Z Corporation 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 have kept the company in tight competition with Stratasys. The company's most affordable system at present is approximately $19,900. Revenue grew by more than 20% in 2004, 24% in 2003, and by 50% in 2005 to more than $30 million.

The company announced delivery of its 1,000th system in January, 2004 and by the end of the year had sold 422 machines bringing its installed base to 1,452. In July, 2005, privately-held Z Corp. announced a merger with Contex Scanning Technology of Denmark, a maker of wide format document scanners. Z Corp. operates as an independent subsidiary and the combined entity has annual sales in excess of $100 million. While the division no longer publicly releases sales figures, estimates suggest that its annual sales revenue for 2007 is in the range of $39 million.

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.

Solidscape, Inc.

Privately held Solidscape, founded in 1994, produces inkjet-based machines. The Solidscape system 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.

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. In addition to Cubic Technologies, companies such as Kinergy of Singapore build systems that are very similar.

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.

Desktop Factory

Start-up Desktop Factory’s first product introduction, expected in late 2008, might tell quite a bit about future markets for additive fabrication technologies. The company is expected to introduce a machine that will sell for less than US$5,000. The table top-sized system weighs about 90 pounds and has a build envelope of 5 x 5 x 5 inches. The initial material is an aluminum-filled nylon plastic composite that exhibits good strength. The company says that the machine will build parts at approximately the speed of competitive systems.

On the down-side, parts and models are not likely to exhibit crisp detail since layer thickness will be on the order of 10 mils and thermal exposure of layers is by means of a focused incandescent lamp. Since the machine uses a single material, support structures for overhangs must be fabricated and removed in secondary operations. The robust nature of the material might make that time-consuming, as well.