GKN weighs in on partnering with HP and Volkswagen for Metal Jet printing
GKN Powder Metallurgy revealed a strategic collaboration with HP Inc. at the 2018 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS). The company will be the first to deploy the just-launched HP Metal Jet, a groundbreaking binder jetting technology, into its factories to produce functional metal parts for auto and industrial leaders, including Volkswagen and Wilo, and for companies around the world.
Together with HP, GKN Powder Metallurgy is working toward a vision of driving the global industrialization of additive manufacturing. The HP Metal Jet launch represents a paradigm shift in 3D printing for all markets as the new printer increases users’ productivity up to 50 fold, compared to other 3D printing methods, at nearly half the cost of other binder jetting systems. The technology will enable GKN Powder Metallurgy to transform future product thinking and traditional manufacturing on behalf of its customers by reducing the time-to-market for mass-produced parts from months to weeks, lowering development costs, and providing greater design and manufacturing flexibility.
“Our vision for additive manufacturing in the enterprise moves beyond prototypes and small-series production and into mass production. We see a future where every modern digital company will have a cutting-edge 3D printer in their facilities, enabled by GKN technology, design and support, to produce metal parts in 24 hours. This strategic partnership with HP is the tipping point to accelerate that vision,” said Peter Oberparleiter, CEO of GKN Powder Metallurgy.
“Powder production and metal part processing are part of our DNA, and we have a long history of collaborating with customers and industrializing solutions that bring great benefits to the entire industry. As we join forces with HP, we want our customers to challenge us to break design barriers and accelerate the adoption of binder jetting technology as it is a wonderful compliment to our existing Additive Manufacturing technology offerings.
As the world’s largest producer of metal parts, GKN Powder Metallurgy is uniquely positioned to advance the development of the binder jetting industry. By integrating the HP Metal Jet into the workflow across its plants worldwide, GKN Powder Metallurgy will leverage its metal expertise to engineer new powders based on customer needs and help them design parts they did not realize were possible. The company will build on its foundation of sintering 13 million metal parts per day and continue on the path to Industry 4.0, since binder jetting is a highly digital process and GKN Powder Metallurgy has already digitized its factory floors.
“HP is proud to partner with GKN Powder Metallurgy to bring the power of 3D mass production to the largest industries on earth, such as the auto and industrial sectors,” said Stephen Nigro, President of 3D Printing, HP Inc. “The combination of HP’s breakthrough Metal Jet technology and GKN’s engineering and manufacturing leadership, promises to enable the production of millions of high-quality, low-cost 3D-printed final parts.”
In first half of 2019, customers will be able to receive industrial-grade parts in higher quantities. GKN will produce parts using HP Metal Jet to ensure the highest standards of engineering and production quality. GKN Powder Metallurgy will be the only partner using the HP Metal Jet within the automotive and industrial market until the machine becomes generally available in 2020.
