SmileDirectClub will partner with HP to deploy 49 HP Jet Fusion 3-D printing systems at its manufacturing facilities in Antioch, Tennessee, to produce more than 50,000 unique mouth molds each day, with the potential to produce nearly 20 million individual printed mouth molds in the next 12 months. Also, the companies will collaborate on a joint recycling program designed to reduce waste and promote a more circular economy.
“HP’s breakthrough 3-D printing and data intelligence platform makes this level of disruption possible for us, pushing productivity, quality, and manufacturing predictability to unprecedented levels, all with economics that allow us to pass on savings to the consumers seeking treatment using our teledentistry platform,” said Alex Fenkell, cofounder of SmileDirectClub.
“SmileDirectClub and HP are reinventing the future of orthodontics, pushing the boundaries of customized 3-D mass production and democratizing access to affordable, high-quality teeth straightening for millions of people,” said Christoph Schell, president of 3-D printing and digital manufacturing at HP. “Through this collaboration, HP is helping SmileDirectClub accelerate its growth, enabling a new era of personalized consumer experiences only made possible by industrial 3-D printing and digital manufacturing.”
Also, HP will recycle excess 3-D material and already processed plastic mouth molds into pellets that will be used for traditional injection molding, leading to more sustainable production. The companies say this approach will reduce the amount of used materials, shortening and simplifying traditional supply chains, better matching supply and demand, and improving service options to prolong the life of products.
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