HP Innovation Journal Issue 11: Winter 2018 | Page 34

INSIGHTS FROM THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES LAB Sharing knowledge about the fundamentals of making products using the HP Jet Fusion platform Alex Ju, Research Engineer, Immersive Experiences Lab, HP . Alex Thayer, Chief Experience Architect and Director, Immersive Experiences Lab, HP . Jiwon Jun, Research Engineer, Immersive Experiences Lab, HP . Mary Baker, Senior Research Scientist, Immersive Experiences Lab, HP For the past two years, the Immersive Experiences Lab (IXL) has been making curious 3D-printed objects. Tambou- rines, feathers, and banana slugs are just a few of the things that fascinate everyone when they see them at an HP office or on the road at trade shows and conferences. Far from being curiosities, however, these objects are the results of technical design experiments aimed at pushing the limits of additive manufacturing capabilities. This work is part of a broader goal for HP Labs—to drive visionary tech- nical and design innovation for the HP Jet Fusion 3D print- ing platform. And, as HP defines the future of the platform for digital manufacturing, the opportunity to innovate is unparalleled. Alex Ju, Jiwon Jun, and Mary Baker are members of IXL, and they bring very different personal and professional back- grounds to their work at HP. Alex has a degree in jewelry and metalsmithing from the Rhode Island School of Design, and was an intern with IXL in 2016 before joining the lab full time. Jiwon completed her Master of Fine Arts degree at the ArtCenter College of Design, and the Jet Fusion platform provides a powerful outlet for her expressive, award-win- ning vision of the future. And Mary’s background in sys- tems work, combined with her Ph.D. in Computer Science, results in a unique perspective around probing the edges of 3D-product-design possibilities. “How can you discover and, then, push the limits of a system? Working for HP Labs lets me find those boundaries, then go beyond,” she says. This diverse team of researchers is well matched to HP Labs. The mission of Labs is to create, identify, and develop novel technologies and experiences that delight customers and define the future of HP. The work of these creative, technical experts supports this mission, but these HP em- ployees also wanted to find a way to share their knowledge with the world. 32 HP Innovation Journal Issue 11 After thousands of hours of experimentation, they decided to codify their work in print. They developed and published a book called The Fundamentals of Making with MJF, which inspires and instructs people in the ways of bringing prod- ucts to life with HP’s line of 3D printers. “In conversations with our CTO, Shane Wall, we realized that we needed to synthesize our design knowledge and technical experiments, so that others could benefit from our experience,” said Alex Ju. As Mary Baker recalls, “My work often tests the limits of HP’s 3D-print platform, like when I was designing a part with a tiny hinge. I am constantly im- pressed by the seemingly impossible parts I am able to print, and I want to share what we have learned with the world outside HP.” “My stepfather worked at HP for over 30 years,” adds Alex Thayer, Chief Experience Architect for IXL. “And he fre- quently asks when we are going to publish more technical reports, like HP did in ‘the old days.’ This book reflects that heritage of sharing our expertise and of HP as a paragon of technical achievement and inspiration.” The Fundamentals of Making with MJF focuses on general principles and lessons learned, rather than tech specs that can be found elsewhere. Crucially, this book will be relevant over the years to come, as the core technology and platform evolve in new directions. “You will continue to find answers here, or perhaps stumble across something that inspires you to print a new part that was previously impossible to manufacture,” says Mary. “When people see our parts, they often say they had no idea it was possible to print forms like the ones they’re seeing,” says Jiwon Jun. “By compiling them into a single, portable volume, the breadth of parts we have experimented with creating can both inspire and instruct engineers and designers moving into the new space of 3D print.” By providing insights into developing new forms previously impossible to make, such as fabric-like structures that are printed fully interlocked, the IXL team is helping HP inspire the future of design. And, by partnering with the 3D Print business unit, the members of IXL and of HP Labs are helping the entire additive manufacturing industry accelerate toward an exciting digital manufacturing future. Revised editions of The Fundamentals of Making with MJF will be published as new capabilities and technologies become available.