HP 3D Printing partners with
SmileDirectClub to deliver straighter
smiles to millions of customers
CASE STUDY | SMILEDIRECTCLUB
Data courtesy of SmileDirectClub
CASE STUDY | SMILEDIRECTCLUB
In spring 2019, HP and SmileDirectClub collaborated to start
mass-producing more than 50,000 customized mouth molds per
day using HP’s Jet Fusion 3D printers
1. HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solutions using HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 provide up to 80% powder reusability ratio, producing functional parts batch after
batch. For testing, material is aged in real printing conditions and powder is tracked by generations (worst case for reusability). Parts are then made from
each generation and tested for mechanical properties and accuracy.
Introduction
Data courtesy of SmileDirectClub
• Industry
• Sector
• Approach
• Objective
• Technology | Solution
• Material
Healthcare
Dental
HP 3D Printing and SmileDirectClub are revolutionizing the
age-old orthodontics industry with an all-digital teeth-
straightening experience.
To grow demand for SmileDirectClub’s remote clear
aligners by increasing production speeds of 3D printed
dental molds.
HP Multi Jet Fusion technology, HP Jet Fusion 4200 3D Printing
Solution
HP 3D High Reusability
1
(HR) PA 12
SmileDirectClub was the rst company to pioneer medical
technology in a direct-to-consumer model to revolutionize
orthodontic treatment. As a result, they are bringing new
smiles to the world through remote, doctor-directed care and
an unwavering commitment to customer-rst accessibility,
convenience, and aordability.
Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee,
SmileDirectClub has helped more than 1 million people
transform their smiles.
“SmileDirectClub is digitally transforming the traditional
orthodontics industry, making it more personal, aordable,
and convenient for millions of consumers to achieve a smile
they’ll love,” said Alex Fenkell, Co-Founder of SmileDirectClub.
All SmileDirectClub clear aligners are FDA-registered
and produced using BPA-free materials at certied U.S.
manufacturing facilities. SmileDirectClub serves customers
in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United
Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Hong Kong.
CASE STUDY | SMILEDIRECTCLUB
Challenge
SmileDirectClub had a clear aligner production method in place
since its inception in 2014, but due to their growing customer
base, the company needed a manufacturing technology that
would allow them to meet the increasing demand. Their previous
technology produced delicate, fragile 3D-printed parts at slow
speeds and high costs.
“When we began manufacturing, the volume output over a
24-hour time frame was low and we needed to nd a way to
rapidly increase our capacity to meet demand, while keeping
an aordable cost structure to pass along to our customers,”
said John Dargis, Vice President of Research and Development
for SmileDirectClub.
This led Dargis and his team to research technologies that would
enable them to mass-produce molds to create clear aligners, and
thus deliver orthodontic solutions to customers more quickly.
According to Dargis, “HP was able to answer these problems for
us.”
Data courtesy of SmileDirectClub
Solution
SmileDirectClub is disrupting the orthodontics industry with a
digital-rst business model, pioneering a teledentistry platform
that allows an ailiated network of licensed dentists and
orthodontists to provide remote teeth-straightening care using
3D images to prescribe treatment, 3D printing to manufacture
molds for clear aligners and retainers, and an on-demand style
of delivery direct to consumers’ doorsteps.
SmileDirectClub creates a 3D image of customers’ teeth to view
the current alignment and develop a plan to align the customer’s
smile. There are two ways to make a 3D image: a customer can
visit one of the 360-plus SmileShops to scan their smile, or the
company can build the scan from an impression that customers
take using a remote impression kit. The customer’s 3D smile is
reviewed by a licensed dentist or orthodontist, who will guide
their new smile from beginning to end—with a treatment plan
that lasts, on average, 6 months. SmileDirectClub then uses HP
Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solutions to produce customized mouth
models to be used as molds for the clear aligners.
When the rst in-house printing solutions were installed,
HP technical teams engaged SmileDirectClub engineers to
understand design intent, validate the application, and help
redesign parts to meet customer requirements. HP sta were
onsite to conduct training to enable the company to meet its
goals of scale and productivity
CASE STUDY | SMILEDIRECTCLUB
© Copyright 2020 HP Development Company, L.P.
The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services.
Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions
contained herein.
4AA7-6803ENW, June 2020
Data courtesy A-dec, Inc.
Result
“Our relationship with HP 3D printers has fast-tracked scale,”
Fenkell said. “Collaborating with HP on a faster, more ecient,
and high-quality 3D-printed product has enabled us to meet
customer demand.”
HP 3D Printing has helped SmileDirectClub accelerate their
growth, enabling a new era of personalized consumer
experiences only made possible by industrial 3D printing and
digital manufacturing.
HP Multi Jet Fusion technology has made it possible for
SmileDirectClub to transform more than 1 million smiles since
launching in 2014. In spring 2019, SmileDirectClub doubled
its eet of HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solutions to become the
largest producer of 3D-printed products in the United States.
“HP’s breakthrough 3D printing 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,” Fenkell
said.
SmileDirectClub also benetted from decreased production
costs with HP Multi Jet Fusion: “We are able to produce the
parts at a high volume and a cost point lower than any 3D
printer to date,” Dargis said.
The thinner walls and lower arch height result in a higher
packing density of 3D printed molds, and with HP 3D HR PA
12, the strength of the parts ensures low breakage during the
molding process.
“By printing functional parts at the individual voxel level,
HP oers us an unprecedented ability to transform part
properties and deliver mass customization,” said Dargis.
SmileDirectClub anticipates printing nearly 20 million molds
during the next year and hopes to expand its services beyond
its current customer base. The company is also working with
HP to develop a new software package that would help them
manage and analyze 3D printing operations data within the
machine (rather than after the parts are printed) to achieve a
more holistic view of their eet of 60 printers.
“The partnership of SmileDirectClub and HP will continue
to open doors to democratizing access to aordable and
convenient teeth-straightening solutions,” said Fenkell.
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Learn more about HP Multi Jet Fusion technology at
hp.com/go/3Dcontactus
hp.com/go/3DPrint
Learn more about SmileDirectClub at
smiledirectclub.com
