S. Scott Crump (born Steven Scott Crump) is the inventor of fused deposition modeling (FDM) and co-founder of Stratasys, Ltd. Crump invented and patented FDM technology in 1989 with his wife and Stratasys co-founder Lisa Crump. He is currently the chairman of the board of directors of Stratasys, which produces additive manufacturing machines for direct digital manufacturing (a.k.a. rapid manufacturing); these machines are popularly called “3D printers.” He took the manufacturing company public in 1994 (Nasdaq:SSYS). He also runs Fortus, RedEye on Demand, and Dimension Printing – business units of Stratasys.[citation needed]
Crump managed the early work on another innovation used by FDM machines, the ABS plastic filament, which allows engineers to formulate fully functional parts that have up to 75% of the strength of an actual molded part. In addition, Crump is responsible for other innovations, including: Breakaway Support System (BASS), WaterWorks Support System, the coupling to the CAD/CAM industry for CNC tool path software, a baffled oven for high-temperature build environments and a benchtop 3D Printer (Dimension).[citation needed]