Konica Minolta Forms Alliance With 3D Systems to Sell, Service and Support Its 3D Printers

ROCK HILL, SC—June 5, 2014—3D Systems announced today that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. to distribute its complete 3-D printing product portfolio through Konica Minolta’s nationwide network of dealers and authorized resellers, as well as its direct sales channel. This relationship marks Konica Minolta as the first original equipment manufacturer to sell, support and service 3-D printing products through the traditional printer and office equipment channel in the United States.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. is a leader in enterprise content management, technology optimization and cloud services with solutions that help organizations improve their speed to market, manage technology costs, and facilitate the sharing of information to increase productivity.

With this alliance, Konica Minolta will enter the rapidly emerging 3-D printing market to provide its customers access to additive manufacturing solutions, complementing and expanding its product and services portfolio distributed through its network of dealers in the United States, as well as its direct distribution. Konica Minolta plans to focus on high-growth industries such as manufacturing/industrial, healthcare and education applications.

“Our goal is to arm our nationwide, exceptional sales organization with the cutting-edge products and services they need to grow their businesses and gain a competitive edge,” said Kevin Kern, senior vice president, marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. “By teaming up with 3DS, the recognized industry leader, and offering the most comprehensive suite of 3-D printers materials and services, we’re able to do just that.”

Some of the first products that Konica Minolta will resell from 3D Systems include:

• ProJet 3500 Series Professional 3D Printer—Ideal for engineering, manufacturing and mechanical environments, the ProJet 3500 Series prints high-quality, durable plastic parts with accurate and high-resolution. This printer series is ideal for rapid manufacturing, functional testing, design communication, rapid tooling and more.
• ProJet 660 Professional 3D Printer—The ProJet 660 targets consumer products, healthcare, education and other vertical market customers that are interested in printing full-color, photo-realistic models for product design, prototypes, assemblies and color concept models.

“We are thrilled to be able to work with an established and experienced partner like Konica Minolta U.S.A and access their nationwide network to accelerate 3-D printing adoption,” relayed Michele Marchesan, chief opportunity officer, 3DS. “Our ability to attract world class organizations like Konica Minolta sets us apart from competitors and provides a unique opportunity to serve a wider range of customers, maintain closer relationships with them and gain insights into how to better meet their needs.”

About 3D Systems
3D Systems is a leading provider of 3-D printing centric design-to-manufacturing solutions including 3D printers, print materials and cloud sourced on-demand custom parts for professionals and consumers alike in materials including plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles. The company also provides integrated 3D scan-based design, freeform modeling and inspection tools and an integrated 3D planning and printing digital thread for personalized surgery and patient specific medical devices. Its products and services replace and complement traditional methods and reduce the time andcost of designing new products by printing real parts directly from digital input. These solutions are used to rapidly design, create, communicate, prototype or produce functional parts and assemblies, empowering customers to manufacture the future.

Leadership Through Innovation and Technology

• 3DS invented 3-D 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 3-D powder-based systems in 1994.
• 3DS invented Multi-Jet-Printing (MJP) printers and was the first to commercialize it in 1996.

Today its comprehensive range of 3-D 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.

About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. is a leader in enterprise content management, technology optimization and cloud services. Its solutions help organizations improve their speed to market, manage technology costs, and facilitate the sharing of information to increase productivity. Recognized as a #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty by Brand Keys for seven consecutive years, awarded “MFP (multifunction peripheral) Line of the Year” by Buyers Laboratory, and named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the company focuses on end-to-end business solutions to help your business grow. Clients trust Konica Minolta to help them envision how they can achieve their goals and deliver innovative solutions to give shape to their ideas.

Source: Konica Minolta.