It's no secret that HP has been struggling as of late. Sales have been declining over the years as the market for its core products have shrunk. Aware of this fact, the personal computer and printing giant is making the leap into the the 3-D printer game in a bid to reverse its forturnes.
HP announced it will be releasing two industrial 3-D printers, the Jet Fusion 3200 and 4200, that it says will produce objects 10 times faster at half the cost when compared to any similar product on the market.
"We want to change the way the world prints parts," says Stephen Nigro, head of HP's printing business. "Customers are looking at how to transform their (3-D printing) business from prototyping to production."
Other than its touted specs, what separates these two printers from the rest of its ilk is that unlike 3-D printers from startups like Formlabs and Makerbot, these two new products will be marketed to business customers, who HP hopes will have a bigger appetite for pricy 3-D printing equipment. The company says businesses, especially those within the industrial market, will be able to use the printers to create prototypes and larger batches of items like sneakers or car parts.
The pricing for both 3-D printers is a clear reflection of HP's intentions. The Jet Fusion 3200 will sell for $130,000, or $155,000 if customers want extra post-processing software. Meanwhile, the Jet Fusion 4200, which can be used to print 3-D objects in bulk, can sell in excess of $200,000 depending on configuration.
HP's plunge into 3-D printing is by no means sudden. The company has been teasing a 3-D printer since 2014 and even showed a demonstration of a hard plastic chain it had printed on a prototype machine which had enough strength and durability to lift a car.
The printers are the product of a partnership with companies such as BMW, Nike and Siemens - all of whom have an interest in integrating 3-D printing into their production lines. As such, they are guaranteed early access to the printers, while everyone else will have to wait until the end of the year until they start shipping.
However, there is one way for regular customers to get the benefits of HP's new printers without being on the short list. Shapeways, a company that sells 3-D printing services and 3-D-printed objects, will be among HP's first customers for the Jet Fusion.
There is still the possibility of HP producing desktop 3-D printers, but if it does, Nigro noted it won't be for quite some time.
"We have a roadmap - we'll get our solutions into smaller environments," he said.
The Jet Fusion 4200 will begin shipping in late 2016, while the Jet Fusion will begin shipping in 2017. Both are available through HP's website.
