HP Metal Jet promises 50x gains for 3D printed production parts

Similar in operation to the company’s Multi Jet Fusion technology for plastics manufacturing, Metal Jet is a voxel-level binder jetting system that creates parts from a bed of powder, using metal in this case instead of polymers. Six printer heads precisely print binding agent to the metal powder on each pass. As layer upon layer is laid down to define the part, an energy source removes excess liquid and cures the part as it grows. Once complete, the ‘green part’ is then removed and finished using a standard sintering technique, while the remaining metal powder in the bed can be processed and reused. For now, the technology has been optimised for stainless steel, but the technology may be adapted for additional metals in the future.

The production bed of the machine measures 430 x 320 x 200mm and can accommodate multiple small parts or single larger components. According to HP, its Metal Jet technology is 50 times more productive than existing binder jetting and laser processes and has a significantly lower cost.