New collaboration with L’Oréal; Growing global partner ecosystem scaling to production; HP Metal Jet progress continues ahead of commercial launch

FRANKFURT, GERMANY – This week at Formnext, the world’s largest additive manufacturing event, HP Inc. is showcasing new customers, expanded partner programs and ecosystem, and innovative production applications developed with its Multi Jet Fusion and Metal Jet 3D printing platforms. HP is collaborating with L’Oréal, the world’s largest cosmetics company, to scale industrial additive manufacturing and explore entirely new cosmetics packaging and applications. To meet the growing demand for more agile 3D production and mass personalization across industries, HP is also expanding its Digital Manufacturing Network (DMN) of parts providers.

“3D printing is unlocking new levels of personalization, business resiliency, sustainability, and market disruption,” said Didier Deltort, President of Personalization & 3D Printing, HP Inc. “HP is excited to reconvene with the additive manufacturing community at Formnext. Together with our partners and customers, we will continue to pave the path to mass production with advancements to our Multi Jet Fusion platform, the commercial launch of HP Metal Jet, and investments in software, services, and partner capabilities.”

L’Oréal and HP Collaborate to Makeover Cosmetics Industry

HP is collaborating with L’Oréal to increase production flexibility and to create innovative new packaging and customer experiences. L’Oréal turned to HP Multi Jet Fusion to quickly respond to shifts in its manufacturing processes and production lines. The companies worked together to quickly design and scale up large volumes of adjustable ‘pucks’ enabling L’Oreal to convey, fill products, and label them with better agility, resulting in a 33 percent cost reduction and 66 percent time savings. The ability to customize the pucks has also proven valuable throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing L’Oréal with added agility in response to changes in consumer purchasing behaviors. L’Oréal plans to use HP’s Digital Manufacturing Network to scale the pucks across its global supply chain, and meet its sustainability goals by efficiently producing the parts when and where they are needed.

At Formnext, L’Oréal and HP are showcasing examples of the custom pucks, as well as unique textures for luxury cosmetics only possible with HP’s 3D printing solutions. The companies are exploring the design and production of a variety of new applications that take advantage of the advanced capabilities of HP’s Multi Jet Fusion platform. The design of unique textures as well as innovative lattice packaging is a result of the joint collaboration between L’Oréal, HP, and the Alternative and Atomic Energies Commission, le Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies altertatives, (CEA) announced last year.

“Customer-centric innovation and sustainable products are at the center of all we do,” said Anne Debauge, Director of Digital Transformation, Packaging & Development, L’Oréal. “We share HP's vision to overcome our current limits through new technologies. 3D printing gives us this entrepreneurial freedom to offer new customer experiences. Thanks to this collaboration, we are already gaining in agility in our factories and wish to go further by creating new services.”

“Across large industries and new verticals such as cosmetics, our customers want to be more agile and address the growing demand for personalized products,” said Guayente Sanmartin, Global Head of HP’s Multi Jet Fusion business. “With more than 100 million parts produced and growing, we are proud of Multi Jet Fusion’s impact during these volatile times. Our work with L’Oréal is a bright example of the unlimited possibilities enabled by 3D printing. From increasing manufacturing flexibility to reimagining traditional products, there is an enormous opportunity to help transform markets.”

Path to Production: Parts Providers Taking Advantage of Services, Subscriptions, Software, and Automation

HP is expanding its global Digital Manufacturing Network with new certified parts providers, ensuring the highest standards for quality and reliability as demand grows for Multi Jet Fusion production. The network now includes both Manufacturing Partners and Multi Jet Fusion Production Professionals leveraging HP 3D printing solutions to design, produce, and deliver parts at scale. More than 30 new Multi Jet Fusion Production Professionals are delivering qualified local production services. To learn more about HP Digital Manufacturing Network partnership opportunities visit www.hp.com/go/DigitalManufacturingNetwork. 

To assist in the management and automation of complex 3D printing workflows and large-scale additive manufacturing fleets, HP Digital Manufacturing Network partners and parts providers such as Forecast 3D, Jawstec, Weerg, and ZiggZagg, are embracing HP’s portfolio of additive manufacturing offerings including 3D Factory Services, software solutions including HP 3D API and HP 3D Center, and hardware solutions such as HP Automatic Unpacking Station. ZiggZagg is also the latest partner to take advantage of HP’s 3D-as-a-Service (3DaaS) business model to more quickly scale by unlocking capital flexibility and improving business agility. The model proved hugely beneficial during the volatility of the COVID-19 pandemic and is being increasingly adopted across HP’s customer base.

HP and its customers are showcasing final parts and innovative new applications at Formnext in Hall 12.1 Booth D61:

• BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH and Oechsler AG: the companies have developed a fully custom 3D-printed full bucket auto seat using Multi Jet Fusion and the BASF ULTRASINT TPU01 powder. Oechsler has developed a unique elastomeric lattice design ideal for luxury and sports cars automotive seats and highly custom features.
• Impress: the largest technology-driven European orthodontic chain, is using the HP Jet Fusion 5210 solution to help scale production of clear dental aligners in its new production facility located in Spain.
• 2021 Purmundus Challenge Finalists: the following customers have used Multi Jet Fusion to develop applications recognized in this year’s Purmundus Challenge. Winners will be announced at Formnext.
• ATHOS: preparing to commercialize the perfect personalized climbing shoe, providing unmatched comfort and better performance.
• Glaze Prosthetics: the durability, light weight, and ability to personalize the Symbious active hand has exceeded the expectations of upper limb amputees.
• Odisei Music: this travel sax is the world’s smallest and lightest electronic saxophone and has more than 1200 users around the globe.

Disrupting Metals Manufacturing with HP Metal Jet

HP will also be showcasing momentum around its Metal Jet platform at Formnext, including new parts and progress with partners like GKN and Volkswagen. Volkswagen is integrating HP Metal Jet produced final parts for the A pillar of the T-Roc Cabriolet. The structural parts have passed crash test certification and weigh almost 50 percent less than conventional components. As HP continues to validate production applications with partners and customers it is moving toward broader commercial Metal Jet availability in 2022.

“Our early Metal Jet partners and customers such as GKN, Parmatech, Volkswagen, Cobra Golf, and others, are successfully demonstrating our metals mass production advantage,” said Ramon Pastor, Global Head of HP’s 3D metals business. “As we continue to advance our technology, materials, and capabilities, we remain on track to launch in 2022. We look forward to delivering industry leading efficiency, cost savings, and design freedom to help the industry accelerate and scale digital manufacturing.”

In addition to displaying a variety of HP Metal Jet parts at Formnext in Hall 12.1 Booth D61, HP and GKN will conduct a session ‘Value Added Capability of HP Metal Jet Technology’ on November 18 at 2 pm at the TCT Introducing Stage located in Hall 12.0 Booth E41. HP Metal Jet is also a finalist in the 2021 Purmundus Challenge. Learn more about the future of Metals 3D Printing here.

Learn More By Joining HP at Formnext

HP and its customers and partners will be showcasing innovative parts and applications at the HP booth as well as conducting several Formnext sessions at the TCT Introducing Stage, including:

Nov. 16 at 2 pm: HP and Oechsler session ‘Oechsler Journey to Manufacturing with HP Multi Jet Fusion'
Nov. 17 at 2 pm: HP and OT4 session ‘3D Printable and Customizable Orthoses for the Perfect Fit'
Nov. 19 at 11 am: HP and EVEREX Engineering ‘Reimagining Medical Devices'