ROCK HILL, S.C., Jan. 12, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 3D Systems Corporation (Nasdaq:TDSC), a leading provider of 3-D Printing, Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing solutions, announced today that it has entered into a non-exclusive distribution arrangement with the DMEC Stereolithography unit of JSR Corporation, a global specialty chemical leader, to market and sell 3D Systems' entire line of iPro(tm) SLA(r) Precision Centers. Under this arrangement, 3D Systems also authorized JSR to sell 3D Systems' line of Accura(r) Stereolithography resins for use with the iPro(tm) Systems on terms that are favorable to both companies. JSR Corporation has taken delivery of two iPro(tm) SLA(r) Precision Centers and plans to commence its Japanese sales and marketing activities this month.
iPro(tm) SLA(r) Precision Centers are among the newest family of Additive Fabrication systems from 3D Systems designed for manufacturing precision custom parts that rival the accuracy and detail of CNC milling.
"We are very pleased to be able to team up with a leading company like 3D Systems in order to expand the breadth of products and services we deliver to our Japanese customers," said Nobu Koshiba, Executive Managing Director of JSR Corporation. "For the past decade, our DMEC unit successfully developed and sold a comprehensive portfolio of our own JSR Stereolithography resins to a significant number of Japanese customers primarily within the automotive and durable goods marketplace."
"Over the same period of time, our DMEC unit was the sole equipment sales agent for the SONY SCS family of Stereolithography Systems in Japan, and we are very proud that we successfully built a large installed base for these machines in Japan and elsewhere throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In keeping with our strong commitment to our customers and the importance of this technology to JSR, we now decided to enter into a marketing arrangement with 3D Systems and will begin to market and sell iPro(tm) SLA(r) Precision Centers instead," concluded Koshiba.
DMEC operates an extensive materials' development center as well as a Rapid Prototyping center at its parent JSR Corporation Research and Development center in Japan and plans to install and operate iPro(tm) SLA(r) Precision Centers at this facility.
"We are honored to be working together with JSR Corporation, a true global pioneer, innovator and leader of Stereolithography Additive Fabrication technology for the benefit of existing and future Japanese customers," said Abe Reichental, President and Chief Executive Officer of 3D Systems Corporation. "We have the deepest respect and admiration for JSR Corporation and its leading-edge DMEC unit and expect that together we can provide broader Additive Fabrication solutions for a demanding and receptive Japanese automotive and durable goods marketplace."
"We believe that the entire family of iPro(tm) SLA(r) Precision Centers is ideally suited for the Japanese marketplace with its compact-footprint and legendary Stereolithography performance, which is based on decades of 3D Systems' patented SLA(r) technology," concluded Reichental.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this release that are not statements of historical or current facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements in the conditional or future tenses or that include terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "estimates," "intends," "anticipates" or "plans" to be uncertain and forward-looking. Forward-looking statements may include comments as to the company's beliefs and expectations as to future events and trends affecting its business and are necessarily subject to uncertainties, many of which are outside the control of the company. The factors described under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements," "Cautionary Statements and Risk Factors," and "Risk Factors" in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other factors, could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected or predicted in forward-looking statements.
About JSR Corporation
JSR Corporation was established in December 1957 to produce domestic synthetic rubbers. Since then, JSR has continued to strive to expand its business and reinforce stabilization of its management, resulting in leading positions in the areas of petrochemical materials, such as synthetic rubbers and emulsions.
JSR entered into the fast growing information and communication industries by applying its polymer technologies to photo-chemistries and organic synthesis chemistries. The company introduced electronic materials, display materials and optical materials and has achieved a large market share.
JSR Corporation changed its name from "Japan Synthetic Rubber" on December 10, 1997, when the company celebrated its 40th Anniversary, with a commitment to innovative transformation to reconstruct business strategies to provide innovative materials to various areas. JSR continues to answer the challenge to be a solution provider for new market demands.
More information on the company is available at www.jsr.co.jp.
About 3D Systems
3D Systems is a leading provider of 3-D Printing, 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.
The 3D Systems Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4537