HP has announced a first of its kind polypropylene (PP) material for additive manufacturing. The new HP 3D High Reusability PP, enabled by BASF, is a versatile, durable, and chemically resistant1 material that has been qualified for HP’s production-grade 3D printing systems. It is ideal for customers in the automotive, consumer, industrial, and medical sectors seeking an optimal balance between performance and cost.
Polypropylene is a versatile material ideal for a wide range of automotive, consumer, industrial, and medical applications. The new HP 3D High Reusability PP enabled by BASF provides customers with a genuine new additive manufacturing material offering the same properties as commonly used PPs in injection molding, which has proven to have nearly unlimited use. With its excellent chemical resistance, low moisture absorption, and long-term durability, PP is ideal for piping, fluid systems, and containers. For example, automakers will be able to use the same PP for prototyping and production of final parts found in vehicles’ interior, exterior, and under-the-hood.
Developed in partnership with BASF for HP’s Jet Fusion 5200 3D Series, the new PP delivers high productivity and minimizes waste for industrial-level manufacturing. In addition to breakthrough economics and performance, the new PP helps reduce waste by enabling up to 100% reusability of surplus powder.
HP is jointly developing entirely new PP applications with partners, parts providers, and customers including Extol, specializing in plastics engineering and innovation with industry leading plastic assembly technology, custom automation, and engineering services; GKN Powder Metallurgy/Forecast 3D, a provider of advanced industrial 3D printing, short-run manufacturing, and high-volume production; Henkel, a leader of high-impact adhesives and engineering solutions and Oechsler, a leading additive manufacturing parts provider.
