HP's Metal Jet 3D printer may build your next car's innards

CNET ^ | September 10, 2018 | Stephen Shankland

[2ndDivisionVet]

Humans have figured out lots of ways to shape metal -- casting it with a mold, stamping it, drilling holes and milling surfaces in a machine shop, even zapping it with a laser. Well, now you can add a new method: 3D printing.

A number of companies offer metal 3D printing, which creates products and components layer by layer with a computer-controlled system tracing its lineage to ordinary inkjet printers. But on Monday, printing giant HP announced it's entered the market with the ambition to dramatically lower prices, courtesy of a $400,000 product called the Metal Jet.

"We're really going to enable mass production for mainstream metals, in particular steels," said Tim Weber, head of 3D metal printing for HP.

HP has signed deals with experienced metal manufacturing partners and with customers including Volkswagen and Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices. So don't be surprised if your next car's gears or suspension links are built partly from this new method of digital fabrication....

[Still Thinking]

Really? I thought that was so cheap I’d pick up a spare while I was at it! XD

[6ppc]

Been thinking about this for a while. There’s no such thing as a perfectly straight barrel...that’s the holy grail for benchrest.

[Erik Latranyi]

Been thinking about this for a while. There’s no such thing as a perfectly straight barrel...that’s the holy grail for benchrest.

3D Printers will make that happen.

[RedEyeJack]

Bttt

[SunkenCiv]

Metal 3D printing has been used in some high-end stuff already, SpaceX uses it to build rocket engine parts. Regardless, I want one of these printers. :^)