Full-run 3D production at Forecast 3D

Forecast 3D officials announced the opening of a 3D Manufacturing Center, making available full-run, large-scale production using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing technology.

Forecast 3D’s 21,000ft² facility at its Carlsbad, California headquarters, is powered by 12 HP Jet Fusion 4200 3D printers that provide the capacity for full-run, high-volume production manufacturing using Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing. The combined speed of the Multi Jet Fusion 3D printers makes it possible to produce parts faster than traditional injection mold machines, and in many cases it’s also more cost-efficient.

The volume-install of HP 3D printing units greatly scales the production capability of 3D printing, previously limited to prototyping and small-batch production, to an end-to-end Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing solution that goes from design to prototyping to full production in one seamless, cost-effective process.

“We’ve been among the most ardent supporters of Multi Jet Fusion since it launched, and the positive feedback from our clients has been overwhelming,” says Corey Weber, Forecast 3D co-founder/CEO. “That’s why we’re so excited that our new 3D Manufacturing Center makes us the first company to offer clients a complete, one-stop HP 3D printing solution, allowing us to meet the growing demand for Multi Jet Fusion production and make 3D printing available to an even broader spectrum of companies.”

Previously, parts could be designed and prototyped using 3D printing technology, but large-scale production required switching to more traditional manufacturing processes such as injection molding, which can impose high startup costs and long lead times.

With the launch of this center, Forecast 3D now offers a full-process HP 3D printing and manufacturing solution capable of producing more than 600,000 end-use production parts per week.

“MJF gives us the capability to print an incredible amount of high-quality, engineering-grade parts in a very short period of time, which has transformed the way we think about manufacturing,” Weber says. “These 12 HP 3D printing units now allow us to handle all kinds of full-production schedules for any type of vertical, and do it with speed, cost-efficiency, and quality that’s just not possible anywhere else. Multi Jet Fusion is shaping the future of manufacturing, and we’re very proud to be a part of it.”