Engineers flock around the HP Jet Fusion 4200 on a recent open day at the MTC in Coventry
A gauntlet of tests and scenarios are already being lined-up at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, as it takes the wrappers off its new HP Jet Fusion 4200 3D printer.
The machine forms part of a comprehensive technology line-up at the UK’s National Centre for Additive Manufacturing and will be available to all companies interested in testing the technology.
Being the first company to buy a specific 3D printer is not news in this age, but with the Coventry-based MTC having links to all manufacturing industries, its outcomes could be key to the technology’s advancement.
Supplied by the MTC’s newest technology partner, Europac 3D, the printer will support the MTC’s SME engagement program, as well as taking part in internal research projects with members to determine equipment capability – mechanical, dimensional accuracy, and surface finish of the prints, plus assessing the limitations of the process.
Chris Ryall, operations manager, additive manufacturing at the MTC, said of the new HP technology: “By housing one of the printers here at the National Centre we are able to open the use of it to industry, allowing them to explore and test the latest technologies and see what benefits 3D printing may be able to offer their operations.”
“We could think of no better place to install the first machine than at the MTC,” added Europac 3D managing director John Beckett.
“It is at the forefront of manufacturing technology and provides an ideal location for organisations to see the machines and examine how they can be applied to reduce costs or improve production speeds.”
