We always talk about transformation, and how we must transform, but we face various challenges:
1. Customers demand small batches with diverse, highly customized component products.
2. Too little time to respond to customer needs.
3. Difficult geometries to process, impossible with traditional manufacturing.
4. Variable or complex geometries, excessively high mold costs (time/manufacturing costs).
5. Demand for lightweighting without compromising product strength/functionality.
Processing time is thus infinitely occupied, an endless cycle...
The HP Jet Fusion 3D printing solution precisely redefines the design and manufacturing process. From accelerating design cycles to printing functional parts, to achieving effective quantitative production with repeatable part quality.
Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) is an additive manufacturing technology designed by HP. MJF belongs to the family of powder bed fusion technologies, which also includes Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and powder binder jetting technologies. It can produce prototypes with detailed functionality and low to medium volume production parts. Multi Jet Fusion printers create plastic parts that are relatively strong, highly detailed, and exhibit near mechanical isotropic properties.
How does an MJF 3D printer work?
The 3D printing technology used by HP is Multi Jet Fusion, and the forming steps are as follows:
1. Material is loaded into the 3D printer. The print carriage, programmed with digital instructions, starts and glides over the powder bed to begin production.
2. The inkjet array selectively applies fusing and detailing agents to the powder bed, which are then fused together by thermal energy to form a solid layer of the part's geometry.
3. Powder is dispensed by the material recoating unit, and this process is repeated layer by layer until the build is complete.
Principles of HP's Multi Jet Fusion Technology
➊Lay down the build powder
HP's proprietary architecture enables printing 30 million drops per second across every inch of the bed, achieving high precision and dimensional accuracy.
➋Jet fusing agent
Apply a fusing agent to the material layer to fuse particles together.
➌Jet detailing agent
Then apply a detailing agent to modify the fusion and create detailed and smooth surfaces.
➍Apply energy to the build area to melt the powder
The area is exposed to energy, and the reaction between the agents and the material causes the material to selectively fuse together to form the part.
Repeat➊——➍the process until all slices are processed. Note that the areas where detailing agent was jetted are not fused.
Advantages of Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D Printing
Fast Printing Speed
MJF is a rapid additive manufacturing technology, and this is the biggest highlight of HP 3D printers, surpassing ordinary technologies by 10 times. The diagram below shows that with the same 38 hours, the extrusion technology (=FDM Fused Deposition Modeling) on the left prints 460 units; the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology in the middle is slightly better, printing 1000 units; but the Multi Jet Fusion technology on the far right prints an astonishing 12,600 units, significantly outperforming the first two! This demonstrates HP's 3D printers can meet customers' short-term demands.
FDM & SLS & MJF Print Speed Comparison
High Toughness and Durability
The video below briefly verifies HP's amazing 3D printing quality. The team printed an oval part in just 30 minutes, and this part, weighing only about 113 grams, could withstand a 5-ton car!!!
Design Freedom
As MJF belongs to the powder bed fusion family of technologies, it does not require support structures because the powder provides support during printing. This allows for greater design freedom and no visible removal marks. Therefore, Multi Jet Fusion is very suitable for complex geometries. (Note that large flat areas should be avoided, as MJF does not handle them well. If large flat areas cannot be avoided, consider adding a lattice structure.)
High-Precision Printing
MJF can 3D print small features while retaining detail, with a minimum feature size of 0.02 inches or 0.5 millimeters. MJF can print layers at 80 microns.
Applications of HP MJF 3D Printers
Machinery & Transportation
• Battery cooling systems
• New car prototyping
• Interior parts (BMW window guides - 1 million pieces)
• New energy electric vehicles
• Drones
Healthcare
• Invisible braces (Invisalign, Smile Direct)
• Prosthetics, assistive devices
• Orthotic insoles, shoe soles
• Baby helmet for head reshaping
Industry & Services
• Clamps, jigs
• Robotic arms
• Rapid tooling
• Hardware tools
• CNC supplementation
• Exoskeletons
Consumer Products & Electronic Devices
• Customized glasses
• Designer home furnishings, lamps
• Fashion shoes, orthopedic shoes
• Sporting goods
- Contact Us -
To inquire about more filaments and 3D printers! We will help you make an informed choice based on your needs!
3DMART offers more than just 3D printing; we provide three major OEM services: "3D Printing Service", "3D Scanning Service", and "3D Environment Scanning Service"!!
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