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3D SYSTEMS APPEARS ON CASPAR WEINBERGER'S WORLD BUSINESS REVIEW TV SERIES Discuss Solid Imaging Technology
Contact: BOCA RATON, FL., Aug. 24, 1999 - Multi-Media Productions (USA), Inc. is proud to announce the appearance of Arthur B. Sims, chairman and CEO of 3D Systems (Nasdaq NMS: TDSC), on World Business Review. The weekly television series focuses on technology and is hosted by Caspar Weinberger, chairman of Forbes magazine and former Secretary of Defense during the Reagan administration. Joining the discussion as industry expert is Dan Miklovic, research director for the Gartner Group. The topic of the panel discussion is Networking Solutions. The first airing of 3D Systems' World Business Review segment will appear on CNBC on Sunday, September 5th at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, as paid programming. "3D Systems was selected to appear on the program because it developed and introduced the solid imaging technology being used worldwide to deliver better products to the market, faster and at a lower cost," says Sam Stockhamer, the show's associate producer. The design phase of manufacturing a product had traditionally been an expensive, time consuming, and labor intensive process. If the big news of yesterday was generating two-dimensional (2-D) computer images of products, then the development of 3-D technology, which generates actual, usable solid objects is down-right revolutionary. The conversion of 2-D data into 3-D objects is a considerable advancement of computer-aided engineering and a significant development in manufacturing. 3D Systems is a pioneer and leader of the "solid imaging" industry. The company's systems utilize patented stereolithography (SLA) and three-dimensional printing technologies to fabricate solid objects from digital input, significantly cutting development costs and cycles. 3D Systems' solutions enable manufacturers to produce higher-quality products, and bring those products to market faster and less expensively than traditional methods. 3D Systems offers two distinctly different product lines, each employing proprietary processes - SLA, used for industrial and production applications, and 3D printing, used for design office applications. The SLA system literally builds a physical prototype, layer by ultra-thin layer, using resin, which is hardened by a laser to precise specifications generated by CAD (computer aided design) input. The 3D Systems solid object printer functions similarly to an ink jet printer with a major difference, its output is solid. Its print head, with hundreds of jets, fabricates product concept models from CAD input by selectively dispensing a plastic-like material in a layering technique. "The biggest payoff is not only the concept modeling, but actually developing patterns and tooling for products. That enables our customers to get their products to market quickly, at much less cost than using traditional methods," said Sims. He added, "Our SLA technology is also incredibly accurate. It's at the accuracy of a solid CAD design, and our systems basically don't care how complicated a part is. Complicated parts are as easy to produce as simple ones." 3D Systems' technologies are a complement to the solid CAD software packages available today. Industry expert, Miklovic, said that the Internet is driving the move toward specialization and customization. "The Internet has enabled design to be done by one company and manufacturing to be done by another. We need technologies like this so that we can have physical prototypes without having to go through lengthy manufacturing processes. It's very quick with this technology." A field report from toy giant Hasbro, in Cincinnati, showed how the company used 3D Systems' solid imaging technology to develop the world-renowned kiddie sensation, Furby. Steve Deak, manager of Rapid Prototyping Model Services for Hasbro, said, "We were able to build prototype parts faster. The product development cycle was much shorter. We debugged the product earlier and fixed problems that would have been discovered, say, in manufacturing. By evaluating and correcting errors in the design phase, we were able to save time and cut costs." 3D Systems' solid imaging technology is utilized by a wide variety of industry segments, including automotive, aerospace, consumer products, entertainment and medical. It is used by Forbes 500 companies and their equivalents, including DaimlerChrysler, Boeing, Apple Computer, Mattel, and Johnson and Johnson, and serves customers in 80 countries. Taped in Washington, D.C., World Business Review currently airs on PBS The Business Channel, CNBC as paid programming, and in prime business time slots in numerous Public Television markets, including San Francisco, New York, Denver and Miami. The weekly series can also be viewed on TWA, United Airlines or from any desktop computer via AENTV. Individual videotapes or continuing education systems (via Indiana State University) are available by calling 1-800-WBR-1032 or by visiting www.wbrtv.com, which showcases featured topics and specific companies' technologies. For additional information about 3D Systems, phone (888) 337-9786, ext. 306 or visit the company's web site at www.3dsystems.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Any reference to CNBC must be immediately preceded or followed by the phrase, "as paid programming" |
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