3D Systems and DSM Desotech Sign Joint Venture Agreement; Joint Venture to Place Three OptoForm Engineering Evaluation Units.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

VALENCIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 19, 2001

3D Systems Corp. (Nasdaq:TDSC) and DSM Desotech Inc. today announced the companies have formed OptoForm LLC, a joint venture that will focus on the development and commercialization of new equipment and materials for rapid tooling and direct and indirect in-line manufacturing processes.

The materials will include ceramics, composite tooling materials and toughened plastics. This technology is expected to open up new markets aimed at producing more functional parts.

Research and development activities are taking place in both 3D Systems' facility in Valencia and in DSM Desotech's Somos(R) facility in New Castle, Del.

The joint venture initially is placing three OptoForm Engineering Evaluation Units at customer locations to facilitate continued technical development of materials, hardware and software. The OptoForm units will be utilized for technical evaluation of tough plastics, ceramics and composite tooling materials for the automotive, aerospace and tooling industries.

Full commercialization of this technology is expected during the last half of 2002 and the beginning of 2003. As the technology matures, both companies believe it will rival the importance of their present stereolithography-related businesses.

"With the acquisition of OptoForm SARL in January 2001, 3D Systems began the development of a product line known as DCM (direct composite manufacturing)," said Grant Flaharty, executive vice president at 3D Systems. "The agreement with DSM Desotech is expected to allow both companies to focus efforts on the development of solutions for the tooling and manufacturing industries.

"We believe we can make great strides with the OptoForm technology," Flaharty added. "We expect that the joint venture will enable us to bring a fully commercialized OptoForm system to market more quickly."

"We are very pleased to announce the agreement with 3D Systems," said Steve Hartig, vice president of marketing at DSM Desotech. "By sharing our expertise, and with both companies' strong intellectual property position in this area, we will have a focused effort to meet the demands of the marketplace, and we can expect significant product development synergies to result."

This joint venture agreement is subject to government review and satisfying all filing requirements.

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) systems (stereolithography) and SLS(R) systems (selective laser sintering), 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. In August, 3D Systems merged with DTM Corp.

More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com, or by phoning 888/337-9786, extension 803, or 661/295-5600 internationally. An investor packet can be obtained by calling 800/757-1799.

About DSM Desotech

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(TM) 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. Protofunctional is a trademark and Somos is a registered trademark of DSM Desotech.

Certain statements in this news release may include forward-looking statements which 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: world economic conditions including the unknown effects of the continuing U.S. military action; actions of competitors and customers that could impact OptoForm's ability to open up new markets; the ability to timely and cost-effectively develop OptoForm systems that meet the needs of our customers; the ability to develop or obtain materials adequate for use with the OptoForm products that are commercially accepted; and such other factors as are described in the company's 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 and Sept. 4, 2001.