 65 published papers, numerous awards and a 3D printed sample part usually at hand, her belief in additive manufacturing is well known. A members of various trade and professional associations, she is a honoured service member (HSM) of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE,) former chair of the Product Design and Development Division and North Texas Section, member of the board for the Mold Technologies Division of SPE and former divisional Governance Councillor, 2012 SPE Mold Designer of the Year as well as President’s Cup honoree of SPE. Past Chair of the SME Plastics Coatings and Composites Technical area, and a member of SME’s New Technology Council, Barbara has been a tireless champion of 3D printing and advancing the role of plastics in manufacturing. Presently she is Co-Leader of the HP 3DP Network of Women Partnership Committee, and a member of the leadership team for the HP Society of Women Engineers. Her past career includes sales, operations and project management for major injection moulders, thermoforming, rotational moulding, polyurethanes, resins, mold making, and tool and die. Her specialties include experience in SLA, SLS, FDM, PolyJet, MJF, rapid tooling, and how 3D printing fits into manufacturing.