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3D SYSTEMS AND DSM DESOTECH SIGN JOINT VENTURE AGREEMENT
19 December 2001 - DSM Somos
| 3D Systems Corp. 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® 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.
http://www.dsmsomos.com
About: DSM Somos
DSM Somos is an unincorporated division of DSM Desotech—a world leader in the development of UV-curable materials—and a member of the global DSM family.
DSM 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 a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and telecommunications. DSM Somos has developed a full line of rapid prototyping materials that replicate the performance parameters of production materials, saving both time and money in new product development. From thermoplastic elastomers to polyethylene and polypropylene, DSM Somos has stereolithography and selective laser sintering technologies. The Somos business has been actively involved in the development of rapid prototyping materials since the late 1980s, from the introduction of the first commercial Somos stereolithography resin in 1992. DSM Somos is part of DSM Desotech, a leading innovative formulator and manufacturer of high quality ultraviolet and electron beam (UV/EB) curable materials. DSM Desotech is a business unit of DSM - an international chemicals and materials group headquartered in The Netherlands, with annual sales of EUR 8.1 billion and a work force of approximately 22,000 employees at more than 200 sites worldwide. DSM is active worldwide in life science and nutritional products, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company specializes in innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life and DSM products are currently used in a wide range of end markets and applications such as human and animal nutrition and health, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings, housing and electrics & electronics (E&E). The group has annual sales (pro forma including the recent acquisition - renamed DSM Nutritional Products) of approximately EUR 8 billion and employs about 26,000 people around the world. Ranking among the global leaders in many of its fields, DSM is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia and the Americas. |
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