HP just opened one of the world’s largest advanced manufacturing and research facilities in Barcelona, Spain, the 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing Center of Excellence. Spanning 150,000 square feet, the Center will synergize the efforts of hundreds of additive manufacturing experts to further advance HP’s industrial 3D printing technologies.
“HP’s new 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing Center of Excellence is one of the largest and most advanced 3D printing and digital manufacturing research and development centers on earth – it truly embodies our mission to transform the world’s biggest industries through sustainable technological innovation,” said Christoph Schell, President of 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing at HP. “We are bringing HP’s substantial resources and peerless industrial 3D printing expertise together with our customers, partners, and community to drive the technologies and skills that will further unleash the benefits of digital manufacturing.”
HP’s employees, customers, and partners will be able to collaborate in the three acre facility to streamline processes, develop new materials, and experiment with novel technologies. Having all the experts in the same building is a great way to increase the speed of innovation because when a hardware engineer runs into a material science hurdle, they can easily consult the expect down the hall. 3D printing has and always will require a cross-disciplinary approach as it requires data science, software programming, materials science, mechanical engineering, and more. As such, the Center features interactive and collaborative layouts that are equipped with fleets of HP’s 3D printers that can handle plastics and metals. Leaders in the industrial, healthcare, automotive, and consumer industries will work with HP at the Center, including BASF, GKN Metallurgy, Siemens, and Volkswagen.
HP sees 3D printing as an opportunity to increase the efficiency and sustainability of manufacturing, so the Center will emphasize that fact with solar panels that supply 110kW of power, rain collection for irrigation, natural light optimization, and eco-friendly construction materials that should result in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification.
HP already has similar facilities in Oregon, California, Washington, and Singapore, so the Barcelona family will be welcomed into a growing community. The Center of Excellence is sure to bring new ideas and solutions to the 3D printing table.