Product category:
Rapid Prototyping
News Release from: Moog FCS
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 22 August 2000
Canon to distribute Thermojet printers
in Japan
3D Systems Europe Limited today announced that Canon Sales Co will be a distributor of ThermoJet office printers in Japan.
3D Systems Europe Limited today announced that Canon Sales Co., a subsidiary of Canon Inc., will be a distributor of ThermoJet(tm) office printers in Japan As part of the agreement, Canon Sales will market the printer to its extensive customer base
"Joining forces with Canon, a leader in office printing products, was a logical link for us," said Brian Service, president and chief executive officer of 3D Systems.
"Our ThermoJet printer literally adds another dimension to Canon's popular product offerings." "Our relationship with 3D Systems opens the door to more applications for our customers," said Norio Kuroda, managing director at Canon Sales.
"With computer-aided design (CAD) software gaining popularity, we are seeing a market demand for converting two-dimensional images into physical objects in the design and manufacturing environments.
The ThermoJet printer fulfills this requirement and does it quickly and reliably in an office setting." The automotive and electronics industries are currently the principal customers of 3D Systems solid object printers in Japan.
According to Service, the new business relationship with Canon Sales will allow entry into many new businesses that would benefit from using solid object printers.
ThermoJet printers quickly convert computer designs into solid models using technology similar to ink jet printing.
Instead of printing ink, the ThermoJet printer deposits layers of molten thermoplastic to build up a solid object.
These models can be held, evaluated, reviewed and iterated early in the manufacturing cycle.
ThermoJet printer models can also be used as master patterns for molding and casting applications.
"The agreement to supply 100 ThermoJet printers to the Hong Kong Productivity Council and Ying Feng Machinery was an indicator that the 3D CAD process is becoming the standard and that the adoption rate is accelerating in this region," said Lee Dockstader, vice president of Asia-Pacific operations.
"Our relationship with a leader such as Canon Sales only solidifies the fact that 3D Systems' advanced technologies are the way of the future and an excellent means for manufacturers to communicate their ideas, be innovative and stay competitive." Marketing of the SLA product line in Japan will continue to be handled by existing distributors.
"Once again, we have taken a considerable step forward in our effort to increase market presence in Japan.
This is an important region for our business," Service said.
3D Systems currently offers the ThermoJet* office printer and SLA* industrial systems, which include proprietary software and materials.
These products offer a wide range of applications to a variety of industries.
The company also licenses the 3D Keltool* process, a complementary application to the SLA product line that produces injection molding and die casting inserts from SLA system master patterns.
About Canon Sales Co., Inc.
Canon Sales Co., the independent Japanese marketing arm of Canon Inc., is a leading distributor of copying machines, telecommunications products, computer products, optical products and cameras.
In addition to selling Canon-brand products, Canon Sales has established itself as a systems integrator and a vendor of top-quality computers, related products and software from companies overseas.
As of December 1999, the company's nationwide network encompassed 92 operating offices and 26 group companies.
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