MINNEAPOLIS — (BUSINESS WIRE) — June 28, 2017 — Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), the 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions company, today unveiled winning entries for the 2017 Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge. Judging submissions from more than 900 student inventors, engineers, artists, and entrepreneurs, this year’s contest was co-hosted by GrabCAD and fully supported in the GrabCAD Community – the world’s largest online collaborative environment for designers, engineers, and manufacturers.

Now in its 13^th year, the globally-recognized contest empowers students with a unique opportunity to redesign an existing product, create a new product that improves how tasks are accomplished, or design an original work of art or architecture – all through the power of 3D printing. All submissions are closely evaluated across a range of select criteria, including being mechanically sound, realistically achievable and highly creative.

This year’s panel of judges included noted authorities across consulting, engineering, manufacturing, and education. Among the thought leaders:

• Todd Grimm, President, T.A. Grimm and Associates
• Diana Foster, Manufacturing Engineer II, Harris Corporation
• Ryan Erickson, Cedar Park STEM School, District 196, Apple Valley, MN
• Michael Santolupo, Design Teacher, John Paul II Catholic Secondary School, London, Ontario

“3D printing has the potential to transform industries – truly revolutionizing how things are made. Our Extreme Redesign Challenge regularly highlights the most significant student innovations achieved with 3D printing, led by the intellect of young minds,” said Gina Scala, Director of Marketing, Global Education, Stratasys. “This year, we received some of the strongest entries in the contest’s 10-plus year history. These winners truly represent the ‘best of the best’ in student creativity and design.”

Entrants in the 2017 contest leveraged the GrabCAD Community Challenge platform to submit works across such major categories as: Engineering – Secondary Education (middle/high school); Engineering – Post-Secondary (university, college, or post-secondary); Art, Architecture, and Design (any grade level); and the NCATC Member School Category. Top scholarship winners for 2017 include:

Engineering – Secondary Education

• First Place: Biomimetic Robotic Prosthetic Hand, Grayson Galisky, Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, CA
• Second Place: Bi-Directional Ratchet, Connor Meehan, Saline High School, Ann Arbor, MI

Engineering – Post-Secondary Education

• First Place: Arm Cast, Thomas Salverson, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Gretna, NE
• Second Place: Fender Lock, Matthew Wong-Chun-Sen and Luis Carvalheiro, Ryerson University, Mississauga/Toronto, Ontario Canada

Art, Architecture, and Design

• First Place: Intricate Flower Centerpiece, Daniel Fahy, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
• Second Place: Khachkar – Armenian Cross Stone, Sergey Kuznetsov, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

NCATC Winner

• Universal Tablet Holder for Phantom Drone, Jacob Haynes, Danville Community College, Virginia

Stratasys is bestowing a $2,500 scholarship on first-place winners, with second-place winners receiving $1,000 scholarships. Instructors of first-place entrants also receive a demo 3D printer for classroom use during a limited time. The National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC) winner is awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

For an inside look at project submissions, photos and videos, please visit the GrabCAD Challenge webpage. The 2018 contest will kick off on October 6, 2017.

For nearly 30 years, Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) has been a defining force in 3D printing and additive manufacturing, shaping the way things are made. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot, Israel, the company empowers customers across vertical markets, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, education, and consumer products, by enabling new approaches for design and manufacturing. Stratasys solutions offer design freedom and manufacturing flexibility, reducing time-to-market and lowering development costs, while improving products and communication. Subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape, as well as Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, which offers 3D printed parts on demand. Stratasys also offers Expert Services in North America and over 4 million free, 3D printable design files through its Thingiverse and GrabCAD communities. Stratasys has 1,200 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents and has received more than 30 technology and leadership awards. Online at: www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com/ . Follow us on LinkedIn .