Shaves Time-To-Market And Reduces Development Cost, Driving
                           Higher Sales

ROCK HILL, S.C., Jan. 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 3D Systems
Corporation (NYSE:DDD) announced today that A. O. Smith Corporation
(NYSE:AOS), a leading global manufacturer of water heating equipment,
is creating more attractive and energy-efficient water heaters through
its advanced new product development process, which integrates 3D
printing solutions from the company's full-color professional 3D
printers.

Using a ZPrinter(R) to create prototypes in-house, A. O. Smith is
shaving weeks off product development, saving substantial cost as well
as time. This enables them to iterate more productively and thoroughly
refine designs, according to the R&D team.

"Instead of commissioning aluminum molds or sending out to busy
contractors for plastic models, we can produce our own high-resolution
color prototypes for a fraction of the cost," said A. O. Smith CAD
Supervisor, Steve Wood, from the company's Johnson City, TN,
manufacturing facility. "When a trial design isn't perfect, we quickly
revise it and print another 3D model, or we create several different
prototypes at the same time. Our ZPrinter gives us the flexibility to
make real-time changes and react quickly to our customers' demands."

An aluminum mold, including setup and prototype production, can be
costly, consuming as much as six weeks from the company's design cycle
before the first part is produced. Worse, if the prototype doesn't
work, a significant design revision can require a new mold and another
cycle of waiting. With its ZPrinter(R) 650 3D printer, A. O. Smith can
print multiple prototypes reflecting a wide range of design
alternatives in a few hours at a significant cost reduction.

A. O. Smith expected the ZPrinter to pay for itself quickly, but is
happily finding that the return on the ZPrinter investment exceeds even
its expectations. "Because we're finding it increasingly valuable as
time goes on -- and thus are using it more," stated A. O. Smith CAD
Operator, Robert Anest, "it is sure to pay for itself sooner than we
thought."

In addition to printing prototypes, A. O. Smith is printing molds for
the production of plastic molded parts -- again avoiding costly
aluminum molds. According to Wood, "To produce prototypes from our own
molds, we're spending less money and time."

The integration of A. O. Smith's ZPrinter(R) 650 3D printer has not
just been a cost savings either. "It's both a unique and an effective
sales tool," said Wood. "Our customers and partners love them -- for
one thing, they don't have to lug around a 200-pound water heater. And
we're getting great feedback from everyone involved."

About 3D Systems Corporation

3D Systems is a leading provider of 3D content-to-print solutions
including 3D printers, print materials and on-demand custom parts
services for professionals and consumers alike. The company also
provides creative content development, design productivity tools and
curation services and downloads. Its expertly integrated solutions
replace, displace and complement traditional methods and reduce the
time and cost of designing new products by printing real parts directly
from digital input. These solutions are used to rapidly design,
communicate, prototype and produce functional parts, empowering its
customers to create with confidence.

More information on the company is available at www.3DSystems.com.

To experience our entire range of 3D content-to-print products and
services please visit www.printin3D.com, www.production3dprinters.com,
www.3Dproparts.com, www.zcorp.com, www.toptobottomdental.com,
www.quickparts.com, www.alibre.com, www.bitsfrombytes.com,
www.botmill.com, www.cubify.com, www.The3dStudio.com,
www.freedomofcreation.com, www.sycode.com, blog.3dsystems.com, or via
email at moreinfo@3Dsystems.com.

The 3D Systems Corporation logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4537


CONTACT: Investor Contact: Stacey Witten
         803-326-4010
         E-mail: WittenS@3dsystems.com
         
         Media Contact: Cathy Lewis
         803-326-3950
         Email: LewisCL@3dsystems.com