HP and Siemens have combined to offer an “integrated” additive manufacturing solution for manufacturing companies, with the likes of VW and Jaguar Land Rover in the wings.
The initiative, drawing on Siemens’ digital factory offer and HP’s additive printing systems, notably its new Jet Fusion 5200 Series 3D printing solution, will enable industrial companies to bring 3D printed parts to market faster, more cost-effectively, and at higher volumes, they said.
It integrates hardware, software, data intelligence, and services to optimise the efficiency of the manufacturing process, from digital-twin design and simulation through to production planning, execution, quality, and control.
Each phase of designing and printing serialised 3D parts is streamlined, the pair said, affording greater scale, higher quality, and less waste. The solution leverages Siemens’ Teamcenter product for product lifecycle management (PLM), Simatic for manufacturing execution, and MindSphere for performance analytics and industrial IoT.
Automotive manufacturers are prime targets. German auto-maker Volkswagen has already signed up.
Klaus Helmrich, chief executive of Siemens’ digital industries division, said: “Innovative partnerships and cutting-edge technologies are essential for the digital transformation of companies across industries.
Siemens and HP are thinking ahead to the future and are bringing together the best from both companies [to] accelerate the adoption of industrial additive manufacturing and help customers increase flexibility, efficiency, and speed of digital manufacturing.”
Christoph Schell, president of 3D printing and digital manufacturing at HP, said: “HP and Siemens share the vision that digital manufacturing systems are catalysts for change – expanded software, data, services, and industrial production solutions that lead to new manufacturing capabilities, innovative applications, and breakthrough business results for our customers.”
Schell added: ”HP and Siemens are building on a vision first established in 2016. Today, thanks to advances in HP’s 3D printing systems and data intelligence portfolio and Siemens AM offerings, the integrated end-to-end solution has reached a level of efficiency that enables industries to viably 3D print high-quality parts at volume production.”
Martin Goede, head of technology planning and development at Volkswagen, said: ”We see enormous opportunities for digital manufacturing technologies to speed our innovation cycle, bring new products to market faster, and improve our manufacturing efficiency and sustainability. We look forward to collaborating with HP and Siemens to explore more 3D printed applications that help us deliver even greater experiences for our customers.”
HP’s new Jet Fusion 5200 Series introduces new systems, data intelligence, software, services, and materials innovations. It is the firm’s most advanced industrial printing solution to date.
Schell said: “The fourth industrial revolution is one of the most transformative forces in our lifetime. New technology innovations will be required, new partnership models will emerge, and new modes of doing business will unfold. HP is committed to helping customers with diverse manufacturing needs turn change into opportunity. The broadening of our portfolio, coupled with expanded alliances and our new digital manufacturing network, are important accelerators of our digital manufacturing journey.”
HP has also introduced a new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), called ULTRASINT, developed by BASF, to expand the breadth of final-parts applications for customers on the new Jet Fusion 5200 Series systems. The new TPU is ideal for flexible and elastic parts.
A number of companies across the automotive, industrial, consumer goods, and manufacturing sectors claim to be exploring new Jet Fusion 5200 Series applications, including Avid Product Development, BASF, Jaguar Land Rover, Kupol, Materialise, Sculpteo, Prodartis, and Vestas.
Ben Wilson, additive manufacturing manager at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “The transition to an autonomous, connected electric and shared future and the journey to Industry 4.0 are central to our future strategy. Our work to advance knowledge and in-house capability in 3D printing has been an important step towards production of quality parts to support current and aftermarket customers.
“The continuation of this collaboration through the early use of the new HP Jet Fusion 5200 3D printing platform will help us to better understand opportunities to unlock new application areas whilst supporting investigations to advance the productivity, efficiency and reliability of the technology.”
