3D Systems Announces Technology Award Winners; Northrop Grumman, Benet Laboratories and DaimlerChrysler Earn Top Honors.Business Editors NOTE TO MEDIA: Photos are available in a Smart News Release(TM) on Business Wire's Home Page at www.businesswire.com and at www.newstream.com VALENCIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2001 3D Systems Corp. (Nasdaq:TDSC TDSC Thai Development Support Committee TDSC Time Domain Signal Coding TDSC Test Driver System - Charlie TDSC Time-Domain Spreading Code ) today announced the winners of the 2001 3D Systems North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. Stereolithography The first 3D printing technology, which was pioneered by Chuck Hull of 3D Systems. See 3D printing. Users Group (3DSNASUG) Excellence Awards, which were given to three users group members for their utilization of the technology. Northrop Grumman's Air Combat Systems group (El Segundo El Segundo (ĕl sēgŭn`dō), industrial city (1990 pop. 15,223), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1917. Its products include navigation and computer systems, aircraft parts, office machines, telephone apparatus, and , Calif.) won the grand prize for its aircraft repair kit, which is used for in-the-field aircraft modifications. The kit comprises a guide unit that attaches to the inside of the aircraft, allowing a tool to pinpoint the area to be modified or repaired. Conventional repair methods involve dismantling parts of the aircraft, which can result in significant costs. The repair kit enables technicians to run a tool on a specific track without removing aircraft components. "The improvements in durable materials, as well as the capabilities of stereolithography technology, have allowed us to solve very complex problems in aircraft production and maintenance," said Chris Farren, technology applications manager at Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an aerospace and defense conglomerate that is the result of the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company is the third largest defense contractor for the U.S. . "We've got a thousand applications in which stereolithography has played or is playing a part. Conventional tooling methods would cost 10 to 100 times more." Northrop Grumman used an SLA (1) (StereoLithography Apparatus) See 3D printing. (2) (Service Level Agreement) A contract between the provider and the user that specifies the level of service expected during its term. (R) 250 system to produce and test the aircraft repair kit as well as train technicians on its use. First runner-up award went to Benet Laboratories Benét Laboratories, part of the United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, is the US Army's primary design, development, engineering and production & field support facility for large caliber armament systems, including:[1][2] Under federal mandate to eliminate all ozone-depleting substances, Benet's task was to produce a fire-suppression service unit that used dry powder Dry Powder A slang term for cash reserves kept on hand to cover future obligations. Notes: For example, if a venture capitalist expects bad times in the IPO markets you might hear him say something like, "we want to keep enough dry powder around to keep funding our . Part of the project included developing two different-size refill bottles, several of which are used to recharge the onboard systems located in the main engine compartment and the auxiliary power unit An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle whose purpose is to provide energy for functions other than propulsion. Different types of APU are found on aircraft, as well as some large ground vehicles. . Using stereolithography, the group finished the project six months ahead of schedule with savings of $45,000 versus conventional mold fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. . "We're always pushing the envelope with stereolithography technology," said Tim O'Connor Tim O'Connor can refer to:
An engineering technician is a person who has relatively practical understanding of the general theoretical principles of the specific branch of engineering in which they work. Engineering technicians solve technical problems. at Benet. "Our goal is to get the products out the door more quickly with the highest accuracy, and we've seen great results from the SLA system and QuickCast process." DaimlerChrysler (Detroit, Mich.) was second runner-up with its method for "stressfreezing" scaled prototype automotive components. The company built scaled prototype parts of the chassis, suspension and engine using its multiple SLA systems. The parts were then put under scaled model loads at 190 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours. To analyze the parts, the team used a circular polariscope polariscope: see polarization of light. , which reveals the deflections of the test part as a series of colored lines, or "fringes." More fringes mean higher sheer stress. "After we've analyzed the stress of a prototype part, we can then make recommendations to the engineers to structurally optimize it," said Tom Sorovetz, rapid prototyping Building a part one layer at a time using a method of additive fabrication such as 3D printing. Such parts are used for concept modeling to determine if the product design meets the customer's expectations. supervisor at DaimlerChrysler. "If an area of the part doesn't show stress, we can remove material reducing the overall weight. We can add material to counteract the load in an area under too much stress. "This process allows us to perform scaled testing without building expensive models to do stress cracking or strain gauges. It can be done within two weeks," he said. "We learn a lot from our customers and their cutting-edge applications with stereolithography," said Chuck Hull, 3D Systems' founder and chief technology officer. "The feedback we get from them allows us to make improvements to our products and offer better solutions. "Over the years we've seen this industry continue to grow. With the expansion of our technology into metal, ceramic and composite materials as well as improvements in hardware, 3D Systems looks forward to an ever-expanding horizon of applications," Hull said. The Excellence Awards were presented at the 12th annual 3DSNASUG conference, which took place March 19 to 22 in Destin, Fla., and was attended by nearly 300 worldwide users of the technology. At the meeting, members share information on applications and other products and offerings useful for operating 3D Systems' stereolithography equipment. Each year the organization presents the Excellence Awards for the most outstanding work in stereolithography. About 3D Systems 3D Systems provides solid-imaging products and services that substantially reduce the time and cost required to design, test and manufacture products. The company's systems utilize patented technologies that create physical objects from digital input. 3D Systems currently offers the ThermoJet(R) office printer and SLA(R) industrial systems, which include proprietary software and materials. Product pricing in the U.S. begins at $49,995 for the company's entry-level printer and extends up to $799,000 for its feature-rich industrial SLA system. The company also licenses the 3D Keltool(R) process, a complementary application that produces injection molding injection molding n. A manufacturing process for forming objects, as of plastic or metal, by heating the molding material to a fluid state and injecting it into a mold. and die-casting inserts from SLA system master patterns. Based in Valencia, 3D Systems was founded in 1986 and is recognized as the world technology and market leader in solid imaging. For additional information, visit the company's Web site at www.3dsystems.com or phone 888/337-9786, ext. 765. For an investor packet, call the company's shareholder communications service at 800/757-1799. Note to Editors: QuickCast is a trademark; and ThermoJet, SLA, Keltool and the 3D logo are registered trademarks of 3D Systems. Except for the historical information contained in this news release, the matters discussed include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including: the availability and acceptance of 3D Systems' products generally, commercial acceptance of new products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, industrywide domestic and international economic conditions, and other risks detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission reports including its annual report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. for the year ended Dec. 31, 2000. Note: Photos are available at the following URLs: Grand Prize: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.041001/bb16 1st Runner-Up: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.041001/bb16a 2nd Runner-Up: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.041001/bb16b |
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