Art Center College of Design Chooses FDM Again; Prestigious Design School Uses Stratasys FDM Rapid Prototyping to Train the World's Leading Designers

MINNEAPOLIS--Oct. 2, 20037, 2003-- Stratasys announced that Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., has purchased its fifth FDM rapid prototyping system. The college has been using FDM (fused deposition modeling) systems since 1996 to train design students. Art Center is the world's premier design college: Nearly half of the world's automobile designers were educated at the school.

Art Center trains designers in a variety of disciplines from fine arts to industrial design, and it uses rapid prototyping in its daily coursework. The school's latest rapid prototyping purchase was its third Prodigy Plus(TM) system from Stratasys. The school will be using its new rapid prototyping system to build models of products ranging from automobiles to kitchen appliances to architecture.

The school's Technical Skills Center director Michael Plesh says he likes FDM rapid prototyping technology because "it allows our students to create prototypes using real-world engineering elements. Features such as the wall thickness, the modeling material, the fit, and function can be created similar to the end product," he says. "For example, auto interiors are approximately 70 percent ABS plastic; FDM allows modeling in that material, so it brings the prototype performance close to that of real production."

Art Center students work at the cutting edge of design. "Product-design ideas created today by Art Center students will make their way into products you will buy 15 years from now," says Plesh. Many Art Center graduates have become renowned designers, such as J Mays, who designed the new VW Beetle, the current Ford Explorer and the retro Thunderbird.

Stratasys Inc, Minneapolis, manufactured 31% of all rapid prototyping systems installed worldwide last year, the highest percentage of any manufacturer, according to Wohlers Report 2003. The company patented the rapid prototyping process known as fused deposition modeling (FDM(R)). The process creates solid models directly from 3D CAD files using ABS plastic, polycarbonate, PPSF or other materials. Stratasys manufactures rapid prototyping systems for OEMs such as aerospace, automotive, defense, consumer, and medical product makers.

Prodigy is a trademark, and FDM and Stratasys are registered trademarks of Stratasys Inc.

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