Q&A 3D materials innovation key to the digital reinvention

This week at RAPID+TCT 2017, the world’s largest show dedicated to additive manufacturing, HP demonstrated the growth of its 3D Printing business and scale of the Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing technology with new customers and partners. Among the highlights, HP revealed the addition of a new partner to its open ecosystem for 3D printing materials and applications: the German chemical and consumer goods giant, Henkel AG & Co. Henkel joins Arkema, BASF, Evonik and Lehmann & Voss on the journey to accelerate 3D materials innovation and lower costs.

We caught up with Fabio Annunziata, HP's business director for 3D materials, to learn more about why HP considers open materials development so important to the digital reinvention of manufacturing. Below is an edited interview:

Q: Why is HP putting so much emphasis on 3D printing materials?

Annunziata:  First, some context, 3D printing has been around for decades, but it has primarily been limited to prototyping and tooling. We are now at a tipping point in the industry. HP is eyeing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We are intent on disrupting the $12 trillion manufacturing space with technology that shifts the economics and part quality toward full-scale manufacturing and just-in-time production.

Now, there are of course a number of triggers that are required to capture that opportunity. One of them is 3D materials. The industry must expand the palette of engineering-grade, multi-purpose thermoplastics needed to meet rigid manufacturing specifications that vary based on the end-use application. Today, there is not enough materials available at cost points that enable the market to grow. However, I predict that with an open approach to materials development, with a catalyst like the HP Open Platform, we will see a thriving ecosystem for 3D printing materials and applications in three to five years. Maybe even sooner.

Q: Tell us more about the current HP Open Platform ecosystem.

Annunziata: Just as it rings true for the 3D printing industry overall, one vendor alone cannot offer the thousands of materials needed for 3D printing to go mainstream. It’s going to take a much larger bench of companies producing materials in almost every imaginable color, strength, weight, consistency, permeability and durability. And we’re going to have to continue looking for ways to drive down material costs so the cost-per-part for production gets low enough to entice manufacturers to deploy 3D printers in full-scale production. This will take a village and strong collaboration with the most knowledgeable and innovative material companies in the world, and we’re committed to building it.