MJF (HP) Companies

MJF (HP) (MJF) is Multi Jet Fusion (HP proprietary) — inkjet fluids fused by IR energy on a polymer powder bed; production-grade economics and finish. AMPulse tracks 50 companies using MJF (HP) as a core technology, ranked below by total funding raised.

Typical materials: PA12, PA11, TPU, PP, PA12 glass beads. Common applications: series production of polymer parts, medical devices, consumer goods.

Market structure

Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) is HP's proprietary polymer powder bed fusion process, introduced in 2016 as a direct competitor to Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). MJF deposits two functional agents — a fusing agent that absorbs IR radiation and a detailing agent that sharpens part edges — onto a polymer powder bed, then fuses an entire layer at once with a passing IR lamp. This area-based fusion is significantly faster than SLS's point-based laser raster, enabling production economics for series volumes of 1,000 to 100,000 polymer parts. Build chambers (Jet Fusion 5200, 5210 Pro) accommodate parts up to 380×284×380mm with build times measured in hours rather than days. The economic case rests on three pillars: throughput (5-10× faster than legacy SLS), recycled-powder ratio (typical 80% reuse), and isotropic mechanical properties of finished PA12 parts. MJF has displaced injection molding for low-to-mid volume runs in industries where tooling amortization is unfavorable — automotive aftermarket, footwear, medical devices, custom tooling.

Key players

HP is the only OEM. Systems are sold direct or through authorized resellers in regional markets. The competitive frame is process-vs-process rather than OEM-vs-OEM: MJF competes against SLS systems from EOS (P-series), 3D Systems (sPro/SLS line), Stratasys SAF (Selective Absorption Fusion, an explicit MJF competitor introduced 2021), Farsoon, Prodways, and increasingly cost-competitive Chinese SLS makers. Service bureaus are the primary buying channel: Materialise, Shapeways, Sculpteo, Voodoo Manufacturing, and dozens of regional bureaus run MJF fleets at scale. Stratasys' acquisition of Origin and subsequent SAF launch was the most pointed industrial response to MJF's market entry.

Recent dynamics

Three trends are reshaping MJF economics. First, Stratasys SAF (using HP PageWide-derived inkjet) is the only direct technology challenger and is undercutting MJF on machine pricing. Second, materials development is converging on HP's roadmap: TPU, PA11, PA12 carbon black, glass-reinforced PA12, and increasingly polypropylene formulations are shifting MJF from pure prototyping to production-grade applications. Third, post-processing automation (DyeMansion, AM Solutions) has matured to the point that color, surface finish, and dimensional accuracy approach injection-molded equivalents — the historical objection to MJF for consumer-facing parts is largely resolved.

Forward outlook

MJF's trajectory depends on whether HP sustains R&D investment commensurate with industrial OEMs entering polymer AM. Stratasys SAF will pressure machine pricing; whether HP defends share through productivity (multi-station systems) or material breadth (more polymers) will determine the next five years. The bigger threat is generational: continuous polymer production processes (Carbon CDLP, photopolymer-based DfAM workflows) may carve high-margin segments away from powder-bed processes entirely.