HP to launch 3D printer later this year
Published Tue 9 Feb 2010
Partnership with Stratasys to take 3D printing mainstream.
Stratasys has signed a definitive agreement with HP for the company to manufacture an HP-branded 3D printer. The news is hugely significant to the future of 3D printing as it marks the first time a company with such an established brand and distribution channel has participated in this market.
HP will use its dominance in the wide format inkjet print market, to help bring 3D printing to the masses
Under the terms of the agreement, Stratasys will develop and manufacture for HP an exclusive line of 3D printers based on Stratasys' patented Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technology, which is used to produce durable 3D parts. While it is understood that the technology will be the result of minor modifications to an existing Stratasys Dimension product, the machine in question was not named. However, Stratasys did confirm that it will not sell the same 3D printer as HP.
HP will begin a rollout of the 3D printers in the mechanical design market in selected European countries later this year, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with the right to extend distribution globally.
Durable part made with an entry-level Stratasys uPrint machine
“We believe the time is right for 3D printing to become mainstream,” said Stratasys chairman and CEO Scott Crump. “We also believe that HP’s unmatched sales and distribution capabilities and Stratasys FDM technology is the right combination to achieve broader 3D printer usage worldwide. HP has made a similar move in this market before, capturing a dominant position in large-format 2D printers. Together we hope to repeat this success with 3D printers.”
“There are millions of 3D designers using 2D printers who are ready to bring their designs to life in 3D,” said Santiago Morera, vice president and general manager of HP’s Large Format Printing Business. “Stratasys FDM technology is the ideal platform for HP to enter the 3D MCAD printing market and begin to capitalise on this untapped opportunity.”
