HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 3D Printing Service

Xometry can vapor smooth 3D printed parts to achieve an exceptional surface finish. Vapor smoothing, performed through AMT PostPro3D's technology, is a batch-based automated smoothing process that achieves a high-quality surface. Combined with the low costs of HP MJF technology, this surface finish can make parts competitive with injection molding from both form and function. Vapor smoothing creates a uniform, sealed surface with a semi-gloss appearance. The enhanced surface also increases the overall performance of 3D printed parts including ultimate tensile strength, yield at flex, and percent elongation to break. Vapor smoothing can also be applied to selective laser sintering, and fused deposition modeling parts for both rigid plastics and elastomers.

While there are many benefits to MJF printing, a few truly stand out. For starters, the standard build parameters are optimized for the best density. The result is that Multi Jet Fusion parts are watertight.

If you like SLS but want to produce higher quantities for small-batch production runs, Multi Jet Fusion is the way to go. MJF printers have the ability to print multiple parts simultaneously across the entire build volume means you can print parts at rates up to 10X faster than SLS or other 3D printing processes. Also, Multi Jet Fusion delivers more balanced mechanical properties across the X, Y, and Z axes compared to SLS.

If you’re interested in injection molding for your project, it’s always a good idea to get a 3D printed “test” part before making the investment in metal molds. While SLA is a great printing process for extremely detailed and high-resolution prints, the UV cured resins are not as tough as traditional thermoplastics. Prints begin to degrade when exposed to UV light and moisture. Multi Jet Fusion, on the other hand, can produce extremely accurate prints while also maintaining the structural durability of traditional thermoplastics, especially when using glass-filled nylon. This makes it a great process for testing fit and functionality before taking your project to injection molding.

In the table below, you will find our standard MJF tolerances for prototype orders. These include one-off or first-time prints, non-production orders, and auto-quoted orders that have not received a manual engineering review.

Tolerances tighter than prototype tolerancing can be guaranteed after additional engineering review. This includes higher volume production part orders and orders manually optimized by our engineering teams, often after an initial prototyping run.

The Basics of HP MJF

HP Multi Jet Fusion is a powerful 3D printing technology that produces highly accurate and durable parts that are capable of being used directly in end-use, low-volume production, or for rapid prototyping. Since the process uses well-established 2D printing ink-jetting, it has remarkably fast layer times compared to other powder bed fusion technologies.

How Multi Jet Fusion 3D Printing Works

Like all powder-based 3D printing processes, multi jet fusion technology builds parts layer by layer, using a fusing agent and heat to set each layer before moving onto the next. In the more traditional processes — such as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereolithography(SLA), or Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)— each part is imaged, layer by layer, with a single laser beam. HP’s Multi Jet Fusion works a bit more like a traditional ink-jet printer with a printhead that deposits the material, and then a fusing agent, across the entire build plate in one pass, allowing for the printing of multiple parts simultaneously.