Z Corporation, now owned by 3D Systems, produces RP equipment based on MIT's three dimensional printing (3DP) technology. The system uses a wide-area inkjet head to bond powder with a binder into the form of an object. Typical materials have been based on plaster or starch and consequently fairly low in strength. However, secondary infiltration treatments are available to improve mechanical properties, and the company is working to widen material selection. The accuracy and finish of the parts is somewhat poorer than the competition, but improvements in materials and post finishing have helped quite a bit. An inexpensive color option and materials with elastomeric properties were introduced in 2001. Color fidelity was greatly improved in early 2005 and has become an important sales feature. The system is significantly faster than other 3D printer technologies and can build some smaller parts in an hour or two.

Price reductions starting in 2002 kept the company in tight competition with Stratasys. The company's most affordable system at present is approximately $14,900, with a 64 color-capable version selling for $24,900. Revenue grew by more than 20% in 2004, 24% in 2003, and by 50% in 2005 to more than $30 million. The company had approximately $46 million in revenue for 2008, the last year for which data has been made available.

Unit growth has been rapid. The company announced delivery of its 1,000th system in January, 2004 and its 6,000 system in February, 2011.

While Z Corp.'s products most directly compete on price with those from Stratasys, both companies provide distinct capabilities. The superior speed of Z Corp. systems is often an important factor for purchasers to balance against Stratasys' slower build rate, but more robust and wider material selection. The full color capability of the process is another strong factor favoring Z Corp.'s products for many applications. As with Stratasys, a significant percentage of the company's machines are finding their way into educational settings.

In an effort to broaden its product line, Z Corp. began selling the Envisiontec Ultra on an OEM basis in May, 2010. This photopolymer-based machine offers very good surface finishes and a fast build speed. It allowed Z Corp. to address many applications for which it previously had no appropriate technology.

In July, 2005, privately-held Z Corp. announced a merger with Contex Scanning Technology of Denmark, a maker of wide format document scanners. Contex as a whole has annual sales in excess of $100 million and Z Corp. operated as an independent subsidiary.

In November 2011, the company surprised the industry by announcing that it was being acquired by 3D Systems. This further widens 3D's technology portfolio and provides it with numerous additional distributors. On the other hand, 3D has purchased approximately twenty-five companies in about two years and may have difficulty integrating them. Z Corp. is its largest acquisition to date by far and the biggest bite to swallow.

It will also be interesting to see how 3D handles the relationship with Envisiontec, which 3D competes directly with and has on-going legal actions against for patent infringement. More details on the acquistion are covered in the section on 3D Systems.

Solidscape, Inc.

Solidscape, founded in 1994, produces inkjet-based machines. Solidscape's technology is able to build small parts with excellent surface finish at a relatively slow rate. It uses a milling head to trim each layer, allowing greater accuracy and the ability to correct mistakes resulting from a failure of the inkjet. The company has found a successful niche in jewelry manufacturing, medical implants and other markets where small, intricate parts are the norm. Sanders Design International formerly made systems based on similar inkjet technology with an emphasis on tooling applications. Solidscape and Sanders shared a common heritage, having both been founded by Royden Sanders, but are now independent companies. They feuded over IP issues and as a result SDI no longer sells RP equipment. Nevertheless, a handful of service bureaus still provide SDI's technology.

The company had sales of about $13.4 million in 2010 and was purchased in May, 2011 by Stratasys for $38 million. Solidscape is operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary, and while not identical, the technologies offered by the two companies have a lot of similarities and their markets are complementary with little overlap.

Cubic Technologies Inc.

Cubic Technologies is the successor company to Helisys Inc. which sold its first laminated object manufacturing (LOM) system in 1991. This simple technology uses a laser to cut paper layers and then stacks and bonds them in a wood-like block. It has found acceptance for building large parts and casting patterns. However, Helisys faced greater competition as other technologies developed solutions to address these same market segments and it ceased operations near the end of 2000. LOM will continue to live on in market segments for which it is well-adapted. Several companies in Asia build systems that are very similar and the technology is used for a number of specialized applications.

In its favor the method is relatively fast, with very low cost for materials. Paper is the most popular material utilized, but plastic and ceramic-fiberglass composites are also available. However, accuracy and finish are not as good as competitive products, and material that is not part of the final object must be "de-cubed" from it in a manual process. Resolution is limited by the thickness of materials that can be handled.

At this point Cubic Technologies is not very active, mainly providing parts and service for existing Helisys machines.