3D Printing

HP 3D printer now prints in color

HP Inc. expanded its 3D printing portfolio with the introduction of the Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series of 3D printers, an HP 3D printer that now prints parts in full color. This enables manufacturers to produce engineering-grade, functional parts in full color or black or white. Depending on configuration and color preference, the Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series is available starting in the $50,000s.

hp 3d printer

The Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series is for manufacturing environments. Users can prototype and produce new designs on the same platform. The build size is 7.5 x 10 x 9.8 in. for the 300 Series, and 7.5 x 13.1 x 9.8 in. for the 500 series. Layer thickness is 0.08 mm.   A full build chamber of 52 parts at 10% packing density will be printed in about 15 hours. On average, the printers print 5 parts in about four hours.

“HP is committed to democratizing 3D design and manufacturing, unleashing new possibilities for millions of innovators around the world,” said Stephen Nigro, President of 3D Printing, HP Inc. “No matter your industry, no matter your design complexity, no matter what colors fit your business needs – black, white, or the full color spectrum – the new HP Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series gives you the freedom to create brilliant new parts liberated from the constraints of traditional production methods.”

The HP 3D printer enables designers to control the characteristics of each three-dimensional pixel, which the company terms “voxel control.” With the new printers, this control includes color. HP is already engaging in the co-development of new color applications with universities and businesses including Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Yazaki Corp., and Youngstown State University, among others.

“At Phoenix Children’s Hospital, we strive to create personalized experiences benefitting the long-term well-being of our patients,” said Dr. Justin Ryan, Cardiac 3D Print Lab, Phoenix Children’s Hospital. “From visually-appealing casts and corrective devices, to custom surgical guides, to interactive and personalized anatomical models, we see tremendous value in the design possibilities and accurate and durable parts from HP’s new 3D printers.”

hp 3d printer
The capability of the Jet Fusion 300 / 500 3D printer to build organ models, such as one showing a complex defect in a child’s heart, enables surgeons at Phoenix Children’s Hospital to select the best surgical path as well as help explain the procedure to the child’s family. Data courtesy of Phoenix Children’s Hospital; Heart of Jemma.

Printer details

This new HP 3D printer has a compact design, enhanced workflow process, and an integrated and automated material delivery system. These features enable unattended operation and increased production efficiency and output. The series also supports the three leading color file formats (OBJ, VRML, and 3MF).

The HP Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series offerings include:

  • HP Jet Fusion 340 (Black and White) / 380 (Color): for customers who have smaller part-size needs or who commonly print fewer parts per build.
  • HP Jet Fusion 540 (Black and White) / 580 (Color): with a bigger build size than the 300 series for customers with larger part-size needs or heavier production demands.

Materials development

This HP 3D printer will launch with a new material, HP 3D High Reusability CB PA 12. Parts using this material will have mechanical properties similar to the HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 material from HP’s industrial solutions.

hp 3d printer
HP Multi Jet Fusion technology features voxel-level control, a feature that enables designers to control properties and characteristics of the 3D print process to build their exact design. This control now extends to color with the newly introduced Jet Fusion 300 / 500 3D printers. Data courtesy of Invent Medical and NACAR

Leveraging HP’s Open Platform for materials and applications development, HP will work with its growing materials ecosystem to grow the material breadth and drive costs down. The Jet Fusion 300 / 500 series will ultimately support similar materials as the Jet Fusion 3200/4200/4210, and also support unique materials that enable color or other voxel-level capabilities.

The HP 3D printer is available for order today and will begin shipping in the second half of 2018. For complete details and technical specifications please visit HP.com/go/Color3DPrint.

HP Inc.
hp.com