The History of 3D Printing
The process of 3D printing dates back to 1981, when Hideo Kodama published an account of a new rapid-prototyping device that built a physical object in layers out of photopolymers. 3 years later, Charles Hull would invent stereolithography, which allowed designers to take digital models and turn them into tangible objects. (“History of 3D Printing: It’s Older than You Think [Updated]”) In 1986 he would submit and receive a patent for his technology, and would found a company known as 3D Systems in 1988. Also in 1988, Carl Deckard would patent selective laser sintering, or SLS. This type of 3D printing used a laser to fuse powder together into layers. Also around the same time, Scott Crump would patent fused deposition modelling, or FDM printing. These 3 types of 3D printing would be the building blocks for 3D printing as we know it today. (“When Was 3D Printing Invented? The History of 3D Printing -”) Then, in 1992, Charles Hull would invent the worlds first SLA machine. (“History of 3D Printing Timeline: Who Invented 3D Printing - 3D Insider”) This was know as a stereolithographic apparatus, and could make 3D objects layer by layer, allowing for complex designs to be made without the need for specialized machinery. ("The History of 3D Printing") In 1999, researchers at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine would create the first 3D printed organ, a lab-grown bladder. This was a major push forward and showed the world why 3D printing technology can be beneficial. (“Timeline of the 3D Printing History - ASME”) In 2005, the RepRap Project became an open source platform for 3D printing. In 2006, the first commercially available SLS printer was made. And in 2009, the original FDM patents from the 80s expired, allowing for a multitude of companies to create their own commercially available 3D printers! FDM printers are the most common type of 3D printing nowadays, and their prices have dropped significantly in the last decade, allowing for 3D printing to become a hobby for regular people. In 2019, the largest 3D printed building was completed, showing the world what 3D printing has in store for the future. (“When Was 3D Printing Invented? The History of 3D Printing -”)