The firm aims to shift decision makers’ perception of additive manufacturing and to show them that they can use 3D printing as a regular, stable and cost-effective manufacturing process that can be embedded in their supply chains.
The company began its life printing mainly prototypes using stereolithography (SLA) desktop machines. As it built its client base and trust with its customers, the range of jobs expanded to include 3D scanning and reverse engineering, to name a few. And increasingly, customers were asking for production-grade parts. But there was a problem.
The desktop SLA printers, from a range of manufacturers, were not up to the job of producing parts that could be used in high-stress applications. The company needed to invest in additive-manufacturing technology that was up to the job of producing production-ready parts and stand comparison with anything a client might create using injection moulding.
To manage the expansion, Printing Portal moved from its premises in Central London — which were only just big enough for its five SLA printers, leaving no room for new production-level machines — to a larger refurbished warehouse in Dartford. At the same time, James Hawkins, founder of Printing Portal, was making trips to the European mainland to investigate and test different 3D-printing systems.
He performed extensive comparisons between HP and competitor machines. The testing revealed that the HP Jet Fusion 4200 Industrial 3D Printing Solution produced parts which could disrupt a segment of manufacturing and be a real competitor for injection moulding. James said that “The quality of the parts from the HP system, the thought that had gone into post-processing — the system which reclaims the powder gave a refresh rate 80% higher than some competitors — and the excellent HP support all made up our minds for us.”
He continued: “Being able to produce parts fast and with a high refresh rate using powder and a fairly simple maintenance routine were all part of the system’s attraction. As was having a machine that would enable Printing Portal to announce to the world that it had industrial level additive-manufacturing capabilities.
"Having left a secure career in investment management to start my own 3D-printing start-up, the decision to invest in multiple HP machines felt like our manufacturing journey had started in earnest.”
By purchasing an HP Jet Fusion 4200 Industrial 3D Printing Solution, Printing Portal aimed to shift the perception of the company among the target audience and within a very short time it had successfully convinced its customers to move beyond prototypes and buy production parts from the company. The finished parts produced by Printing Portal now include jigs and fixtures for industry, brackets for tech companies, consumer goods, bike parts and even automotive components.
George Brasher, MD of UK&I at HP Inc, said: “As Printing Portal is a relative newcomer to the market, it’s impressive that it is now managing 100% growth year on year, and we’re proud that our technology is enabling this growth.
"As the technology evolves and more materials are on offer in the marketplace, we’re confident that Printing Portal can meet new demand with their skills and know-how, along with the materials and features of HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D-printing machines.”
The introduction of the HP Jet Fusion 4200 machines was so successful, that Printing Portal recently purchased an additional 3D printer – the HP Jet Fusion 5210 – making this the largest installation of HP 3D Jet Fusion printers at a Service Bureau in the UK. The company have also upgraded their existing 4200 machines to the HP Jet Fusion 4210 models.
This upgrade, along with the addition of the 5210 printer has boosted Printing Portal’s productivity, enabling them to produce even more parts and efficiently meet new market demands. The move to HP now sees Printing Portal offer a far wider range of services than it did before. These include prototyping, reverse-engineering, positive moulds for casting, measuring and metrology, spray shop and model making and production-ready parts with and without finishing.
