Rock Hill, South Carolina, Sep. 6, 2007 -
3D Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: TDSC), a leading provider of 3-D Modeling, Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing solutions, announced today that key members of the Chinese diplomatic corps, including His Excellency Zhou Wenzhong, Ambassador to the United States, met in Portland, Oregon, to learn about opportunities in fractional ownership of U.S.-based Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Manufacturing equipment.
David A. McInnis, who led the U.S. delegation of business executives, explained to the Chinese Ambassador and his colleagues how fractional ownership of RP/RM technology can serve the interests of both the United States and China. McInnis is the founder and CEO of Tangible Express, a Springville, Utah-based company that offers shared ownership of state-of-the-art, low-volume manufacturing technology with 3D Systems’ additive manufacturing systems.
While the Chinese are proven global leaders in mass production, the country frequently must turn away low-volume production orders and prototype-related work. In a formal presentation, C. Alex Linde, Tangible Express’ President and COO, showed the Chinese diplomats how their country can strategically deploy U.S.-based RP/RM manufacturing to serve their clients’ short-run manufacturing and prototyping needs.
3D Systems’ solutions utilize the latest technology in Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Manufacturing, enabling companies to design, develop and manufacture prototypes more rapidly and efficiently to meet the demanding needs of various industries, including aerospace, architecture, automotive, consumer goods and medical applications.
Ambassador Wenzhong, who was joined by members of both the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Consulate, expressed strong interest in Tangible Express’ business model, which was recently featured in an article in Design News magazine, and how it might aid Chinese manufacturers.
“It is a wonderful idea to improve efficiency and cut costs,” the Ambassador said of RP/RM after the briefing was completed. “The Chinese people like [efficiency and cost cutting] very much.”
Tangible Express’ Linde stressed the fact that his company’s patent-pending system makes it possible for any global company to own and control key, high-tech manufacturing assets in the U.S. at a fraction of the cost of purchasing and operating those assets outright. Importantly, Linde noted, U.S.-based companies that do large-volume production overseas can utilize the Tangible Express model to rapidly design, make and test small-volume runs before committing to full, costly production.
Tangible Express’ McInnis, Linde and other key company executives will visit China in October to continue their briefings and meet with Chinese manufacturers seeking to invest in the United States.
“We were truly heartened by the strong interest Ambassador Wenzhong took in Tangible Express,” McInnis said. “The investment of his time and that of senior members of his diplomatic corps illustrates the enormous power embodied in our vision of shared-manufacturing.”
Tangible Express came to the attention of the Chinese on the heels of its rapid growth and success making shares of RP/RM equipment available to U.S. manufacturers, engineers and designers. 3D Systems and Tangible Express have formed a partnership to enable companies and individuals the advantages of this technology without having to own entire systems. The Tangible Express model allows companies the benefits of ownership, without incurring the expense, overcapacity, repair and maintenance hassles, or risks of obsolescence that are associated with full ownership. Companies that buy Tangible Express fractional shares are also able to access the unused capacity of other fractional owners if their needs change or grow.
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 e-mail at moreinfo@3dsystems.com.
About Tangible Express™
Mass-market adoption of fractional ownership Rapid Prototyping buying programs is the driving vision of Tangible Express. The company’s revolutionary Tangible Alliance Program™ is enabling designers, engineers and manufacturers to develop 3-D prototypes faster and more efficiently. Tangible Express allows companies to own the precise amount of Rapid Prototyping capacity they need.
More information on Tangible Express is available at www.tangibleexpress.com.
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