Rock Hill, South Carolina, Oct. 14, 2008 - 3D Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: TDSC), a leading provider of 3-D Printing, Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing solutions, announced today the ProJet™ CP 3000 3-D Production System for the high-speed, high-volume production of RealWax™ casting patterns from digital data for foundry prototyping and end-use parts applications.
ProJet™ CP 3000 provides a cost-effective system targeted for general foundry applications such as medium-sized to large-sized mechanical parts for engines, pneumatics, aerospace, general manufacturing and other heavy equipment.
The ProJet™ CP 3000 uses 3D Systems' new VisiJet® CP200 wax build material and VisiJet® S200 dissolvable wax support material to produce 100% RealWax™ patterns for investment casting of final parts using standard investment-casting materials and procedures. Offering easy-to-cast, high-precision RealWax™ patterns produced at best-in-class production speed and throughput, the ProJet™ CP 3000 Production System is an exceptional value for foundries, mold makers and other casting-oriented producers or service providers. This 3-D Printer builds high-quality patterns, including highly complex geometric shapes that traditional CNC or milling processes are unable to produce.
With a large X-Y-Z build volume of 11.75 x 7.3 x 8 inches (or 298 x 185 x 203 mm) and a single-pass print-head design, this new printer can build either a single large or multiple smaller patterns across the entire X-Y build area without sacrificing build time. Its part stacking and nesting feature for the patterns that it produces enables full utilization of the Z-direction build volume for longer unattended operation.
Together with the recently announced ProJet™ CPX 3000 System, this new 3-D Printer expands 3D Systems' portfolio of solutions specifically targeted to meet the needs of investment casting professionals. The new ProJet™ CP 3000 3-D Production System was designed specifically for both high-production output and 100% real wax patterns that melt and burn out just like injected wax patterns. Its new dissolvable wax support system is quick and easy to remove, leaving smooth support-side surfaces. Both build and support materials are environmentally friendly and require no special handling. This new production system is better suited than previously available systems in this class for the demanding foundry working environment, and it does not require the production of patterns from photocurable materials, which typically exhibit thermal expansion during the casting process that may limit the part-size and geometries that can be successfully cast.
"We are very pleased to be able to deliver the new ProJet™ CP 3000 3-D Production System, the first high-volume wax pattern production system designed specifically for general foundry casting applications," said Buddy Byrum, 3D Systems' senior director of 3-D Printing solutions. "The ability of this new precision manufacturing tool to quickly produce easy-to-cast precision wax patterns directly from CAD should reduce our customers' cycle time and production costs, resulting in improved final part quality and functionality."
3D Systems plans to start shipping the ProJet™ CP 3000 System during the fourth quarter of this year and will provide live demonstrations and training on this exciting new printer at its World Conference from October 20-23, 2008, in Charlotte, NC/Rock Hill, SC. Conference information is available at www.3dworldconference.com.
About 3D Systems Corporation
3D Systems is a leading provider of 3-D Modeling, Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing solutions. Its systems and materials reduce the time and cost of designing products and facilitate direct and indirect manufacturing by creating actual parts directly from digital input. These solutions are used for design communication and prototyping as well as for production of functional end-use parts: Transform your products.
More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com, or via email at moreinfo@3dsystems.com.
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