Photo Release -- 3D Systems, Commonwealth of Penns

- $3 million in grants and matching support awarded to Carnegie Mellon University and Lehigh University for 3D printing research

- 3D Systems partners to support development of medical instrumentation and devices

- Awards are a key result of the public-private partnership between America Makes, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and 3D Systems

ROCK HILL, S.C., Aug. 18, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD ), the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and America Makes announced the award of three major grants to leading universities to advance research in additive manufacturing technology. The announcement was made on August 15 by Governor Tom Corbett at 3DS' 3D printing facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. The grants are provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and America Makes and will be used to finance research conducted in partnership with 3D Systems.

A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=27139

"Pennsylvania is known for making products for the world, and to remain competitive, we must ensure our policies support the technology and innovation of the 21st century," said the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Governor Tom Corbett. "By supporting this collaborative initiative, we will tap the best and brightest from two of Pennsylvania's many prestigious universities to help our manufacturers remain leaders in the global economy."

Part of the larger Research for Additive Manufacturing in Pennsylvania (RAMP) program, the Corbett administration's Discovered in PA – Developed in PA (D2PA) grant of $1 million has been awarded to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). RAMP was established in 2012 to engage in specific innovation projects with Pennsylvania manufacturers. D2PA was established by Corbett in 2011 to support Pennsylvania businesses and to spur creativity and innovation in the provision of economic development services.

Lehigh University received a $1 million grant from America Makes, the national additive manufacturing innovation institute . America Makes was established by the U.S. Department of Defense and other governmental organizations in 2012 and brings together 100 companies and universities to advance 3D printing into the market.

Additional private industry in-kind contributions to a value of $1 million are being provided to fund both projects.

The announced grants will be used to fund at least 13 projects, including the fabrication of medical instrumentation for knee and hip replacement and complex additive manufacturing with various materials. 3D Systems will partner with Carnegie Mellon and Lehigh University to support these projects, driven by 3DS' expertise in 3D healthcare technology and end-to-end digital thread for personalized medicine.

"These institutions' proposals and project concepts were groundbreaking," said Jim Williams, 3DS' Vice President for Aerospace and Defense. "With these grants, CMU and Lehigh will not only be making key contributions to the medical and scientific communities, but fostering technological innovation throughout Pennsylvania as well. We are delighted to support this effort."

About 3D Systems

3D Systems is pioneering 3D printing for everyone. 3DS provides the most advanced and comprehensive 3D design-to-manufacturing solutions including 3D printers, print materials and cloud sourced custom parts. Its powerful digital thread empowers professionals and consumers everywhere to bring their ideas to life in material choices including plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles. 3DS' leading healthcare solutions include integrated 3D planning and printing for personalized surgery and patient specific medical and dental devices. Its democratized 3D design and inspection products embody the latest perceptual, capture and touch technology. Its products and services replace and complement traditional methods with improved results and reduced time to outcomes. These solutions are used to rapidly design, create, communicate, plan, guide, prototype or produce functional parts, devices and assemblies, empowering customers to manufacture the future.

Leadership Through Innovation and Technology

• 3DS invented 3D printing with its Stereolithography (SLA) printer and was the first to commercialize it in 1989.
• 3DS invented Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printing and was the first to commercialize it in 1992.
• 3DS invented the Color-Jet-Printing (CJP) class of 3D printers and was the first to commercialize 3D powder-based systems in 1994.
• 3DS invented Multi-Jet-Printing (MJP) printers and was the first to commercialize it in 1996.
• 3DS Medical Modeling pioneered virtual surgical planning (VSP) and its services are world-leading, helping many thousands of patients on an annual basis.

Today its comprehensive range of 3D printers is the industry's benchmark for production-grade manufacturing in aerospace, automotive, patient specific medical device and a variety of consumer, electronic and fashion accessories.

More information on the company is available at www.3DSystems.com .

About America Makes

America Makes is focused on helping the United States grow capabilities and strength in 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing. We facilitate collaboration among leaders from business, academia, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Focusing on areas that include design, materials, technology, workforce and more, we help our nation's 3D printing industry become more globally competitive.

Based in Youngstown, Ohio, America Makes is an extensive network of nearly 100 companies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and government agencies from all over the U.S. America Makes was founded in August 2012 as the flagship institute for other National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) institutes and is driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). Find out more at: https://americamakes.us/

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