From: ChathamRes@aol.com
Date: Wed Mar 20 2002 - 02:33:58 EET
Enclosed is some major news to the members of this list.
Regards,
REL
Chatham Research
OptoForm LLC Established to Pursue Advanced Digital Manufacturing
Opportunities
VALENCIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 2002--3D Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: <A HREF="aol://4785:TDSC">
TDSC</A>), a world leader in solid imaging equipment, and DSM Somos, a leading
material manufacturer, today announced the official launch of a new company
to pursue opportunities in the new and expanding field of Advanced Digital
Manufacturing(SM) (ADM), as conceived by 3D Systems. ADM is expected to
become a key enabling technology for the customization of design and
manufacturing, also called mass customization.
OptoForm LLC, headquartered in Valencia will deliver shop-floor manufacturing
solutions to the industrial market based on composite plastic, ceramic and
metal materials using a proprietary Direct Composites Manufacturing process.
"Advanced Digital Manufacturing will allow designers to reduce part count in
the design process thus reducing part costs and assembly time. Designers and
engineers will be able to add custom features and complexity to designs not
currently feasible with today's manufacturing techniques," said Grant
Flaharty, executive vice president, global business operations for 3D
Systems.
"The ability to manufacture a product using additive fabrication techniques
will radically alter designs and manufacturing methods over the next decade
and beyond," said Mervyn Rudgley, general manager of OptoForm LLC. "Using ADM
techniques such as Direct Composite Manufacturing and other 3D Systems
technologies, existing designs can be manufactured without the costs and
lead-time associated with hard tooling, and more complex designs will become
easier to manufacture.
"We are pleased that we have the combined resources of 3D Systems and DSM
Somos, as we begin our development program with selected Fortune 100
industrial partners," added Rudgley.
Steve Hartig, vice president of marketing at DSM Somos, said, "Over the next
year we expect to develop and test new materials that will set new standards
for structural performance and capability in digital manufacturing."
About 3D Systems
Founded in 1986, 3D Systems provides solid imaging products and solutions
that help reduce the time and cost of designing products and facilitate
direct and indirect manufacturing. Its systems utilize patented technologies
that create physical objects from digital input.
3D Systems currently offers the ThermoJet(R) solid object printer, SLA(R)
(stereolithography) systems and SLS(R) (selective laser sintering) systems,
as well as related software and materials. Product pricing in the U.S. ranges
from $49,995, for the ThermoJet printer, to $799,000 for the high-end SLA
7000 system. The company licenses the complementary 3D Keltool(R) process, a
method for producing steel mold inserts, and currently is developing systems
that use composite paste materials for direct manufacturing.
More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com, or by
phoning 888/337-9786, extension 2882, or 661/295-5600 internationally. An
investor packet can be obtained by calling 800/757-1799.
About DSM Somos
DSM Somos, part of DSM Desotech, is a global leader in the development and
manufacture of ultraviolet light and electron beam (UV/EB) curable materials
and operates as a business unit of DSM -- a highly integrated group of
companies with worldwide interests in life science products, performance
materials and chemicals. DSM reported sales of EUR 8.1 billion in 2000 and
employs a total workforce of some 22,000, in more than 200 operations
throughout the world.
In 1999, DSM Desotech announced its acquisition of Dupont Somos -- now DSM
Somos. Somos is currently the world's second-largest materials supplier to
the rapid prototyping industry, providing stereolithography liquids and
selective laser sintering powders used for the creation of three-dimensional
models and prototypes directly from digital data. Somos' patented
Protofunctional materials are used by various industries, including
automotive, aerospace, medical and telecommunications.
More information about the company is available at www.dsmdesotech.com and
www.dsmsomos.com.
Note to editors: ThermoJet, SLA, SLS, Keltool and the 3D logo are registered
trademarks of 3D Systems. Advanced Digital Manufacturing and the solid
imaging company are service marks of 3D Systems.
Certain statements in this news release may include forward-looking
statements that express the expectation, prediction, belief or projection of
3D Systems. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance and
achievement of 3D Systems to be materially and adversely different from any
future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ
from the forward-looking statements contained in this release and that may
affect the company's prospects in general include, but are not limited to:
the funding of amounts of capital adequate to provide for the working capital
needs of the company; actions of competitors and customers; successful
completion of beta testing of the new technology; finalizing associated
business relationships for implementation of the new technology; and such
other factors as are described in the companies' filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, including annual reports on Form 10-K for the year
ended Dec. 31, 2000, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
March 31, June 30 and Sept. 30, 2001, and 3D Systems' current reports on Form
8-K filed on April 6, April 10, Sept. 4 and Nov. 5, 2001.
CONTACT:
3D Systems Corp.
Elizabeth Goode, 661/295-5600, Ext. 2632
or
Self & Associates
Trudy Self, 818/880-5437
or
J4 Communications (DSM Desotech)
Mark Bruner, 330/769-2709
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