3D-Systems, based in South Carolina, was founded in 1986. The company develops and sells 3D printers worldwide. The product range is broad – the technologies range from three-dimensional printing with plastics to metals. The company is particularly distinguished in the field of stereolithography and associated software and file formats, as the founder of the company is also the developer and patent holder of the SLA (stereolithography) process. In addition, 3D-Systems develops printers for other printing processes such as SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) and SLM (Selective Metal Melting). The printers developed by 3D-Systems generate prototypes in the field of product development, molds for tools and final parts for design optimization. 3D full-color printers (CMYK colors) are particularly suitable for illustrating conceptual and simulation models. Liquid paint is used to bond with the powder on the mold.
