HP is getting very serious about 3D printing at industrial volumes. The company’s 3D printing technologies are being used to produce car parts, medical devices and footwear too. We speak to Alex Lalumiere, Director of Client Sales of 3D Printing Asia Pacific and Japan.
For all the buzz surrounding 3D printing, companies had for many years struggled to find ways to incorporate the technology into large-scale manufacturing operations.
High equipment and material costs were notable barriers to implementation.
But HP Inc wants to change that through its 3D printing solutions.
The American printer manufacturer is making significant inroads into the 3D printing space at industrial volumes across the automotive, industrial, medical and consumer sectors.
For instance, BMW Group is using HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers to manufacturer window guide rails for its i8 Roadster, while Volkswagen is using HP’s technology for both plastic and metal applications to produce car parts.
If you look at the market sizing of 3D printing, it is coming around to be twenty billion dollars worldwide. On the other hand, the manufacturing sector is a twelve trillion dollar industry. That is a huge opportunity for us
In the retail segment, Nike has partnered with HP to come up with a 3D-printed sneaker.
Back in 2016, pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson was among the first to partner with HP integrate 3D printing into the development of medical devices.
“Recently there has been technological advances that has given the ability for people to print parts that are functional, parts that can be used in a production environment.” says Alex Lalumiere, Director of Client Sales of 3D Printing Asia Pacific and Japan.
“It is a technology that significantly reduces the costs per part and producing very functional parts, suitable for any environment,” says Lalumiere.
The game changer, however, is the company’s latest Metal Jet 3D printing technology that prints mechanically functional metal parts for mass production.
HP boasts that the technology promises up to 50 times more productivity at half the cost compared to existing 3D-printing solutions.
“If you look at the market sizing of 3D printing, it is coming around to be twenty billion dollars worldwide. On the other hand, the manufacturing sector is a twelve trillion dollar industry. That is a huge opportunity for us,” he adds.
“3D Printing industry is undergoing a transformation and we want people to come together to transform an industry which will really make a difference.”
“It is a whole ecosystem that we are participating in, and when that ecosystem is mature enough, we can see the industry grow and really drive the adoption into the manufacturing sector.”