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FDM Innovation & Entrepreneurship Scott Crump BSME, Co-Founder & CEO Stratasys. Stratasys & UTEP Partnership. 10 years of business & partnering UTEP has twelve Stratasys FDM Systems UTEP has been a Beta Site and they do joint development in R&D including: research
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FDM Innovation & EntrepreneurshipScott CrumpBSME, Co-Founder & CEO Stratasys
Stratasys & UTEP Partnership • 10 years of business & partnering • UTEP has twelve Stratasys FDM Systems • UTEP has been a Beta Site and they do joint development in R&D including: • research • mechanical strength properties & characteristics • build parts for customers
CO-FOUNDERS Scott & Lisa Crump set out to automate the gap between the CAD blueprint and the final manufactured product …. now called Rapid Prototyping
The “Start Up” • Built “Toy Froggy” with 2 yr. old daughter - 1988 • Realized layered beads could build a part with a glue gun • Added glue gun to a 2D Pen Plotter = 3D Plotter • For Proof of Concept • In our garage
Vision • Offer Engineers a 3D Printer for desktop 3D CAD: • Easy to use - one “build button” from CAD • Automatic build of prototype • Use in the design office • $12,000 Price • Real production grade plastic parts • We kept with the vision
The “Start Up” • “3D Plotter” for AutoCAD run on IBM PC • Tested Proof of Feasibility & it worked • We had spent $10,000 so far - the big question: • Do we take the risk of a start up • Quit my job with good income - for no income • Or just forget the idea • Looked easy - but it wasn’t an easy decision • Started up Stratasys on 2nd shift – working 1st shift
Lessons Learned for Engineers • Follow your dreams • Clear vision is more valuable than a detailed plan & have faith in your vision • Take as high of a risk as you can stomach and control
Emerging History - FDM Technology • I filed for a FDM Technology Patent • It was granted in 1992 • FDM - Fused Deposition Modeling: • Lower acquisition price vs. competition • Production grade plastic parts • Office friendly environment
Emerging History - Patented FDM Technology Support Material Modeling Material
Lessons Learned • Get Patents to protect global proprietary position • Start ups are a lot about survival and persistence • The entrepreneur is persistent • Cash is KING - you’re in business as long as you have cash
Lessons Learned • Keep focused on what value you add to your customer • Price your service and product to the market - not cost • Work with a seasoned Mentor that has done it • Try to have variable cost & low fixed cost
Funding - Sold equity as needed - to grow • Lisa & I invested in 1989 • My family invested in 1990 • Talked with 74 Venture groups & we found one • Battery Ventures (VC) invested $1.2M in 1990 • Lisa & I invested again 1992
Funding- Sold equity as needed - to grow • Serious problem funding high growth!! • We were growing at 125% per year • Unsuccessful getting $5M private offering • Difficult decision - do IPO or shut the doors • We contacted 23 IPO underwriters nationally • Successful $7M IPO in 1994 • East Coast Underwriter • We had Sales of about $3 million • Stratasys publicly traded on NASDAQ
Lessons Learned • Stock options help employees focus & gain • Don’t be afraid to sell equity - 100% of nothing is nothing • Don’t fund long term risk - with debt • We thought we could grow Stratasys with $90,000, it actually required $20M - Hey not all plans work
3D Printer – Stratasys First to Market $25,000 IPO funded 3D Printer development
Enormous Growth Potential Global Engineering Population 28.5 Million Engineers 5 Million MCAD Users Source: Stratasys, CADigest, engineeringtalk.com, Deskeng.com
3D Printer Opportunity AF Systems Today 37,000 5 Million CAD Workstations Worldwide 3D Printer Opportunity >500k Systems at the right price!
Currently shipping 2,000 Units per year We have a plan for 5,000 per year My vision is 10,000 per year 3D Printing Vision SSYS
3D Printing SSYS • The question is, how to do 10,000 per year? • For this expansion, we need to: • Improve system quality & our culture • Growth of sales channel
Lessons Learned • It’s really all about your team of employees • Hire the right employees the first time • If you don’t know how to hire, use a head hunter • Don’t be cheap with employee salaries • Measure and share critical business metrics
Traditional Technology “S” Curve The 3D Printer fits aTraditional Technology “S” Curve
Whole Product Criteria • Correct price • Correct ongoing operating cost • Product reliability • Ease of use • Correct sales channel • Product speed • Part quality • Correct market application • Competitive positioning
Whole Product Criteria - FDM-3000 Scale: 10 = High to 0 = Low
HP Agreement Stratasys and HP Agreement:Taking 3D Printing Mainstream
HP Agreement HP will sell our 3D printers as HP brand. Stratasys will develop and manufacture for HP based on proprietary Stratasys FDM technology. Part of $24 billion HP’s Graphic Solutions Business HP’s goal is worldwide distribution of 3D printers.
3D Printing Opportunity + + Right Solution Right Channel Millions of Potential Users
Application Success Story For Medical Tools, Functional Prototypes Improve Design – Ratchet for Spinal surgical procedures “At Medtronic – Sofamor Danek, cutting edge medical technology takes new shape, thanks in part to FDM prototyping technology, forward-looking companies seek forward-looking partners.” says RP designer, David Freeman.
FDM Future So how will FDM expand in the future?
Futuristic FDM • Architectural models • FDM for the home hobbyist • Metal FDM parts • Nano and composite build materials • FDM fabricated semi-conductor chips
Direct Digital Manufacturing • Fully automatic touch-less labor products • Production of end use parts • Hydro forming sheet metal fixtures
Sheet Metal Hydro Forming FDM Hydro-form Example • Male mold with intensifier • FDM trim tools for sheet metal blanks or formed sheet part • Coordinated structure removal and installation tooling
3D Production Systems Direct Digital Manufacturing End Use Parts (EUP) 200mc™ 360mc™ 400mc™ 900mc™ $100,000 tool savings using DDM process for one part