HP Puts Innovation and Sustainability at the Heart of Formnext 2023

Formnext is in full swing and the entire AM world has its eyes turned towards Frankfurt to get a picture of the most important event of the year. One company that should definitely not be missed is HP Inc. It is certain that HP will draw attention at Formnext this year with its innovations and announcements just as it has done in the past. In 2021, HP focused on the importance of material development and discussed the 5-year plan of the company and its technologies. The company understood that AM would be the driving force of Industry 4.0 and revealed its intentions to play an important role in this. The best talent, research and partnerships would go towards making it possible.

With the presentation of the HP Metal Jet S100 solutions and partnerships with Legor Group and Volkswagen, among others, we were already able to get an impression of this plan back in 2022. Now HP is looking to continue to develop its technologies and stay true to its mission. This year at Formnext 2023, HP will be focusing on innovation and sustainability, based on three pillars: an expanded product portfolio, sustainable manufacturing and automation. We will take a closer look at what these pillars entail.

As in previous years, HP will be presenting numerous innovations at Formnext this year. (Credits: HP)

HP to Show Off Expanded Product Portfolio at Formnext 2023

We are already familiar with HP’s renowned polymer solutions, which include the 5200 and 5400 series. Now, with the introduction of the new HP Jet Fusion 5600 series, this portfolio is set to be expanded, making the Multi Jet Fusion process more repeatable, reliable and customizable. This will also provide a cost advantage for companies that choose additive manufacturing using the Multi Jet Fusion technology.

François Minec, Global Head of 3D Polymers, Personalization & 3D Printing at HP underlines the importance of sustainable collaboration stating, “We’re thrilled to see esteemed companies such as BMW, Protolabs and Prototal leverage HP’s evolving solutions. These collaborations are a testament to our commitment to advancing technology for the betterment of industries worldwide.” This brings us to the second of this year’s three focuses for the company: sustainability.

HP introduced the HP Jet Fusion 5600 Series at Formnext. (Credits: HP)

HP Focuses on Sustainability at All Levels

As mentioned, HP is pursuing sustainability on several levels. Notably innovative materials, new hardware, software and long-term, sustainable partnerships aim to pave the way for this milestone. We have already touched on the new printing solutions HP has presented at the current Formnext 2023. In addition to these commercial solutions for polymers and metals for sustainable additive manufacturing, HP will also be presenting new software for calculating the carbon footprint of specific printed parts. The Carbon Footprint Calculator tool underpins HP’s commitment to transparency and knowledge sharing. Savi Baveja, President of Personalization and 3D Printing at HP expanded: “We are on a path to redefine sustainable 3D printing, pushing the boundaries of innovation and empowering industries to create a greener, more agile future. Our commitment to sustainability is at the core of our vision.”

3D printing is not possible without materials, and HP also shines in this area in terms of sustainable approaches. Indeed, HP is working to promote a circular economy with take-back programs. One of these, PU01 Second Life, will also strengthen cooperation with long-time materials partner BASF. HP is also increasingly focusing on materials made from renewable resources and with less energy. Together with Arkema, HP is developing bio-based materials made with renewable castor oil and using biomethane to further reduce carbon footprint. With Evonik, HP is doubling down on sustainability by developing the 3D High Reusability PA12. Made using renewable energy during production, the material can help reduce the carbon footprint of commonly used PA12 material by 49% without altering its properties. Arkema also offers the Take Back program, providing solutions for companies to recycle both powders and components. Decathlon, a leader in sustainable manufacturing for consumer products is an active user of this program.

DECATHLON has consistently been committed to developing sustainable practices in consumer products. In June this year, for example, a sustainable 3D-printed sports shoe was created together with HP and Lonati. The three companies are also evaluating the environmental impact of additively manufactured products and discussing how the carbon footprint could be reduced.

This sustainable sports shoe was created through a collaboration of HP, DECATHLON and Lonati. (Image courtesy of DECATHLON)

Furthermore, for DECATHLON, the use of HP technologies is key to this: “Additive manufacturing, specifically with the Multi Jet Fusion technology, offers us the ability to not only extend the lifecycle of our sports products through on-demand spare part production, enhancing their durability and upgradability, but also plays a pivotal role in mitigating the environmental impact of our manufacturing processes. These environmental considerations regarding raw materials and the printing process significantly influence our choice of current and future materials and technologies.”

HP pushes automation and integrated software options for 3D printing processes at Formnext

HP also announced several strategic partnerships at Formnext, including Siemens, Materialise and Autodesk. With Siemens, for example, HP worked on advanced process development software and automation hardware to ensure more efficient production with less downtime. Meanwhile, with Materialise, HP aims to advance 3D volume printing and integrate HP technologies with Materialise’s CO-AM software platform, which helps track print jobs and improve quality control and machine utilization. Meanwhile, the partnership with Autodesk aims to bundle Autodesk Fusion  with HP Multi Jet Fusion and Metal Jet printers to provide integrated design and manufacturing solutions.

Another revolutionary project unveiled at this year’s Formnext is AM I Navigator. In addition to HP, other leading companies involved in the AM I Navigator initiative include Siemens, DyeMansion, BASF Forward AM and EOS. This holistic model maps the industrialization stages of the AM industry and increases interoperability in additive manufacturing. From materials to machines to automation, AM I Navigator defines the different stages of the process chain. This common model will be used to find ways to scale and integrate additive manufacturing into conventional production processes.

HP announced numerous partnerships at Formnext 2023, including one to drive AM process automation. (Credits: HP)

Although we saw a lot of polymer news from HP at Formnext, it should be noted that HP is also pushing its metal solutions. Actually, HP continues to invest in HP Metal Jet and has seen strong momentum with industry leaders such as GKN Additive, Sandvik,  Elnik, and Elnik’s sister company, DSH Technologies. All these collaborations underscore HP’s commitment to advancing 3D printing technology and materials.

To learn more about HP’s approach to innovation and sustainability, visit HP at Formnext. You will find the company representatives in Hall 12.1 at Booth D41. You will also have the opportunity to get a glimpse at some of the panel discussions HP will be participating in, which you can find on the 3Dnatives agenda of the event. Otherwise, you can find the latest info from HP on their website HERE.

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