Many have been speculating about the possibility for some time, but now it has finally happened – HP 3D Printers have entered the market.
HP 3D Printers were announced with the launch of its first HP Designjet 3D printing solution aimed at the mechanical computer aided design (MCAD) and educational markets.
Seeking to help design professionals achieve faster time to market and cost savings during product development and reduce the need to outsource their 3D printing requirements, the HP Designjet 3D printer lets users produce plastic 3D models in their office rather than in a workshop or shop floor environment.
Available in two models, HP 3D Printers are claiming the lowest total cost of ownership in its class, the HP Designjet 3D printer creates models in ivory coloured HP Designjet 3D ABS Material, while the HP Designjet Color 3D printer can produce single colour parts, using eight different colours.
“The HP Designjet 3D printing solution offers the ideal combination of affordability, model quality and usability,” says Santiago Morera, large format printing business vice president and GM, HP. “The affordability of the HP Designjet 3D printers means that businesses that choose these products are likely to see a return on investment very quickly. If they are outsourcing just five to ten models per month, the printer can pay for itself in one year.”
By eliminating the need for special disposal methods, the accompanying HP Designjet Removal System makes the HP 3D Printers solution truly office-ready. Designed with the office environment in mind, the printers produce models that are ready-to-handle without gloves, and the printing and post-processing of the models is automatic, withno manual finishing necessary.
Produced using recyclable ABS plastic, the models created on the HP Designjet 3D Printer Series are highly durable,b functional and precise, therefore users can count on printed output that’s always true to the original design. Models can be usable and pre-assembled with moving parts, providing prototypes ideal for fit, form and functional testing.
HP’s Eric Ericsson, 3D Printer Product Marketing Manager, explained: “Multiple parts can be printed at the same time and that you can print at any orientation you want to.”
Josep Congost, Design Manager of Roca, one of the Worlds, leading bathroom design companies, based in Barcelona, comments: “We found that fit and form testing is a critical part of the design process, and the HP Designjet 3D printing solution allows us to do this affordably, easily and comfortably in our office. 3D printing allows us to speed up our design processes and drive more product launches per year.”
The HP Designjet 3D Printer is manufactured exclusively for HP by Stratasys, based on the Dimension uPRINT product, and will be available during May 2010 in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Availability in other countries will be announced at a later date.
What do you think of the new HP 3D Printers?
