Founded by Chuck Hull, who created the first 3D printing technology in 1984 called stereolithography, 3D Systems is a major player in additive manufacturing, and today masters a wide range of 3D technologies.
A brief history of 3D Systems
In 1983, Charles Hull 3D printed the very first part in the world thanks to a photopolymerization process that consists of hardening a liquid resin under the effect of a light source (here, a laser). A year later, Mr. Hull filed his patent and founded the company 3D Systems in 1986 with his associates. It was the first additive manufacturing company in the world, already full of promise. The brand quickly marketed its first machines and in 1989 turned to selective laser sintering (SLS).
A few years later, 3D Systems once again extended its range of 3D printing technologies by turning to Binder Jetting: it introduced its ColorJet Printing (CJP) process, capable of creating multicoloured parts. Then, it developed machines based on Material Jetting technology, MultiJet Printing (MJP), to manufacture multi-material parts. In 2013, 3D Systems acquired the French company Phenix Systems which allows it to add metal to its range.
Machines and applications
As you will have understood, 3D Systems is a historical player in additive manufacturing, mainly known for its SLA machines. To mention just one of them, we can talk about its most recent one, Figure 4. It is a scalable platform: it is composed of several modules that the user can customize according to his needs. Users can increase their production capacity by choosing one to four 3D printers, for example.
On the metal side, 3D Systems now has 7 machines in its range, also designed for industrial applications. As with plastics, the manufacturer has paid particular attention to the dental market: its NextDent 5100 machine or the DMP Dental 100 have been developed for this sector. 3D Systems also responds to the needs of the aerospace, jewelry and other sectors. Find all the manufacturer’s machines below.