“Recent advances in technology have created new excitement and growing awareness for 3D printing as a relevant, complementary manufacturing technology that will help to transform the factory floor,” says Fried Vancraen, founder and CEO of Materialise. “Triggered by potential design optimisations and the ability to scale and achieve mass-customisation, manufacturers recognise the economic advantages, and are preparing for full-scale 3D printing production runs. Together, Materialise and HP are innovating to eliminate restrictions surrounding 3D printing, creating a more open market model that offers manufacturers greater choice, better control and lower cost, ultimately leading to increased adoption.”
Christoph Schell, president, HP 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing, adds: “We value the long-standing collaboration we’ve had with Materialise since entering the 3D printing industry in 2016, and recognise the shared vision to help accelerate the journey to digital manufacturing for our customers. Combining our approaches to software, data intelligence, and 3D printing will lead to the design and production of entirely new classes of applications across industries that include automotive, medical and consumer goods.”
Among the initiatives set out by companies is the integration of a new version of the Materialise Build Processor to support the full range of machines in the HP Jet Fusion 3D printing portfolio, including the newly announced Jet Fusion 5200 and Jet Fusion 500/300 series. Materialise’s Build Processor provides a seamless connection between the Materialise Magics 3D print suite and HP Jet Fusion 3D printers, enabling advanced data preparation, improved operations management and production monitoring. In combination with Materialise Streamics software, users will be able to store relevant build data for improved traceability. The Materialise Build Processor for the HP Jet Fusion portfolio will be available in the second half of 2019
Another initiative sees free access to the Materialise Magics Essentials software for a period of six months for any customer purchasing an HP Jet Fusion 500/300 series 3D printer. Customers can take advantage of the free trial to leverage the colour and texture handling of Materialise’s data preparation software, in combination with the full spectrum colour capabilities of the HP Jet Fusion 500/300 series. With Materialise Magics Essentials software, users can import a number of file formats, including colour and texture information, easily apply textures or colours on marked areas, and retain native colour information and textures during model repair.
The work also sees certification of HP Jet Fusion 580/380 3D printing solutions as part of Materialise’s programme to test and validate 3D printing technology as being fully compatible with the latest version of Materialise Mimics and Mimics inPrint software. This certification allows medical professionals to use HP Jet Fusion 580/380 3D printers, in combination with Mimics software technology, to print robust, full-colour anatomical models for diagnostic and surgical planning processes, delivering broad benefits for patient-specific care. Cardiac, orthopedic and cranio maxillofacial models, complete with vascular structure, have been historically difficult to 3D print.
“Materialise and HP are working to address potential challenges for healthcare providers by ensuring their 3D operations are fully compatible and able to meet quality standards for developing and printing patient-specific 3D anatomical models,” says Lee Dockstader, director of vertical market development, HP 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing. “Leading hospitals are adopting integrated 3D printing services as part of their medical practices, as they recognise the added value it brings to personalised patient care. This joint effort supports the creation of point-of-care 3D printing facilities in hospitals, a critical step forward for advancing 3D printing in healthcare.”
Bryan Crutchfield, vice president and general manager of Materialise North America, adds: “I am proud of our leadership to move 3D printing forward for the healthcare industry. Materialise was the first company in the world to receive FDA clearance for software intended to 3D print anatomical models for diagnostic and surgical planning purposes.”
