3D Systems Buys Z Corp in Prototype Boost3D Systems Buys Z Corp in Prototype Boost

Rather than duking it out as competitors, two of the front runners in the 3D printer market -- 3D Systems Corp. and Z Corp -- have decided to get hitched, making a bet that their combined forces will deliver the scale necessary for propelling 3D printing to the next level.

In the latest of what 3D Systems officials call a hard-to-believe 23 acquisitions in a scant two years, the firm has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Z Corp, which has a line of personal and professional 3D printers, and Vidar Systems, a provider of medical film scanners used for digitizing film for radiology, oncology, dental, and other medical applications.