Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) is a type of

3D printing 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer ...

technology developed by

Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company. It was founded by Bill Hewlett and David Packard in 1939 in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California ...

(HP). It works by depositing powder in layers, spraying it with a binder and release agent, and then bonding it together with heat for each layer pass. Similar to other types of 3D printing, the technology is particularly suitable for

prototyping A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to ...

product development New product development (NPD) or product development in business and engineering covers the complete process of launching a new product to the market. Product development also includes the renewal of an existing product and introducing a product ...

, small-scale production, or parts that need to be customized. MJF is marketed as having strength comparable to

injection molding Injection moulding (U.S. spelling: injection molding) is a manufacturing process for producing parts by injecting molten material into a mould, or mold. Injection moulding can be performed with a host of materials mainly including metals (for ...

. The most common material in MJF is

nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

( PA12 and PA11), but the technology can be used with many other thermoplastic materials, including

elastomers An elastomer is a polymer with viscoelasticity (i.e. both viscosity and Elasticity (physics), elasticity) and with weak intermolecular forces, generally low Young's modulus (E) and high failure strain compared with other materials. The term, a ...

("rubber materials") and fibre-reinforced composites. The technology is claimed to be more cost-effective at large scale compared to other types of 3D printing.

History

In 2013, HP announced that they would enter the 3D printing market in 2014. In 2016, they introduced Multi Jet Fusion. In 2021, it was claimed that HP held around 100 patents related to MJF technology.

Operation

The printer distributes a

powder A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distinguish se ...

(usually nylon) in thin layers over a build surface, and between each layer, two types of liquids, namely a fusing agent and a detailing agent, are sprayed onto the newly applied layer of powder using an

inkjet Inkjet printing is a type of printer (computing), computer printing that recreates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper or plastic substrates. Inkjet printers were the most commonly used type of printer in 2008, and range f ...

. After the liquids are applied, a heat source (often

infrared light Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those o ...

) passes over the layer, which bonds the powder particles together into a solid layer. The next layer of powder is then applied on top of the previous one, and the process is repeated without the need for additional support structures since the surrounding powder provides the necessary support. Finally, the parts must be cooled and cleaned of excess powder. The result is claimed to often have better surface quality straight from the printer compared to

fused filament fabrication Fused filament fabrication (FFF), also known as fused deposition modeling (with the trademarked acronym FDM), or ''filament freeform fabrication'', is a 3D printing process that uses a continuous filament of a thermoplastic material. Filament is ...

(FFF).{{Cite web , last=Baresh , first=Mark , date=2023-04-25 , title=MJF vs FDM: What is the difference ? , url=https://www.all3dlabs.com/hp-mjf-vs-fdm/ , access-date=2025-02-01 , website=All 3D Labs , language=en

References

3D printing

History

Operation

See also

References