IMPROVING THERMOFOLDING MOLDS PRODUCTON WITH HP MULTI JET FUSION

CUSTOMER AT A GLANCE

Hamer is a European thermoforming mold manufacturer that designs and manufactures equipment for the packaging industry, specifically for thermoforming machines that produce single-use plastic packaging.

Relying on HP MJF to print this part lead to Hamer produce a mold that is used in thermoforming plastic bins, a part that was previously made from PVC 600 um material. In producing the part using HP Multi Jet Fusion technology, the design will allow for the self-removal of the air trapped during the thermoforming process without the need of vacuuming holes. Relying on HP Multi Jet Fusion(MJF) to print this part led to:

• Cost reduction: With PVC 600, the original cost was 400€, but the production cost using HP MJF technology is 100€, resulting in a cost reduction of 75%.


• Weight reduction: Thanks to design freedom made possible by HP MJF, topological optimization can be used to reduce the material. This design approach results in printing material only where it is actually needed. As plastic has a lower density than metal, a dramatic weight reduction is achieved.


• Decreased lead time: With HP MJF, it is possible to print nine parts in only 16 hours. Machining these nine parts would originally take at least 45 hours (taking into account five machining hours per mold).