HP Revolutionizes the 3D Printing Industry With New Multi Jet Fusion Technology

Today, HP, a long-standing titan in the technology sector, unveiled its Multi Jet Fusion—a groundbreaking 3D printing technology set to redefine the boundaries of mass production. This innovative technology marks a significant departure from traditional 3D printing, typically employed for swift prototyping, as it unlocks new potentials for 3D printing in bulk.

The newly launched industrial 3D printer, not much larger than a standard washing machine, boasts efficiencies that will undoubtedly shake the foundations of 3D printing. It operates at a speed that outperforms current market offerings by a whopping factor of 10 and operates at 50% less cost. These game-changing capabilities aren’t all; the printer also offers impressive flexibility, accommodating a plethora of both colors and materials in its production.

Alongside the unveiling of the Multi Jet Fusion, HP also introduced Sprout, an immersive computing platform that combines a plethora of capabilities into one compact desktop device. Sprout incorporates a 23-inch touchscreen monitor, horizontal capacitive touch mat, scanner, top-spec camera, and projector. This comprehensive toolkit allows users to upload physical objects into a virtual realm, where they can interact with a multitude of development applications, and subsequently send them to Multi Jet Fusion for on-demand, physical production.

What makes Sprout even more appealing is its collaborative features allowing multiple developers or artists simultaneously to work on the same project, substantially enhancing the fluidity of group ventures. Given these features, Sprout, while compatible with the new 3D platform, is geared to function more as a multifaceted design gear catering to artists and engineers alike.

Interested customers can pre-order Sprout via HP’s official website from today. The platform will hit retail stores beginning November 8, priced at $1,899.

By introducing technologies like the Multi Jet Fusion and Sprout, HP is proving its commitment to advancing the industry’s shift toward “blended reality” where the borders between the physical and digital worlds are fluid. Dion Weisler, executive vice president of HP Printing & Personal Systems, envisions a future where users can effortlessly shift physical objects into the digital world, manipulate them and materialize them as new products once again—in effect, making reality a dynamic canvas for creativity. This intent was made clear at the New York press event where he confidently proclaimed, “We will forever change the landscape of 3D printing and will indeed create the tools that will trigger the next industrial revolution.”

As for the specs of the Multi Jet Fusion, the machine employs a print bar sporting 30,000 nozzles that can spray a staggering 350 million drops per second of thermoplastic or other materials onto the print platform. By utilizing a proprietary multi-agent printing process known as “Thermal Inkjet Arrays,” the printer can simultaneously apply multiple liquid agents, ensuring enhanced accuracy, resiliency, and uniform part strength in all three axis directions.

The Multi Jet Fusion printer will be available to beta customers at the start of next year, and general availability is expected in 2016.

HP’s innovative 3D printing technology and immersive computing platform are poised to drive a new era in the industry, fusing the realms of physicality and digitality like never before. Read more about it [here](http://www.computerworld.com/article/2840555/hp-embraces-blended-reality-dives-into-3d-printing.html).