Renault and 3D Systems establish F1 ADM centre.

3D Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: TDSC) today announced the partnership and establishment of an Advanced Digital ManufacturingSM (ADM) centre in conjunction with the Renault F1 Team in Enstone, England.

Under the terms of the partnership agreement, 3D Systems and the Renault F1 Team have established an ADM centre specifically concentrated on Formula 1 design and low-run production parts for the Renault F1 Team car.

"The Advanced Digital Manufacturing Centre is the next logical step in our technology partnership with the Renault F1 Team," said Mike Kelly, European Director Sales and Marketing. "We have had a partnership with the Renault F1 Team since 2000 and have been impressed with the integration of our solid imaging systems into their design and manufacturing processes. The establishment of the 3D Systems Advanced Digital Manufacturing centre at the Renault F1 Team is a committed effort by both companies to continue the extraordinary work done in the wind tunnel but also in the development of parts used directly on the car during testing or a race."

Renault F1 Team UK, technical director, Mike Gascoyne, commented: "The ADM centre will allow the Renault F1 Team to fully utilize our expertise in new car design, testing and production.

"We began our relationship with 3D Systems in 1998, producing SL parts from an SLA(R) 5000 system for wind tunnel testing. Starting with one SLA system, we quickly began to utilize it to produce rapid iterations of designs for wind tunnel testing while exploring new and inventive designs typically not easily produced by traditional methods," he added.

"Our utilization of the first SLA system exceeded its capacity and in 2000, 3D Systems and the Renault F1 Team entered into a Technical Partnership with the acquisition of two additional SLA 7000 systems. The new ADM centre at the Renault F1 Team, with its additional SLA systems, OptoForm system and solid object printer capacity, will allow us to develop and surpass any design concepts and part production that we had previously envisioned. This is a step forward for the Formula 1 industry," continued Gascoyne.

In addition to the two SLA 7000 systems, the ADM centre will receive two additional SLA 7000 systems and an OptoForm system in September with full commissioning of the new facility expected by December 2002. When fully operational the centre will be furnished with four high-end SLA 7000 systems, an OptoForm paste system and a ThermoJet(R) printer. Future additions to the ADM Center will include 3D Systems SLS(R) (selective laser sintering) systems technology.