HP Innovation Journal Issue 11: Winter 2018 | Page 46
THE CUSTOMIZABLE FUTURE:
6 PRODUCTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW
WERE 3D PRINTED
SWISS GUARD HELMETS
The Pontifical Swiss Guard—the force that guards the
Pope and serves as the private army of Vatican City—has
kept the same formal dress uniform since the 1500s. But
when guards suffered burns from their steel helmets
heating up in the sun, HP helped replace the metal helmets
with 3D-printed plastic ones that were durable, lightweight,
weatherproof, and much cooler, thanks to ventilation
channels inside.
ROBO-ARMS FOR INDUSTRIAL PAINTING
Nuno Neves, cofounder of FICEP Steel Surface Systems
(S3), dreamt up the perfect part for one of the company’s
manufacturing systems on a train from Paris to Milan, but
such technology didn’t yet exist. To make it work for the
Barcelona-based engineering and R&D company, the part
needed to be both strong and lightweight. Multi Jet Fusion
helped it come to be, with an ingenious robotic arm that
was later incorporated into FICEP S3’s daVINCI painting
machine. By using 3D-printed parts, FICEP S3 replaced as
much as 40% of the machine’s traditionally manufactured
parts and eliminated about 2,000 molds that had previous-
ly been necessary for production.
BLACK PANTHER BRISK ICED TEA CAN
Marvel’s Black Panther took audiences to the vibrant, mul-
tifaceted world of Wakanda, where things are not always as
they seem. The same holds true for a limited-run market-
ing campaign with PepsiCo, for which the beverage giant
tapped Multi Jet Fusion to revamp the packaging of a spe-
cial limited-edition set of Brisk Iced Tea cans. The five cans
reflect the starring characters in the film, but the center-
piece of the set is the real stunner. It’s a collection-worthy,
3D-printed can featuring T’Challa himself, whose intricate
costume comes to life with the help of a fold-out backdrop
that glows with blue LEDs.
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HP Innovation Journal Issue 11
CRISPIN ORTHOTICS LEG BRACE
UK-based Crispin Orthotics is using the capabilities of HP’s
Multi Jet Fusion to make custom-printed support devices
for almost any part of the body, including ankles, knees,
wrists, and even the spine. They cost less than the tradi-
tional carbon fiber versions and can be made to exacting
specifications, including varying the thickness of the sup-
port, increasing or reducing the angle of a joint, or adding
padding in areas of extra pressure. Compared to previous
designs, the 3D-printed orthotics are flexible, lightweight,
and much less bulky, which not only makes them look better
but also helps speed up patients’ rehabilitation.