HP has taken another big step towards its goal of an open source materials ecosystem for 3D printing
With the launch of the industry’s first 3D printing Material Development Kit (MDK), HP has shown its drive to accelerate testing and certification of innovative new materials from its partners.
An ‘App Store’ ecosystem is envisaged, with HP marshalling the materials of the future from suppliers – such as BASF and Evonik – already working with the manufacturing industry today to produce end part products.
Expanding the development and lowering the cost of advanced 3D printing materials and applications is viewed as the critical catalyst for the “digital reinvention of the global manufacturing industry”, and given the potential for 3D printing to grown into this market, HP is driving the charge for materials development.
The HP MDK aids certification of material spread
The MDK will enable companies interested in certifying their materials to quickly test 3D powder spread-ability and compatibility with HP Jet Fusion 3D printers prior to submitting the materials to HP for testing.
A physical box, with a spread function makes up the bulk of the kit, which might appear simple, but such an aid has been shown to cut development time drastically.
Building on its open platform vision and leveraging more than four decades of its own printing innovation, HP has also opened a state-of-the-art laboratory to help companies develop, test and deliver the next generation of materials and applications for 3D printing.
Located in Oregon, USA, the new HP 3D Open Materials and Applications Lab will offer partners a range of equipment and in-house expertise to accelerate materials and applications innovation, which it bills as critical to quickening the evolution and adoption of 3D printing technologies.
“At BASF, our goal is to enable customers to produce resilient and functional parts through the use of innovative material solutions,” said Kara Noack, head of 3D-Printing North America, BASF.
“Using the HP Open Platform and its one-of-a-kind testing lab in Corvallis to accelerate material development is helping to unlock the potential of 3D printing.
“The open platform gives BASF an opportunity to collaborate with customers, and together with HP, accelerate not only the material market, but also 3D-printing adoption within manufacturing.”
The MDK is available now.
