HP launches full color 3D printer

HP Korea country managing director Kim Dae-hwan, right, HP 3D printing director Alex Lalumiere, left, and Inter I Korea CEO Chang Min-su pose with HP's 3D printer at Inter I Korea's headquarters in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul.

By Baek Byung-yeul

HP rolled out 3D printers that are able to print objects in full color, targeting small- and medium-sized enterprises and research institutes, the Korean unit of the U.S. computer and printer firm said Thursday.

The firm said its Jet Fusion 300/500 series 3D printers are the industry's first products that support full-color printing. And they are suitable for small firms. Compared to other 3D printers it said it can attract more small businesses as the machines are small, suitable for limited spaces.

“In the Fourth Industrial Era where companies should be able to make agile decisions, they can create what they want to produce faster with these new 3D printers,” Kim Dae-hwan, country managing director of HP Korea, said during a press conference at the firm's local distributor Inter I Korea's headquarters in Seoul.

“The 3D printers are particularly for product development producers who want to produce a functional prototype quickly with low cost,” said Alex Lalumiere, 3D printing director of HP, adding that the full-color 3D printers will be sold at around 160 million won ($138,000) while the monochrome 3D printers will be at 130 million won ($112,200).

Though he didn't reveal the firm's exact market share in the 3D printer market, he said “HP has significant impact in the market.” He expects more companies will use the firm's machines. “Last year alone, customers using HP's 3D printer produced 10 million parts,” he said.

In addition to launching new 3D printers, HP Korea also opened a 3D printing demonstration center in Seoul. At the demonstration center, located at the firm's headquarters, companies that plan to purchase 3D printers can try out the machine.

The firm said the demonstration center is especially for companies that want to produce prototypes in the manufacturing, automotive, healthcare and aerospace industries.

“For customers who don't have any experience using 3D printers, we launched this demonstration center. Here, our engineers are going to help them print out objects and share 3D printing-related technologies,” an official from Inter I Korea said.

Together with the new 3D printers, it also introduced a virtual reality (VR) headset HP Reverb for industrial purposes, as well as a mobile workstation Zbook, a laptop designed for intensive graphic works and video editing.